What Is Red Spinach? Benefits, Nitrate, History & Research

Red spinach (Amaranthus dubius) growing in a cultivated garden.

All About Amaranthus dubius, Its History, and Why Scientists Are Studying It Today

Red spinach has become one of the fastest-growing ingredients in the nitric oxide supplement category. Athletes are using it before training, active adults are taking it to support healthy circulation, and researchers continue to study its naturally occurring dietary nitrate. Yet despite its growing popularity, relatively few people know what red spinach actually is.

Is it simply spinach with red leaves? Is it related to beetroot? What makes it different from the ordinary vegetables found in the produce aisle?

Despite Its Name, Red Spinach Isn't Actually Spinach

If you've recently heard about red spinach, you may have assumed it's simply a red variety of the spinach you find in the grocery store. Surprisingly, that's not the case.

Despite its common name, red spinach isn't actually spinach. The plant used by Red Spinach Company is Amaranthus dubius, a member of the amaranth family—not the true spinach family that includes conventional green spinach (Spinacia oleracea). The name "red spinach" is simply a common nickname based on the plant's appearance and the way its tender leaves are prepared and eaten like spinach in many parts of the world.

Think of it much like a "peanut," which is actually a legume rather than a true nut, or a "sweet potato," which is not closely related to the common potato. Common names often describe how a food looks, tastes, or is prepared rather than where they fit within the botanical family tree.

Although it isn't true spinach, Amaranthus dubius has been cultivated and enjoyed as a leafy vegetable for generations. Today it is commonly grown throughout the Caribbean, Africa, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Southeast Asia, and other tropical and subtropical regions, where its fast growth, heat tolerance, and tender leaves have made it a dependable food crop.

An Ancient Leafy Vegetable with a Long Culinary History

Fresh red spinach leaves traditionally prepared as a leafy vegetable.

Although red spinach may seem like a modern discovery, it belongs to one of the world's oldest groups of cultivated food plants—the amaranths. For thousands of years, various species of amaranth have been grown either for their nutritious leaves or their highly valued seeds, providing an important source of food throughout tropical and subtropical regions of the world.

The species used by Red Spinach Company, Amaranthus dubius, is cultivated primarily for its edible leaves. It is believed to have originated in tropical regions of the Americas before spreading to many parts of the world, where it became a familiar leafy vegetable in warm climates.

For centuries, families harvested the young leaves just as they would other leafy greens. Depending on regional traditions, they have been sautéed with garlic and onions, steamed, simmered into soups, cooked in curries, or added to hearty stews and vegetable dishes. In parts of the Caribbean, Amaranthus dubius and closely related leafy amaranths are commonly known as callaloo, a traditional leafy vegetable that remains an important part of regional cuisine.

Unlike many vegetables grown only during cooler seasons, red spinach thrives in warm weather. It grows quickly, tolerates heat well, and can often be harvested multiple times from the same planting. These qualities have made it an important food crop in many tropical communities where dependable leafy vegetables are especially valuable.

Today, while scientists may study red spinach for its naturally occurring dietary nitrate, millions of people around the world continue to enjoy it exactly as previous generations did—not as a supplement, but simply as a delicious and nutritious leafy vegetable.

Learn more about the benefits of red spinach.

A Brief Note About Amaranth Seeds

While Amaranthus dubius is grown primarily for its tender edible leaves, other members of the amaranth family have been cultivated for thousands of years for their tiny, nutrient-rich seeds. These seeds, commonly referred to as amaranth grain, are technically a pseudocereal rather than a true cereal grain because they do not come from grasses such as wheat, oats, or rice.

Amaranth seeds have long been consumed in Central and South America and today are enjoyed around the world. They can be cooked much like grains, made into porridge, popped like popcorn, milled into gluten-free flour, or added to breads, cereals, granolas, and energy bars. Because they naturally provide protein, fiber, and important minerals, amaranth has earned a reputation as one of today's recognized superfoods.

Although the leaves and seeds come from plants within the same botanical family, they are appreciated for different reasons. This article focuses on the leaves of Amaranthus dubius, where naturally occurring dietary nitrate has become the subject of growing scientific interest.

