Red Food Synergy in Whole Food Nutrition

Mountain spinach (Atriplex hortensis), also known as red orache, could be called the long-lost cousin in its nutritional family tree. It shares lineage with beets, spinach, and quinoa, plants that each found fame in modern health and culinary circles. Beetroots are celebrated for their earthy, nutrient rich sustenance. Spinach became the household leafy green. And quinoa was reborn as an ancient grain for the protein conscious.

For their long-lost cousin, however, the path diverged. Mountain spinach, grown centuries before spinach claimed the table, was gradually forgotten. Once, mountain spinach held a place on the traditional salad plate, where its tender leaves were often paired with the dainty, lemony bite of sorrel. Its flavor is a paradox of saltiness and mineral richness, softened by an alkaline smoothness. Its delicate texture suggests it may contain fewer oxalates than green spinach. And beyond the kitchen, it was valued in traditional medicine as a spring tonic, described as a gentle stimulant to the metabolism and a remedy for tiredness and nervous exhaustion¹. In Mediterranean traditions, it was even regarded as a supportive food for people with diabetes².

The Sweet and the Salty Sides of Red

Beetroot and mountain spinach both carry a red food signature, yet they express it in different ways. Beets store much of their strength underground, concentrating low glycemic sweetness and rubied compounds in a fleshy root, while mountain spinach sends its pigmented vitality upward into its saline touched crimson leaves. They overlap in their ability to deliver natural nitrates, which relax blood vessels. And they draw attention with their fuchsia hued betacyanins, molecules which act as powerful antioxidants. Together these compounds, and others in their respective matrices, synergize to support cardiometabolic health, enhance exercise performance, and contribute to resilience and longevity.

Bedazzling Betacyanins

Betalain pigments, especially betacyanins, are responsible for the eye-catching garnet tones both cousins share. Recent analysis of red Atriplex hortensis identified at least twelve distinct betacyanin compounds, including celosianin and amaranthin, which showed especially strong antioxidant power. In laboratory studies, these red-violet extracts from mountain spinach were able to neutralize free radicals and protect heart cells from oxidative stress³. These findings position mountain spinach as a promising dietary source of colorful bioactive phytonutrients with potential benefits for cardiovascular health.

Red beetroots put on a show with their jewel-toned betacyanins, but they might also bedazzle our performance outcomes. In competitive runners, even a week of supplementing with a betalain-rich beet concentrate significantly improved performance in a 5-km time trial. Compared with placebo, participants ran faster and demonstrated a lower heart rate, a lower rate of perceived exertion, and a significant reduction in blood lactate. Markers of post exercise muscle damage were also less in the betalain group⁴.

In addition to these performance benefits, betalains have been shown to support healthy lipid and glucose metabolism by lowering LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, body mass index, and post-meal glucose levels. They also help boost antioxidant defenses by activating Nrf2 and upregulating detoxification enzymes, while reducing inflammation through inhibition of NF-κB and other pro-inflammatory markers⁵.

Natural Nitrates and Vascular Support

Another feature mountain spinach shares with the beetroot is its natural nitrate content. When grown in nutrient-dense soils, Atriplex hortensis accumulates measurable nitrate levels in its leaves⁶. In the body, these dietary nitrates are converted to nitric oxide, a signaling molecule that plays a valuable role in vascular health. By relaxing blood vessels and reducing peripheral vascular resistance, nitric oxide helps improve circulation and supports healthy blood pressure⁷.

Mountain spinach provides a parallel nitrate benefit, making it a natural complement to its red-rooted cousin. For active individuals, the nitrates in both beets and mountain spinach may support oxygen delivery to muscles, delay fatigue, and improve endurance. For those with cardiometabolic concerns, they may contribute to healthier vascular function and resilience over time.

Red beets are the most famous nitrate-rich vegetable, widely studied for their ability to enhance endothelial function and improve exercise performance. A 2021 clinical trial in postmenopausal women demonstrated that drinking just half a glass of beetroot juice two to three hours before workouts improved walking performance and mobility outcomes⁸. Participants increased their distance in the six-minute walk test by 40 meters and showed better heart rate recovery, with a decrease of 10 beats per minute after the test. These gains highlight that the benefit of nitrates goes beyond blood pressure, extending to functional capacity, stamina, and independence in daily life.

Anthocyanins: The Burgundy Exception

While betacyanins dominate the red color spectrums of these two superfoods, in some varieties of mountain spinach, perhaps those that deepen toward burgundy, there is also evidence of anthocyanin expression⁹. This adds another layer to its red phytonutrient profile and connects mountain spinach to other anthocyanin rich foods such as blueberries, cherries, and pomegranates.

