The spinach myth that made Popeye a legend and how it all started with a math error

E.C. Segar’s ‘Popeye the Sailor’ first debuted on 17 January 1929 in the comic strip Thimble Theatre. There is one thing that the iconic cartoon hero is known for besides his bulging forearms and unmistakable speech and that’s his love of spinach.

The popularity of Popeye was even credited with saving the spinach industry in the United States. However, the reason that Segar chose the leafy green for his protagonist to derive his superhuman strength has been shrouded in myth for years.

The spinach, Popeye and iron decimal point error myth

For years now it has been believed that Segar chose spinach as Popeye’s super-power-upper because of a printing mistake by a German chemist named Erich von Wolf in 1870. He was researching the nutritional benefits of spinach and put the decimal point for the iron content in the wrong place.

Instead of being 3.5 mg per 100 g, it was written as 35 mg, a tenfold overestimate. In reality spinach isn’t any better a source of iron than cabbage, Brussel sprouts or broccoli according to HealthWatch. In fact, the oxalic acid it contains actually blocks the absorption of iron by the body, so that of the 6.6 mg you would find in a 13.5 oz can, your body would only absorb at most 1 mg.

But the myth doesn’t stop there.

It wasn’t iron that Popeye was seeking in spinach

Dr Mike Sutton pointed out in a HealthWatch newletter that it wasn’t iron that Popeye was looking for when he ate spinach. Instead, the sailor was devouring the leafy green for its Vitamin A.

“Spinach is full of Vitamin A. An’tha’s what makes hoomans strong an helty,” he quoted from a 1932 Popeye cartoon, the only time Segar had his cartoon hero say why he eats spinach.

Even though spinach might not be the best source for iron, it is chuck full of other vitamins, minerals and nutrients as well as antioxidants that provide numerous health benefits.

MedicineNet lists among them improving bone and skin health, promoting muscle growth, preventing damage to the brain and nervous system, maintaining gastrointestinal health and vision, as well as stabilizing blood sugar levels and reducing hypertension.

Get your game on! Whether you’re into NFL touchdowns, NBA buzzer-beaters, world-class soccer goals, or MLB home runs, our app has it all.

Dive into live coverage, expert insights, breaking news, exclusive videos, and more – plus, stay updated on the latest in current affairs and entertainment. Download now for all-access coverage, right at your fingertips – anytime, anywhere.