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Basil vs. Spinach — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison

Article author photo Tatevik Stepanyan by Tatevik Stepanyan | Last updated on June 26, 2023
Medically reviewed by Igor Bussel Article author photo Igor Bussel
Basil
vs
Spinach raw

Summary

Spinach has 2 times more vitamin A, vitamin E, and potassium. It is also richer in fiber and protein.

On the other hand, basil has more calcium, iron, phosphorus, vitamin C, folate, and less sodium than spinach.

Table of contents

  1. Introduction
    1. Nutritional Content
      1. Macronutrients
        1. Vitamins
          1. Minerals
            1. Glycemic Index
            2. Health Impact
              1. Kidney Stones
              2. References

                Introduction

                With its round, pointed leaves, the basil plant frequently reminds us of peppermint. It is usually used as a seasoning herb for various dishes and is often considered “the king of herbs.” This green is the main ingredient in pesto. Its flavored mixture of pine nuts and parmesan is hard to forget.

                The amazing versatility of spinach has been familiar to the culinary world for centuries. In contrast to basil, used as a seasoning, it is incorporated into our daily meals in many forms, be it raw, boiled, or cooked, and has numerous nutritional benefits.

                Nutritional Content

                Macronutrients

                Spinach has a slightly higher number of carbs than basil, containing 3.63g of carbs per 100g, whereas basil has 2.65g of carbs.

                However, spinach is also higher in fiber. Basil is richer in protein.

                Macronutrient Comparison

                Macronutrient breakdown side-by-side comparison
                Basil
                Basil
                3
                3% 3% 92%
                Protein: 3.15 g
                Fats: 0.64 g
                Carbs: 2.65 g
                Water: 92.06 g
                Other: 1.5 g
                3% 4% 91% 2%
                Protein: 2.86 g
                Fats: 0.39 g
                Carbs: 3.63 g
                Water: 91.4 g
                Other: 1.72 g
                Contains more FatsFats +64.1%
                Contains more CarbsCarbs +37%
                Contains more OtherOther +14.7%
                ~equal in Protein ~2.86g
                ~equal in Water ~91.4g

                Vitamins

                Spinach contains more vitamins than basil.

                Spinach has 2 times more vitamin A and vitamin E than basil. It also is higher in vitamin C, folate, and vitamin K.

                Both greens do not contain vitamin D and vitamin B12.

                Vitamin Comparison

                Vitamin comparison score is based on the number of vitamins by which one or the other food is richer. The "coverage" charts below show how much of the daily needs can be covered by 300 grams of the food.
                Basil
                Basil
                2
                Vitamin C Vit. C Vitamin A Vit. A Vitamin E Vit. E Vitamin D Vit. D Vitamin B1 Vit. B1 Vitamin B2 Vit. B2 Vitamin B3 Vit. B3 Vitamin B5 Vit. B5 Vitamin B6 Vit. B6 Vitamin B12 Vit. B12 Vitamin K Vit. K Folate Folate Choline Choline 60% 317% 16% 0% 8.5% 18% 17% 13% 36% 0% 1037% 51% 6.2%
                Vitamin C Vit. C Vitamin A Vit. A Vitamin E Vit. E Vitamin D Vit. D Vitamin B1 Vit. B1 Vitamin B2 Vit. B2 Vitamin B3 Vit. B3 Vitamin B5 Vit. B5 Vitamin B6 Vit. B6 Vitamin B12 Vit. B12 Vitamin K Vit. K Folate Folate Choline Choline 94% 563% 41% 0% 20% 44% 14% 3.9% 45% 0% 1207% 146% 11%
                Contains more Vitamin B3Vitamin B3 +24.6%
                Contains more Vitamin B5Vitamin B5 +221.5%
                Contains more Vitamin CVitamin C +56.1%
                Contains more Vitamin AVitamin A +77.8%
                Contains more Vitamin EVitamin E +153.8%
                Contains more Vitamin B1Vitamin B1 +129.4%
                Contains more Vitamin B2Vitamin B2 +148.7%
                Contains more Vitamin B6Vitamin B6 +25.8%
                Contains more Vitamin KVitamin K +16.4%
                Contains more FolateFolate +185.3%
                Contains more CholineCholine +69.3%
                ~equal in Vitamin D ~0µg
                ~equal in Vitamin B12 ~0µg

                Minerals

                In mineral content, basil is the winner, being richer in calcium, iron, phosphorus, and manganese. Basil is also lower in sodium.

                100g of basil has 19 times less sodium than 100g of spinach.

                Spinach, however, contains more potassium and magnesium.