While betacyanins dominate the red color spectrums of these two superfoods, in some varieties of mountain spinach, perhaps those that deepen toward burgundy, there is also evidence of anthocyanin expression⁹. This adds another layer to its red phytonutrient profile and connects mountain spinach to other anthocyanin rich foods such as blueberries, cherries, and pomegranates.

Anthocyanins are among the most studied plant pigments for human health. They have been associated with improved endothelial function, healthier lipid profiles, benefits for glycemic control, and neuroprotection. Their antioxidant and signaling activities may help preserve cognitive function and resilience with age, making them important contributors to cardiometabolic health across the lifespan¹⁰.

Nature’s Mineral Rich Electrolyte

Beets often steal the spotlight for their nutritive bounty, celebrated as a source of magnesium, folate, potassium, and phytonutrients tied to vascular and metabolic health. Yet their leafy cousin, mountain spinach, receives far less attention despite being mineral-dense.

As a true halophyte, Atriplex thrives in saline soils by concentrating minerals such as sodium and potassium. To offset this internal load, the plant elevates alkaline compounds that buffer and protect its tissues from salt stress¹¹. The result is foliage that is both electrolyte-rich and distinctly alkaline, a dual strategy that explains its resilience and characteristic flavor.

For active bodies, this translates into a leafy green that naturally replenishes electrolytes, lending it a restorative role during exertion or heat stress. Beyond its electrolyte profile, mountain spinach also stands out for nutrient density. Compared with common spinach, it provides significantly more protein, magnesium, vitamin C, and carotenoids. Even its seeds are remarkable: while quinoa is valued as a high-protein cereal, mountain spinach seeds contain even more protein with fewer carbohydrates³.

The Chromium Edge

Here, mountain spinach truly forges its own way. While beets also contain chromium, mountain spinach is recognized for offering it in higher concentrations. Chromium is a trace mineral that, while required only in small amounts, plays an outsized role in human health.

It is also one of the nutrients most likely to become depleted. Losses occur naturally through sweat, making it especially relevant during the heat of summer and for those who are highly active. Levels also tend to decline with age, and these decreases have been linked to higher risks of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes¹².

Here, mountain spinach truly forges its own way. While beets also contain chromium, mountain spinach is recognized for offering it in higher concentrations. Chromium is a trace mineral that, while required only in small amounts, plays an outsized role in human health. It is also one of the nutrients most likely to become depleted. Losses occur naturally through sweat, making it especially relevant during the heat of summer and for those who are highly active. Levels also tend to decline with age, and these decreases have been linked to higher risks of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes¹².

Chromium has been studied for its activity in glucose regulation and insulin sensitivity. From a clinical nutrition perspective, this is meaningful for supporting healthy blood sugar balance and metabolic efficiency. A systematic review and meta-analysis of 28 randomized controlled trials found that chromium supplementation significantly reduced fasting plasma glucose, insulin, HbA1c, and insulin resistance in patients with type 2 diabetes¹³.

Beyond its metabolic role, chromium has also been shown in preclinical models to upregulate heat shock proteins, molecules that help cells adapt to stress and maintain resilience¹⁴. Heat shock proteins themselves are well recognized in human physiology for their role in exercise adaptations, where they are activated by physical activity and contribute to cellular protection and improved performance¹⁵. This connection places chromium at the intersection of metabolic health, stress adaptation, and healthy aging, and highlights why the concentrated levels found in this red leafy vegetable may be especially significant.

Clinical Takeaway: Pairing Red Synergies

Mountain spinach combines a rare constellation of traits. As a halophyte, it concentrates electrolytes and alkalinity, contributing to both resilience and a distinctive taste. It provides a concentrated source of chromium, a trace mineral relevant to blood sugar regulation, stress response, and healthy aging. It naturally delivers dietary nitrates that support vascular health and exercise performance. It is rich in betalains, pigments shown to protect cells, reduce inflammation, and even improve athletic performance. And in some varieties, it adds anthocyanins, expanding its spectrum of protective red compounds even further.

What makes mountain spinach especially compelling is the synergy of its minerals and pigments working together within a whole food matrix. Just as beets are recognized for their root-based nutrition, mountain spinach shines through its leafy vitality. Together, these red cousins reveal how roots and leaves can complement one another, reinforcing shared benefits while also offering their own unique strengths. Once a staple of traditional foodways, this forgotten leaf is finally stepping out from behind the red curtain of nutrition science.

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