Why Scientists Became Interested in Red Spinach

For most of its history, red spinach was appreciated simply as a nutritious leafy vegetable. People did not grow it because they were thinking about nitric oxide, athletic performance, or dietary nitrate. They grew it because it was dependable, easy to cultivate, and perhaps because it provided energy before the science explained why.

Over the past two decades, however, scientists have taken a much closer look at one naturally occurring component found in many leafy vegetables: dietary nitrate.

Once regarded as little more than a naturally occurring plant compound, dietary nitrate is now recognized as part of a well-established biological pathway that helps the body produce nitric oxide. Nitric oxide is a signaling molecule involved in many normal physiological processes, including helping blood vessels relax and widen, supporting healthy circulation and the efficient delivery of oxygen and nutrients throughout the body.

As researchers began studying vegetables naturally rich in nitrate, beetroot became one of the first ingredients to receive widespread attention. More recently, interest has expanded to include other nitrate-rich vegetables, including Amaranthus dubius. Unlike fresh vegetables, whose nitrate content naturally varies from harvest to harvest, modern food science has made it possible to produce standardized red spinach extract with a measured amount of naturally occurring nitrate per serving. That consistency allows researchers to study the ingredient more precisely and gives consumers a clearer understanding of exactly how much nitrate they are consuming.

Today, red spinach is attracting attention because modern nutritional science has revealed new ways to understand and standardize one of its naturally occurring components.

Compare red spinach with beetroot.

How Red Spinach Helps the Body Produce Nitric Oxide

One of the primary reasons red spinach has gained attention is its naturally occurring dietary nitrate. While nitrate has long been present in vegetables, scientists now recognize it as part of an important pathway that allows the body to produce nitric oxide—a tiny signaling molecule that plays a surprisingly large role in human health.

Nitric oxide helps blood vessels relax and widen, a process known as vasodilation. This allows blood to flow more efficiently throughout the body, helping deliver oxygen and nutrients to working muscles and other tissues. Because of this role, nitric oxide has become an area of interest for researchers studying exercise performance, cardiovascular health, and healthy aging.

Rather than consuming nitric oxide directly, your body produces it through several pathways. One of the best studied begins with dietary nitrate obtained from vegetables.

The Nitrate–Nitrite–Nitric Oxide Pathway

After consuming nitrate-rich vegetables such as red spinach, nitrate is absorbed into the bloodstream. A portion of that nitrate is then concentrated in the salivary glands and released back into the mouth.

This is where an interesting partnership between the body and naturally occurring oral bacteria begins.

Beneficial bacteria living on the tongue convert part of the nitrate into nitrite. After swallowing, the nitrite enters the stomach and bloodstream, where it can be further converted into nitric oxide as the body needs it.

Because beneficial oral bacteria play such an important role in this process, researchers often recommend avoiding strong antiseptic mouthwashes immediately before consuming nitrate-rich foods or supplements, as they may temporarily reduce the bacteria responsible for this conversion.

The pathway can be summarized like this:

Red Spinach → Dietary Nitrate → Nitrite → Nitric Oxide

Although the process sounds simple, it represents one of the body's most elegant examples of how food and naturally occurring bacteria work together to support normal physiology.

Why Nitrate Content Matters More Than the Amount of Plant Powder

One of the biggest misconceptions surrounding nitrate supplements is that more plant powder automatically means more nitrate.

It doesn't.

The amount of nitrate found in any vegetable naturally varies depending on numerous factors, including the plant variety, soil conditions, weather, sunlight, irrigation practices, maturity at harvest, storage, and processing methods. Two servings of the same vegetable can contain dramatically different amounts of naturally occurring nitrate.

For consumers, this creates an obvious question:

How much nitrate am I actually getting?

The answer cannot be determined simply by looking at the number of grams listed on the label.

For this reason, many researchers believe that measuring and disclosing nitrate content provides far more meaningful information than listing only the amount of plant powder. Knowing both the serving size and the amount of naturally occurring nitrate allows consumers to understand exactly what they are taking and enables researchers to reproduce studies more consistently.