                Mineral Comparison

                Mineral comparison score is based on the number of minerals by which one or the other food is richer. The "coverage" charts below show how much of the daily needs can be covered by 300 grams of the food.
                Basil
                Basil
                7
                Magnesium Magnesium Calcium Calcium Potassium Potassium Iron Iron Copper Copper Zinc Zinc Phosphorus Phosphorus Sodium Sodium Manganese Manganese Selenium Selenium 46% 53% 26% 119% 128% 22% 24% 0.52% 150% 1.6%
                Magnesium Magnesium Calcium Calcium Potassium Potassium Iron Iron Copper Copper Zinc Zinc Phosphorus Phosphorus Sodium Sodium Manganese Manganese Selenium Selenium 56% 30% 49% 102% 43% 14% 21% 10% 117% 5.5%
                Contains more CalciumCalcium +78.8%
                Contains more IronIron +17%
                Contains more CopperCopper +196.2%
                Contains more ZincZinc +52.8%
                Contains more PhosphorusPhosphorus +14.3%
                Contains less SodiumSodium -94.9%
                Contains more ManganeseManganese +28%
                Contains more MagnesiumMagnesium +23.4%
                Contains more PotassiumPotassium +89.2%
                Contains more SeleniumSelenium +233.3%

                Glycemic Index

                Even though both have low carb content, surprisingly, basil has a higher glycemic index than spinach.

                The glycemic index of basil is equal to 70, while the gi of raw spinach is equal to 32.

                Spinach is considered low glycemic index food.

                Health Impact

                As a concerned individual who cares for their health, you may ask, which is better?

                Spinach appears to be part of more scientific studies. One study showed that it might reduce the risk of aggressive prostate cancer (1). The case is that increased consumption of leafy and carotenoid vegetables leads to decreased risk of prostate cancer.

                Nonetheless, these two foods are high in many nutritional elements and are excellent for fighting against several health issues thanks to the following:

                • Anti-bacterial properties (2, 3)
                • Anti-inflammatory effects (4, 5)
                • Anti-cancer properties (1, 6)
                • Nutrients essential for cardiovascular health (due to magnesium and potassium contents)

                Kidney Stones

                Spinach contains oxalate, meaning that spinach may increase the chance of oxalate stone formation.

                Increased oxalate consumption is associated with an increased risk of kidney stone development (7).

                However, since oxalate is a water-soluble compound boiling and cooking vegetables more often reduces the oxalate content by more than 50%. (8)

                References

                1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3209415/
                2. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12744643/
                3. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/336568422
                4. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/316307034
                5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7399895/
                6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3700662/
                7. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30566003/ 
                8. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15826055/
                Article author photo Tatevik Stepanyan
                Education: Food Blogger
                Last updated: June 26, 2023
                Medically reviewed by Igor Bussel

                Infographic

                Basil vs Spinach raw infographic
                Infographic link

                Fat Type Comparison

                Fat type breakdown side-by-side comparison
                Basil
                Basil
                3
                8% 17% 75%
                Saturated Fat: Sat. Fat 0.041 g
                Monounsaturated Fat: Mono. Fat 0.088 g
                Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 0.389 g
                26% 4% 69%
                Saturated Fat: Sat. Fat 0.063 g
                Monounsaturated Fat: Mono. Fat 0.01 g
                Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 0.165 g
                Contains less Sat. FatSaturated Fat -34.9%
                Contains more Mono. FatMonounsaturated Fat +780%
                Contains more Poly. FatPolyunsaturated fat +135.8%

                Carbohydrate type comparison

                Carbohydrate type breakdown side-by-side comparison
                Basil
                Basil
                1
                6% 6% 87%
                Starch: 0 g
                Sucrose: 0 g
                Glucose: 0.02 g
                Fructose: 0.02 g
                Lactose: 0 g
                Maltose: 0 g
                Galactose: 0.27 g
                16% 26% 35% 23%
                Starch: 0 g
                Sucrose: 0.07 g
                Glucose: 0.11 g
                Fructose: 0.15 g
                Lactose: 0 g
                Maltose: 0 g
                Galactose: 0.1 g
                Contains more GalactoseGalactose +170%
                Contains more SucroseSucrose +∞%
                Contains more GlucoseGlucose +450%
                Contains more FructoseFructose +650%
                ~equal in Starch ~0g
                ~equal in Lactose ~0g
                ~equal in Maltose ~0g

                Comparison summary table

                Pay attention to the rightmost column. It displays the amounts side by side, giving a clearer understanding of the difference.
                Basil Spinach raw
                Lower in Glycemic Index ok
                Lower in price ok
                Rich in vitamins ok
                Lower in Sugar ok
                Lower in Sodium ok
                Lower in Saturated Fat ok
                Lower in Cholesterol Equal
                Rich in minerals Equal

