Stir-fried Carrots
Many people like to add a little vinegar when cooking. However, adding vinegar incorrectly can actually damage the nutritional value of the vegetables. Carrots are a perfect example.
The most outstanding nutrient in carrots is carotene. After the human body ingests carotene, it can be converted into vitamin A. Vitamin A is a key nutrient for protecting vision, keeping the skin moisturized, and preventing aging. Unlike some other nutrients, carotene is not afraid of heat, so it is not lost during stir-frying; in fact, it becomes more easily absorbed by the body. However, carotene also has a weakness: it's afraid of acetic acid, because acetic acid can cause carotene to break down. When making cold salads, this is not a big issue, as the carotene released is minimal, and the acetic acid content in vinegar is not very high, so the carotene is not significantly destroyed. But it's different after carrots are heated. On one hand, heating causes a large amount of carotene to be released from the carrots. On the other hand, heating accelerates the speed of chemical reactions, accelerating the decomposition of carotene. If vinegar is added at this point, the acetic acid in the vinegar will destroy the carotene, causing a loss of nutrients. Therefore, when stir-frying or stewing carrots, do not add vinegar.
Finally, red bell peppers, pumpkins, pea shoots, and celery are also rich in carotene. If you want to preserve the carotene in these vegetables, it is best not to add vinegar when cooking them with heat, such as stir-frying, boiling, or stewing.
stir-fried carrots