Spinach and artichoke dip: the cholesterol data is about extracts

In a meta-analysis of 9 trials with 702 people, artichoke extract lowered LDL cholesterol by 14.9 mg/dL (95% CI 9.5 to 20.4), using leaf extracts at pharmacological doses. A 2025 meta-analysis of artichoke supplements in adults found LDL 10.3 mg/dL lower and total cholesterol 12.3 mg/dL lower, and its abstract does not say how many trials it pooled. Both are about capsules and extracts. Canned artichoke hearts baked into cream cheese have not been tested, and neither has the dip. What the dip does have is measured. The US survey food Spinach and artichoke dip has 329 calories, 620 mg sodium and 8.5 g saturated fat per 3.5 oz (100 g), so a 70 g container gives 230 calories, 434 mg sodium and 5.9 g saturated fat. Those portion values are recalculated from a recipe-based composite, and real recipes differ. On blood pressure, artichoke supplements did not lower it overall across 8 randomized trials, with systolic pressure 0.77 mmHg lower and a confidence interval from 2.76 lower to 1.22 higher.

As people eat it, per 3.5 oz (100 g)

How much is actually in it

• The US survey food Spinach and artichoke dip has 329 calories, 620 mg sodium and 8.5 g saturated fat per 3.5 oz (100 g), so a 70 g container gives 230 calories and 434 mg sodium. — US survey food Spinach and artichoke dip, FNDDS code 14620115, fdc_id 2705783 Evidence E source
  Per 100 g: 329 calories, sodium 620 mg, saturated fat 8.476 g; per tablespoon (15 g): 49 calories, 93 mg sodium; per container (70 g): 230 calories, 434 mg sodium, 5.9 g saturated fat
• The US survey food Spinach and artichoke dip has 128 ug vitamin K per 3.5 oz (100 g), about 90 ug in a 70 g container. — US survey food Spinach and artichoke dip, FNDDS code 14620115, fdc_id 2705783 Evidence E source
  Vitamin K (phylloquinone) 128.2 ug per 3.5 oz (100 g); 19.2 ug per tablespoon; 89.7 ug per 70 g container; calcium 120 mg per 3.5 oz (100 g)

What your body absorbs

• In a crossover RCT of 13 adults, only 5.1% of the calcium in spinach was absorbed, against 27.6% from milk. — 13 healthy adults; test meals of milk or spinach each with 200 mg calcium labeled with 45Ca (n = 13) Evidence B source
  Calcium absorption 5.1% from spinach vs 27.6% from milk; within-subject difference 22.5 +/- 9.5% (P<0.0001)

What cooking and storage change

• In 10 volunteers, adding sour cream and calcium-rich milk to 100 g grilled spinach significantly cut how much of its soluble oxalate was absorbed. — 10 volunteers; 100 g grilled frozen spinach alone or with cottage cheese, sour cream, sour cream plus milk, or olive oil (n = 10) Evidence B source
  Oxalate bioavailability from grilled spinach alone 0.75% (6 h) and 1.93% (24 h); significantly lower with sour cream and calcium-enriched milk (P<0.05)

What it does to your health

• A 2025 meta-analysis of trials found artichoke supplements lowered total cholesterol by about 12 mg/dL and LDL by about 10 mg/dL in adults. — Adults in randomized trials of artichoke supplementation, searched to September 2024 Evidence A source
  Total cholesterol -12.29 mg/dL; LDL-C -10.31 mg/dL; triglycerides -12.85 mg/dL; SBP -2.49 mmHg; no effect on HDL, FBG or HbA1c
• A meta-analysis of 9 trials with 702 people found artichoke extract lowered LDL cholesterol by about 15 mg/dL. — Randomized trials of artichoke extract supplementation, searched to March 2017 (n = 702) Evidence A source
  Total cholesterol -17.6 mg/dL (95% CI -22.0 to -13.3); LDL-C -14.9 mg/dL (-20.4 to -9.5); triglycerides -9.2 mg/dL (-16.2 to -2.1); HDL unchanged

