Adding vinegar when cooking not only enhances appetite but also prevents excessive destruction of Vitamin C (Vc) in vegetables. Wang Xiaochun, a senior nutritionist at the Ministry of Health, stated that eating vinegar-braised dishes when you have a cold can help increase the body's Vc content, and Vc can boost the immune system, thereby playing an auxiliary role in treating the common cold.
According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, fumigating with vinegar can inhibit or kill germs in the air. But can adding vinegar to food inhibit bacterial growth and have a bactericidal effect? Wang Xiaochun believes that the vinegar vapor produced during cooking is relatively faint and dissipates immediately, so it cannot achieve the sterilizing effect of fumigation. However, vinegar does have the effect of protecting Vc in vegetables from being destroyed.
It is well-known that Vc can resist cold viruses, and eating more vegetables and fruits rich in Vc can also help prevent and treat colds. Vc is often destroyed during high-temperature cooking, but it remains stable in vinegar. Secondly, some vegetables contain ascorbic acid oxidase, which destroys Vc upon contact with air. However, in vinegar, ascorbic acid oxidase becomes denatured and loses its ability to destroy Vc. Therefore, adding a little vinegar when cooking or making salads can prevent the destruction of Vc.
Wang Xiaochun said that vinegar has an appetizing effect and can regulate gastrointestinal function. People with colds often have poor appetites, so eating vinegar-braised dishes can increase their appetite. However, in reality, most people dislike irritating foods when they have a cold and prefer light, easily digestible foods. Therefore, whether to eat vinegar-braised dishes after a cold depends on personal taste preferences and tolerance.
Common vegetables suitable for vinegar-braising include: Chinese cabbage, bean sprouts, lotus root, and potatoes.