Some products can be controversial depending on how they are perceived by certain groups of people. Two groups of people perceive ingredients like cilantro differently: people who have tried cilantro and people who have tried soap. Likewise, some people avoid eating asparagus because it can affect the smell of their urine. Another controversial food you may not know about is spinach. For some people, spinach can give your teeth a strange chalky appearance and a gritty feeling in your mouth. If you’ve ever experienced this, you’re not crazy, you might just have more sensitive teeth.
        Spinach contains large amounts of the anti-nutrient oxalic acid. Modern Smile explains that oxalic acid is spinach’s defense mechanism against predators. When you eat raw spinach, your mouth reacts. When spinach cells break down, oxalic acid is released, which blocks calcium absorption. Your saliva contains small amounts of calcium, so when you start to break down spinach, oxalic acid and calcium meet and form small crystals of calcium oxalate. These tiny crystals cause an unpleasant sensation and rough texture.
        Although more and more people are experiencing a chalky sensation, the effects of oxalic acid in spinach have not yet been studied. While you don’t have to worry about oxalic acid harming your teeth, this sensation can still cause problems when you try to eat vegetables. Brushing your teeth after eating spinach is a quick way to get rid of this feeling, but before you eat spinach, try a few tricks to get rid of this feeling.
        One of the easiest ways to remove sand is to boil spinach. Blanching, boiling or steaming vegetables helps break down and remove oxalic acid. This is especially recommended if you plan to add spinach to creamy dishes, such as creamed spinach. Cooking spinach with butter or cream may make the reaction worse. If you want to eat spinach raw, squeeze a little lemon juice on the spinach leaves to reduce the discomfort. The acid in lemons breaks down oxalic acid. You can also use lemon juice in sautéed spinach for a similar effect.