As interest in dietary nitrate has grown, standardized red spinach extracts have emerged as one approach to delivering a measured amount of naturally occurring nitrate in each serving.

Looking for more nitric oxide foods?

Did You Know?

Nitric oxide cannot be stored by the body. It is produced continuously as needed, making a consistent dietary intake of nitrate-rich vegetables an important area of ongoing scientific interest.

What Is Standardized Red Spinach Extract?

By now you've learned that red spinach is an edible leafy vegetable with naturally occurring dietary nitrate. But if you've looked at sports nutrition or nitric oxide supplements, you've probably noticed that many products don't contain fresh leaves—they contain red spinach extract.

So what's the difference?

A fresh leaf is made up mostly of water, fiber, and hundreds of naturally occurring plant compounds. Like all vegetables, its nutritional composition changes from one harvest to the next. Rainfall, sunlight, soil conditions, growing season, and even the time of harvest can all influence the amount of naturally occurring nitrate present in the plant.

An extract is different.

A red spinach extract is produced by concentrating selected naturally occurring compounds from the leaves while removing much of the water and other components. The result is a much smaller amount of material that is easier to use in powders, chewables, and other dietary supplements.

Not all extracts, however, are created equally.

Why Standardization Matters

The word standardized means that the extract has been tested to verify the amount of a specific naturally occurring compound—in this case, dietary nitrate.

Without standardization, two products containing the same number of grams of red spinach extract may deliver very different amounts of nitrate. One product could provide substantially more nitrate than another, even though both labels appear similar.

Standardization helps eliminate much of that uncertainty.

Instead of simply stating how many grams of plant material are included in a serving, a standardized product can disclose the measured amount of naturally occurring nitrate it contains. This provides researchers with consistency during clinical studies and gives consumers a clearer understanding of what they are purchasing.

For that reason, many experts believe that nitrate disclosure represents an important step toward greater transparency within the dietary nitrate category.

More Plant Powder Doesn't Always Mean More Nitrate

One of the most common assumptions consumers make is that a larger serving size automatically delivers more nitrate.

In reality, that's not necessarily true.

A product containing several grams of vegetable powder may provide less nitrate than a much smaller serving of a standardized extract. The determining factor isn't simply the amount of plant material—it's the concentration of naturally occurring nitrate within that material.

This distinction helps explain why comparing serving sizes alone can sometimes be misleading. Looking beyond grams of powder to the actual amount of measured nitrate offers a more meaningful way to evaluate products intended to support nitric oxide production.

Transparency Helps Consumers Make Better Decisions

As the dietary nitrate category continues to grow, consumers have more choices than ever before. Some products disclose the amount of naturally occurring nitrate per serving, while others list only the amount of plant powder or proprietary blends.

Understanding the difference allows consumers to make more informed decisions based on the information available on the label.

Regardless of which nitrate-rich vegetable someone prefers, greater transparency benefits everyone. When manufacturers disclose both the serving size and the measured nitrate content, consumers can compare products more accurately and researchers can more easily interpret scientific studies.

Ultimately, informed consumers are better equipped to choose products that align with their individual goals.

Why consistent nitrate content matters.

Label Tip

When comparing dietary nitrate supplements, don't look only at the number of grams per serving. If available, look for the measured amount of naturally occurring nitrate disclosed on the label. That information provides a clearer picture of what each serving contains.

Why Red Spinach Has Become a Functional Food

For generations, red spinach was valued simply as a nutritious leafy vegetable. It was grown in home gardens, sold in local markets, and prepared as part of everyday meals throughout many tropical regions of the world. Few people thought about dietary nitrate or nitric oxide—they simply enjoyed it as food.

That has changed dramatically over the past two decades.

As scientists have learned more about the relationship between dietary nitrate and nitric oxide, researchers have expanded their interest beyond individual nutrients to the foods that naturally contain them. Rather than asking only whether a vitamin or mineral provides a benefit, researchers have increasingly explored how whole foods and plant compounds work together to support normal physiology.

This shift has contributed to the rapid growth of what is now known as the functional food industry.