Safety, limits and interactions

• In stably anticoagulated healthy volunteers, vitamin K1 at 150 ug a day for 7 days was the lowest dose that significantly lowered INR. — Healthy volunteers stably anticoagulated for 13 weeks; weekly vitamin K1 increments of 50-500 ug a day Evidence C source
  Threshold 150 ug/day lowered INR; clinically relevant change in 25% of participants at that dose; responses to spinach and broccoli meals were short-lived

What people believe that the data does not support

• In isotope studies of 13-16 women, adding 1.26 g oxalic acid to a kale meal did not change iron absorption, which was 10.7% vs 11.5%. — 16 healthy women aged 18-45, 13 completed both crossover studies; 150 g kale or spinach with wheat rolls (n = 16) Evidence B source
  Iron absorption 10.7% (kale) vs 11.5% (kale plus 1.26 g oxalic acid), P=0.86; spinach meal 24% lower than kale, not significant
• The EU register lists a claim that globe artichoke helps the body eliminate water as non-authorized, and no artichoke or spinach claim is authorized. — EU Register on nutrition and health claims, snapshot 2026-09-21 Evidence E source
  Artichoke claims: 0 authorized, 6 non-authorized; spinach claims: 0 authorized, 6 non-authorized

Who this works differently for

• A meta-analysis of 8 RCTs found artichoke supplements did not lower blood pressure overall, with a drop of about 3 mmHg systolic seen only in people with hypertension. — Randomized controlled trials of artichoke supplementation vs placebo, searched to March 2020 Evidence A source
  Overall SBP -0.77 mmHg (95% CI -2.76 to 1.22), DBP -0.11 (-1.72 to 1.50); hypertensive subgroup SBP -3.19 (-3.32 to -3.06)

The bottom line

The spinach is a poor calcium source and the dairy is a good one. In a crossover study of 13 healthy adults, only 5.1% of the calcium in a spinach meal was absorbed, against 27.6% from milk, in a single test meal. The dip carries 120 mg calcium per 3.5 oz (100 g), and the usable part most likely comes from the cheese and cream, though the dip itself was not tested. Dairy also changes how much spinach oxalate gets absorbed. In 10 volunteers eating 3.5 oz (100 g) grilled spinach, adding sour cream and calcium-enriched milk significantly cut the soluble oxalate absorbed, which was only 0.75% over 6 hours and 1.93% over 24 hours with spinach alone, measured in urine in a small study. The idea that oxalate in greens blocks iron was tested directly. In women aged 18 to 45, adding oxalate to a kale meal did not change iron absorption, 10.7% against 11.5%, and the authors conclude oxalate in vegetables is of minor relevance for iron. It was a study of women only, and spinach iron is still limited by its calcium and polyphenols. The EU register lists a claim that globe artichoke helps the body eliminate water as non-authorized, which means the evidence was judged insufficient at assessment, and no artichoke or spinach claim is authorized. The caution here is vitamin K, for anyone on warfarin. The survey dip has 128 ug vitamin K per 3.5 oz (100 g), about 90 ug in a 70 g container, with the spinach share varying between recipes. In healthy volunteers kept on a stable anticoagulant dose for 13 weeks, vitamin K1 supplements at 150 ug a day for a week were the lowest dose that significantly lowered INR, and the change was clinically relevant in 25% of them. That study was not randomized, used supplements and did not test the dip, so the person managing the warfarin is the one to plan it with. Nothing on this page covers allergy to the dairy or other ingredients of the dip.

