The skin of fruits and vegetables is a "base" for nutrient synthesis
When eating Chinese cabbage, baby cabbage, or cabbage, people are used to throwing away the outer green leaves and keeping the "heart," believing that the heart part is more precious.
The skin of fruits and vegetables is a "base" for nutrient synthesis
Is this really the case?
Analysis of the nutritional quality of fruits and vegetables shows that polyphenols, plant pigments, and other substances beneficial to human health are mainly found in the outer parts of fruits and vegetables, including the outer tissues, leaves, and peels. The distribution of vitamin C follows the same pattern.
This is because the sun is the source of energy for plants, and the nutrient synthesis base of plants is also in places close to sunlight. The outer green leaves of Chinese cabbage and cabbage that we discard contain several times or even ten times more vitamin C than the "heart."
In addition to vegetables, most fruits are the same.
The most nutritious part of an apple is the outer flesh just under the red skin; for colored fruits like plums and grapes, the area near the peel has the highest nutritional value. The white tissue under the peel of citrus fruits contains the highest amount of flavonoids, which obviously means that small kumquats, which can be eaten with the peel, are very nutritious.
Although there are differences in nutritional value, the human body needs "all-around" nutrition, and it is impossible to meet the requirements by eating only a certain part of fruits and vegetables. To ensure the body's needs for various nutrients, one should consume a wide variety of fresh fruits and vegetables without discarding any part.