A functional food is generally defined as a food that provides benefits beyond basic nutrition because it naturally contains biologically active compounds. While all vegetables contribute important nutrients to a healthy diet, some have attracted particular scientific attention because of specific compounds they naturally contain. Tomatoes are known for lycopene, blueberries for anthocyanins, turmeric for curcumin, garlic for sulfur compounds, and leafy vegetables such as red spinach for their naturally occurring dietary nitrate.

As interest in dietary nitrate has grown, researchers have begun studying a variety of nitrate-rich vegetables for their ability to support the body's nitric oxide pathway. One reason red spinach has attracted increasing attention is that standardized red spinach extracts can provide a highly concentrated source of naturally occurring dietary nitrate. In fact, a standardized red spinach extract may contain substantially more nitrate per serving than conventional beetroot powders while requiring a much smaller serving size. This combination of high nitrate concentration and convenient serving size has made red spinach an increasingly attractive ingredient for athletes, and people over the age of 40 who naturally lose nitric oxide production.

For consumers, this has created an entirely new category of products. Instead of viewing red spinach only as a leafy vegetable, many people now recognize it as a functional ingredient used in sports nutrition, healthy aging, and everyday wellness products. It's important to note, however, that nitrate levels vary naturally among vegetables and can also vary between products. The amount of nitrate depends on the specific ingredient and whether it has been standardized and tested—not simply on the name of the vegetable listed on the label.

It's also important to remember that the science surrounding dietary nitrate continues to evolve. Researchers are actively studying how nitrate-rich vegetables may support exercise performance, circulation, and other aspects of health. As with any area of nutrition science, new discoveries continue to refine our understanding of how these foods work within the body.

What makes red spinach especially interesting is not that it is a newly discovered plant, but that modern nutritional science has revealed new ways to understand, measure, and standardize one of its naturally occurring compounds. A leafy vegetable that has been enjoyed for generations is now being appreciated for reasons that earlier generations could never have imagined.

Benefits of Red Spinach

Red spinach has been enjoyed as a leafy vegetable for generations, but much of today’s scientific interest centers on its naturally occurring dietary nitrate and the role nitrate plays in supporting the body’s production of nitric oxide.

Researchers continue to study dietary nitrate because nitric oxide is involved in many normal physiological processes, including helping blood vessels relax and widen, supporting healthy circulation, and assisting with the efficient delivery of oxygen and nutrients throughout the body.

Research involving dietary nitrate and nitrate-rich vegetables has examined several areas of interest, including:

Supporting exercise performance and endurance
Promoting healthy blood flow and circulation
Supporting healthy blood pressure already within the normal range
Improving exercise efficiency
Supporting tolerance to strenuous or repeated exercise

These potential benefits should be interpreted carefully. Responses to dietary nitrate can vary based on the individual, nitrate dose, type of exercise, training status, diet, oral microbiome, and other factors. No single food or dietary supplement should be considered a substitute for a balanced diet, regular physical activity, or appropriate medical care.

One reason standardized red spinach extract is useful in research is that it can deliver a measured amount of naturally occurring dietary nitrate. This allows researchers to study a consistent dose rather than relying on the naturally variable nitrate content of fresh vegetables or nonstandardized powders.

Human Clinical Research on Red Spinach

Standardized red spinach extract has been evaluated in two published, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover studies conducted with university researchers. Both studies used a serving providing approximately 400 milligrams of naturally occurring dietary nitrate, but they examined different forms of exercise in different athletic populations.

The findings were promising in several areas, but they were not uniformly positive across every measurement. Presenting both the significant and nonsignificant results provides a more accurate picture of what the research showed.

University of Alabama at Birmingham: Resistance Exercise Study

Researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham studied 14 resistance-trained men to determine how an acute serving of VitaSpinach® affected bench-press performance and muscular endurance.

Participants consumed either red spinach powder providing approximately 400 milligrams of nitrate or a placebo two hours before exercise. Blood was collected before the workout, and participants completed explosive bench-press repetitions followed by three sets performed to exhaustion.