Sources

1. sadip-daily-r7-01 · dataset
   Spinach and artichoke dip, FNDDS code 14620115, fdc_id 2705783: Energy 329 KCAL; Sodium, Na 620 MG; Fatty acids, total saturated 8.476 G per 100 g; 1 tablespoon 15 g; 1 individual container 70 g; Quantity not specified 60 g
   USDA FoodData Central, FNDDS survey foods, release 2024-10-31 · checked 2026-09-30
2. sadip-daily-r7-02 · dataset
   Spinach and artichoke dip, fdc_id 2705783: Vitamin K (phylloquinone) 128.2 UG per 100 g; 1 individual container 70 g 89.7 UG; Calcium, Ca 120 MG per 100 g
   USDA FoodData Central, FNDDS survey foods, release 2024-10-31 · checked 2026-09-30
3. sadip-daily-r7-04 · RCT
   Absorption was higher from milk in every case, with the mean absorption from milk averaging 27.6% and from spinach, 5.1%. The mean within-subject difference between Ca absorption from milk and from spinach was 22.5 +/- 9.5% (P less than 0.0001).
   Am J Clin Nutr, 1988 · checked 2026-09-30
4. sadip-daily-r7-03 · RCT
   The mean bioavailability of soluble oxalate in the grilled spinach was 0.75+/-0.48% over a 6-hour period after intake and was 1.93+/-0.85% measured over a 24-hour period. Addition of sour cream and Calci-Trim milk reduced the availability of the oxalate in the spinach significantly (P<0.05) in both the 6-hour and 24-hour collection periods.
   Asia Pac J Clin Nutr, 2003 · checked 2026-09-30
5. sadip-daily-r7-06 · meta-analysis of RCTs
   Significant lipid profile improvements were observed in total cholesterol (WMD = -12.29 mg/dL, 95 % CI: 19.92 to -4.65), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (WMD = -10.31 mg/dL, 95 % CI: 18.57 to -2.04), and triglycerides (WMD = -12.85 mg/dL, 95 % CI: 24.77 to -0.93), with no significant effect on high-density lipoprotein cholesterol.
   Diabetes Metab Syndr, 2025 · checked 2026-09-30
6. sadip-daily-r7-07 · meta-analysis of RCTs
   Meta-analysis of data from 9 trials including 702 subjects suggested a significant decrease in plasma concentrations of total cholesterol (WMD: -17.6 mg/dL, 95%CI: -22.0, -13.3, p < 0.001), Low Density Lipoprotein-Cholesterol (LDL-C; WMD: -14.9 mg/dL, 95%CI: -20.4, -9.5, p = 0.011)
   Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr, 2018 · checked 2026-09-30
7. sadip-daily-r7-09 · dose-response clinical study
   The threshold K(1) dose causing a statistically significant lowering of the INR was 150 microg/day. In 25% of the participants the INR change was regarded as clinically relevant at a vitamin K intake of 150 microg/day.
   Blood, 2004 · checked 2026-09-30
8. sadip-daily-r7-05 · RCT
   Potassium oxalate did not influence iron absorption in humans from a kale meal and our findings strongly suggest that OA in fruits and vegetables is of minor relevance in iron nutrition.
   Eur J Clin Nutr, 2008 · checked 2026-09-30
9. sadip-daily-r7-10 · regulatory decision
   POL-HC-7003 Cynara scolymus - common name : artichoke, globe artichoke Used to enhance the renal elimination of water / "Used to facilitate the elimination functions of the organism" / "Used for the drainage of the organism" / "Stimulates the elimination function of the organism" / "Contributes to the functionary of the urinary tract" Non-authorised
   EU Register on nutrition and health claims, claim POL-HC-7003, snapshot 2026-09-21 · checked 2026-09-30
10. sadip-daily-r7-08 · meta-analysis of RCTs
    Pooled analysis of eight randomized controlled trials revealed that artichoke supplementation did not have an effect on systolic blood pressure (SBP), (WMD: -0.77 mmHg, 95 % CI: -2.76 to 1.22) or diastolic blood pressure (DBP) (WMD: -0.11 mmHg, 95 % CI: -1.72 to 1.50) when compared to the placebo group.
    Complement Ther Med, 2021 · checked 2026-09-30