                All nutrients comparison - raw data values

                Nutrient Basil Spinach raw Opinion
                Calories 23kcal 23kcal
                Protein 3.15g 2.86g Basil
                Fats 0.64g 0.39g Basil
                Vitamin C 18mg 28.1mg Spinach raw
                Net carbs 1.05g 1.43g Spinach raw
                Carbs 2.65g 3.63g Spinach raw
                Magnesium 64mg 79mg Spinach raw
                Calcium 177mg 99mg Basil
                Potassium 295mg 558mg Spinach raw
                Iron 3.17mg 2.71mg Basil
                Sugar 0.3g 0.42g Basil
                Fiber 1.6g 2.2g Spinach raw
                Copper 0.385mg 0.13mg Basil
                Zinc 0.81mg 0.53mg Basil
                Phosphorus 56mg 49mg Basil
                Sodium 4mg 79mg Basil
                Vitamin A 5275IU 9377IU Spinach raw
                Vitamin A 264µg 469µg Spinach raw
                Vitamin E 0.8mg 2.03mg Spinach raw
                Manganese 1.148mg 0.897mg Basil
                Selenium 0.3µg 1µg Spinach raw
                Vitamin B1 0.034mg 0.078mg Spinach raw
                Vitamin B2 0.076mg 0.189mg Spinach raw
                Vitamin B3 0.902mg 0.724mg Basil
                Vitamin B5 0.209mg 0.065mg Basil
                Vitamin B6 0.155mg 0.195mg Spinach raw
                Vitamin K 414.8µg 482.9µg Spinach raw
                Folate 68µg 194µg Spinach raw
                Choline 11.4mg 19.3mg Spinach raw
                Saturated Fat 0.041g 0.063g Basil
                Monounsaturated Fat 0.088g 0.01g Basil
                Polyunsaturated fat 0.389g 0.165g Basil
                Tryptophan 0.039mg 0.039mg
                Threonine 0.104mg 0.122mg Spinach raw
                Isoleucine 0.104mg 0.147mg Spinach raw
                Leucine 0.191mg 0.223mg Spinach raw
                Lysine 0.11mg 0.174mg Spinach raw
                Methionine 0.036mg 0.053mg Spinach raw
                Phenylalanine 0.13mg 0.129mg Basil
                Valine 0.127mg 0.161mg Spinach raw
                Histidine 0.051mg 0.064mg Spinach raw
                Fructose 0.02g 0.15g Spinach raw

                Which food is preferable for your diet?

                ok
                ok
                is better in case of low diet
                Basil Spinach raw
                Low Calories diet Equal
                Low Fats diet ok
                Low Carbs diet ok
                Low Glycemic Index diet ok

                Vitamins & Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score

                The summary scores indicate the extent to which this food can fulfill your daily vitamin and mineral requirements if you consume 3 servings, consisting of 100 grams of each (an approximation of 3 serving sizes).
                Vitamins Daily Need Coverage Score
                121%
                Basil
                168%
                Spinach raw
                Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score
                57%
                Basil
                45%
                Spinach raw

                Comparison summary

                Which food is lower in glycemic index?
                Spinach raw
                Spinach raw is lower in glycemic index (difference - 38)
                Which food is cheaper?
                Spinach raw
                Spinach raw is cheaper (difference - $2.6)
                Which food is richer in vitamins?
                Spinach raw
                Spinach raw is relatively richer in vitamins
                Which food is lower in Sugar?
                Basil
                Basil is lower in Sugar (difference - 0.12g)
                Which food contains less Sodium?
                Basil
                Basil contains less Sodium (difference - 75mg)
                Which food is lower in Saturated Fat?
                Basil
                Basil is lower in Saturated Fat (difference - 0.022g)
                Which food contains less Cholesterol?
                ?
                The foods are relatively equal in Cholesterol (0 mg)
                Which food is richer in minerals?
                ?
                It cannot be stated which food is richer in vitamins. See the charts below for detailed information. See the charts below for detailed information. See the charts below for detailed information.

                References

                All the values for which the sources are not specified explicitly are taken from FDA’s Food Central. The exact link to the food presented on this page can be found below.

                1. Basil - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/172232/nutrients
                2. Spinach raw - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/168462/nutrients

                All the Daily Values are presented for males aged 31-50, for 2000-calorie diets.

                Data provided by FoodStruct.com should be considered and used as information only. Please consult your physician before beginning any diet.