Compared with placebo, red spinach powder produced:

Significantly higher plasma nitrate and nitrite concentrations
Higher mean barbell velocity during explosive bench-press exercise
Lower local and overall ratings of perceived exertion

The study did not find a significant difference in the total number of repetitions completed to exhaustion. In other words, participants did not perform more total repetitions, but they moved the bar faster during the velocity test and reported that the resistance exercise felt less difficult.

These results suggest that standardized red spinach may support certain measures of resistance-exercise efficiency without necessarily increasing total muscular-endurance volume.

Study title

Effects of Acute Red Spinach Powder (VitaSpinach®) Ingestion on Muscular Endurance and Resistance Exercise Performance

Published, Muscles, 2025

Study URL: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41441447/

Samford University: Repeated-Sprint Study

Researchers at Samford University studied 11 NCAA Division I female soccer athletes to determine whether an acute serving of red spinach extract affected repeated sprint performance.

Each athlete completed testing after consuming either red spinach extract providing approximately 400 milligrams of nitrate or a placebo two hours before exercise. The athletes then performed three 15-second Wingate cycling sprints separated by two-minute recovery periods.

Compared with placebo, red spinach extract produced:

Significantly higher plasma nitrite concentrations
A lower fatigue index during the repeated sprints
Higher post-exercise blood lactate concentrations

The study showed that the lower fatigue index suggested that participants maintained their power more effectively as the repeated sprints progressed.

The researchers noted that the combination of a lower fatigue index and higher circulating lactate could indicate improved movement of lactate from the working muscles into the bloodstream.

Study title

Effects of Acute Red Spinach Extract Ingestion on Repeated Sprint Performance in Division I NCAA Female Soccer Athletes

Published, Oxygen, 2023

Study URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2673-9801/3/1/10

What Can We Conclude from These Studies?

Together, the two studies demonstrate that standardized red spinach can substantially raise circulating nitrate or nitrite after ingestion. They also reported positive findings related to barbell velocity, perceived effort, and fatigue during repeated high-intensity exercise.

The current evidence may not establish that red spinach will improve every type of athletic performance for every person. The studies involved trained young adults, and evaluated the effects of a single acute serving under specific exercise conditions.

They nevertheless provide valuable human evidence that standardized red spinach delivers bioavailable dietary nitrate and may influence certain measures of exercise efficiency and fatigue.

Review the Red Spinach Company clinical studies

More Red Spinach Benefits.

How to Choose a Red Spinach Supplement

As interest in red spinach continues to grow, consumers are likely to encounter a wider variety of products. Understanding what to look for can help you make a more informed decision.

When evaluating a red spinach supplement, consider the following questions:

Is the botanical species clearly identified?
Does the label disclose the amount of naturally occurring dietary nitrate?
Has the ingredient been standardized?
Are the ingredients simple and transparent?
Does the company identify the serving size used to deliver the stated nitrate amount?
Has the particular ingredient or finished formulation been evaluated in human research?

The amount of red spinach powder alone does not reveal how much nitrate a product contains. A label may list several grams of plant material without disclosing its measured nitrate content. Products that report both the ingredient quantity and the amount of naturally occurring nitrate provide a clearer picture of what each serving delivers.

Clinical research should also be interpreted precisely. A study performed with one standardized ingredient, dose, or finished formulation does not automatically validate every supplement that uses the general words “red spinach” on its label.

Products that clearly identify their botanical source, measured nitrate content, formulation, and testing standards give consumers more useful information than products relying primarily on broad marketing claims.

What to Look for on the Label

Botanical identity

Look for the red spinach species rather than only the common plant name.

Measured nitrate

Look for the amount of naturally occurring dietary nitrate per serving.

Standardization

Confirm that the nitrate level is measured and controlled for consistency.

Testing

Look for finished-product testing for nitrate potency, identity, heavy metals, microorganisms, and other appropriate quality measures.

Transparent serving size

Make sure the stated nitrate amount corresponds to the actual recommended serving.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is red spinach actually spinach?

No. The plant used by Red Spinach Company is Amaranthus dubius, a member of the amaranth family. Although its leaves are prepared and eaten like spinach, it is botanically different from conventional spinach, Spinacia oleracea.

Is red spinach naturally high in dietary nitrate?

