My friend says vegetables have chemicals that are bad for you and that spinach ruins your teeth and is bad for you.How wrong is he?
He could be right, he could be wrong. This topic is highly bio-individual depending on the person. Many vegetables do contain chemical compounds like oxalates and phytates (plant defense mechanisms) that can be notoriously difficult for some people to digest. Turmeric and spinach are two examples that are high in oxalates and can be problematic for individuals who are sensitive to them.
Edit: spelling errors
Ha…. I’m getting downvoted for simply pointing out that certain vegetables like spinach and turmeric contain a compound called oxalic acid, and yet the low-effort comments from closed minded people who resorted to calling this guy an idiot are getting the updoots. I personally prefer to form my opinions on science and think you all should do some research, but if y’all want to keep stroking your own egos through fear mongering and name calling go ahead.
Your friend may be correct or wrong, correct and wrong, or neither. There is a high variety of peoples genes and “bodily configurations”.
In the most commons scenario I would say it depends on access to nutrients, if you can eat meats, nuts and fruits only all year round, then it is arguably better to avoid vegetables, but if you can’t get enough of a micro nutrient which is readily available in vegetables then vegetables can be good for you.
In some lesser common scenarios many of the vegetables/grains/fruits/nuts can be straight up toxic for you.
Your friend is not wrong. There are a lot of chemicals on all crops. There has also been an increase of aluminum particles in soil recently and scientists don’t know where its coming from. Also, your friend is not right. Vegetables are a great way to keep and maintain overall good health.
Your friend is wrong. Yes there are chemicals in plants. Phytochemicals are used by plants for self defense, but there are a slew of them that are really good for you. Brassicas (cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, etc) have a chemical called sulphorophane that has been shown to be a potent cancer fighter, fights chronic inflamation, boosts anti oxidant activity and may help you survive covid.
As for the oxyolates, yes spinach is high in them and if you are prone to issues with bone density or kidney stones, you should check with your doctor before eating spinach. As for phytates, cooking deactivates them - which is why you should never eat beans raw.
Everyone is different. If you have a specific condition or are on some medications you may need to restrict eating of some plants.
BTW you don’t have to be plant-based to understand how good these veggies are for you. Ask your friend to explain why, if plants are so bad for you that people in the blue zones live so damn long. These are 5 areas in the world with a large concentration of centenarians. You know what they all have in common? Among other lifestyle attributes their diets are centered around plants. Beans, e.g. (you know the stuff with the icky phytates in them) are a main staple in every one - soy in Okinawa, chick peas and fava beans in Greece and Italy. Pinto and black beans in Costa Rica, and in Loma Linda, CA it’s lentils.
I think spinach is something you could eat in small amounts. Of course, we are told lots of green vegetables are ‘good’ for us because they contain all these ‘phytonutrients’. We are told this by the food industry whose sole purpose is for us to consume them.. yet we are not told what chemicals/compounds they inherently have that may be ‘bad’ for us. The vegan community is also hellbent on praising veggies and demonizing animal products. We are bombarded with messages on a daily basis on how fruits and veggies should be part (if not solely consist of) our diets.
unless someone can be a little more specific, as in [this food] contains [this chemical] which has been shown to [have this effect].
then it’s not worth spending time to prove/disprove/ look into it further imo.