Everyone knows they should eat more vegetables, but how can you get the most nutrients from them? Increasing research suggests that when it comes to vegetables, the key isn't how many you eat, but how you eat them and how to ensure their nutrients are absorbed by your body. Surprisingly, a research report is set to be published in the *British Journal of Nutrition*: vegetables aren't necessarily best eaten raw. Researchers tracked 198 Germans who strictly ate their vegetables raw and found that their vitamin A levels were the same as the average person, their carotene levels were relatively higher, but they were generally deficient in lycopene.
Steven Clinton, a professor of internal medicine and a nutrition researcher at the Ohio State University's Division of Medical Oncology, said: "It's a misconception that all foods are best eaten raw. For vegetables and fruits, in many cases, light cooking or processing can be more beneficial for the body." Before vegetables become a dish, the types and amounts of nutrients they contain are affected by many factors, including where and how they are grown, processed, and stored. Water-soluble nutrients like vitamins C and B, as well as polyphenolic compounds, are often lost during processing. For example, cherries can lose up to 50% of their anthocyanins after being frozen for six months; fresh spinach loses 64% of its vitamin C after being cooked; and canned peas and carrots lose 95% of their vitamin C.
Additionally, fat-soluble nutrients like vitamins A, D, E, K, and antioxidant compounds such as carotene are not lost in water. The thick cell walls of plants break down during cooking, releasing components that the human body can absorb. Therefore, processed tomato products have a higher lycopene content than fresh tomatoes.
Therefore, a recent research report published in the *Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry* pointed out that for carrots, zucchini, and broccoli, boiling them is more nutritious than steaming, frying, or eating them raw, with frying being the least desirable option. The report states that different cooking and preparation methods result in vastly different nutritional value and taste for vegetables. Therefore, the most important thing is to use different methods to eat different vegetables.
Reminder:
Don't barbecue vegetables
Barbecuing is a favorite among young people, and street-side kebabs and Korean-style BBQ are all the rage. British nutritionists have recently discovered that barbecued vegetables, including onions, bell peppers, and cucumbers, are more likely to release corrosive acidic substances compared to traditional boiling and stewing methods, which is not good for dental health.
If you can't resist the temptation of barbecued food, you can also improve your method of eating it, such as pre-cooking the food in the microwave to a semi-finished state to shorten the grilling time; or you can wrap the food in aluminum foil before placing it on the charcoal fire to prevent direct contact with the charcoal and reduce the formation of harmful substances.