Red spinach contains substantial dietary nitrate. Standardized extracts are produced and tested to deliver a measured nitrate amount.

Does all red spinach contain the same amount of nitrate?

No. Nitrate content can vary considerably between plants, harvests, powders, extracts, and finished products. A product should not be assumed to provide a particular nitrate amount unless that amount has been measured and disclosed.

Has red spinach been studied in people?

Yes. Standardized red spinach has been evaluated in published human studies, including research involving resistance-trained men and NCAA Division I female soccer athletes. The studies found substantial increases in circulating nitrate or nitrite and positive results in some exercise measurements.

Is red spinach better than beetroot?

Both red spinach and beetroot can provide dietary nitrate. Standardized red spinach extract can deliver substantially more nitrate per serving than conventional beetroot powder while requiring a smaller serving. The most useful comparison considers measured nitrate, serving size, standardization, oxalates, testing, and label transparency rather than the name of the vegetable alone.

For a complete comparison, read:

Red Spinach vs. Beetroot: Which Is Better for Nitric Oxide?

https://redspinachcompany.com/blogs/articles/red-spinach-vs-beetroot-which-is-better-for-nitric-oxide

Why do some supplements disclose nitrate content while others do not?

Not every manufacturer standardizes, measures, or reports the naturally occurring dietary nitrate in its ingredient. Without nitrate disclosure, consumers may know how much plant powder is included but not how much nitrate the serving actually provides.

Is fresh red spinach the same as standardized red spinach extract?

No. Fresh red spinach is an edible leafy vegetable. An extract is made by concentrating selected components from the leaves. A standardized extract is then tested to verify that it provides a specified amount of a particular compound, such as naturally occurring dietary nitrate.

Can I eat red spinach as a vegetable?

Yes. Red spinach and related leafy amaranths have been eaten for generations in soups, stews, curries, and sautéed dishes throughout the Caribbean, Africa, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Southeast Asia, and other warm regions.

Why has red spinach become popular in sports nutrition?

One of the primary reasons is its nitrate concentration. Standardized red spinach extract can provide a measured, comparatively high amount of naturally occurring nitrate in a relatively small serving. Human research has also examined its effects on circulating nitrate and nitrite, resistance exercise, repeated sprints, perceived effort, and fatigue.

Does more red spinach powder always provide more nitrate?

Not necessarily. The nitrate concentration of plant material can vary greatly. A larger serving of a low-nitrate or non-standardized powder could provide less nitrate than a smaller serving of a concentrated, standardized extract.

Should I avoid antiseptic mouthwash when using a nitrate supplement?

Strong antibacterial mouthwash can temporarily reduce the oral bacteria involved in converting nitrate into nitrite. Because this conversion is an important part of the nitrate–nitrite–nitric oxide pathway, frequent antiseptic mouthwash use around the time of nitrate consumption may interfere with that process. Anyone using a prescribed oral rinse should follow the guidance of a dentist or healthcare professional.

Summary

Red spinach may be new to many consumers, but it is far from a new plant. For generations, it has been cultivated as a nutritious leafy vegetable and enjoyed in traditional cuisines around the world. Today, nutritional science has brought renewed attention to one of its naturally occurring compounds: dietary nitrate.

As researchers continue to explore the relationship between dietary nitrate and nitric oxide, standardized red spinach extract has emerged as a way to provide a measured amount of naturally occurring nitrate in a convenient serving. Published human studies have shown that it can substantially increase circulating nitrate or nitrite and may affect particular measures of exercise velocity, effort, and fatigue.

That balanced picture is what makes red spinach scientifically interesting. It is neither an overnight discovery nor a miracle ingredient. It is a traditional leafy vegetable whose naturally occurring nitrate can now be measured, standardized, and studied under controlled conditions.

Whether your interest lies in sports nutrition, healthy aging, circulation, or functional foods, understanding the plant, its nitrate content, the available human research, and the importance of label transparency can help you make better-informed choices.

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Human Clinical Studies

https://redspinachcompany.com/pages/studies

Red Spinach Benefits

https://redspinachcompany.com/blogs/articles/red-spinach-benefits