4 types of plants should be eaten raw to absorb maximum nutrients

A plant-based diet improves long-term health. However, the way it is prepared also directly affects the amount of nutrients your body can absorb.

Some vegetables, when cooked, can lose a significant amount of water-soluble vitamins or valuable plant compounds. Meanwhile, eating them raw properly helps preserve enzymes, vitamins and minerals that are easily destroyed by high temperatures, according to the website Eating Well (USA).

Red bell peppers are a plant rich in vitamin C.

PHOTO: AI

To maximize nutritional benefits, people should prioritize eating the following four types of plants raw:

Red bell peppers

Red bell peppers are not only sweet and easy to eat, but are also one of the natural foods richest in vitamin C. However, vitamin C is easily destroyed by heat.

According to a study in the Journal of Food Science, when bell peppers are cooked at high temperatures, such as stir-frying or grilling, their vitamin C content can decrease by 25 to 50%. However, eating them raw helps preserve not only the vitamin C but also antioxidants such as beta-carotene and quercetin, which have cancer-preventing effects.

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Broccoli

Broccoli is known as a superfood because it contains many anti-cancer substances, especially sulforaphane. This is a sulfur compound that helps activate detoxifying enzymes in the liver and prevent the formation of cancer cells.

Studies show that when broccoli is steamed or boiled thoroughly, the enzyme myrosinase that produces sulforaphane is deactivated. Meanwhile, eating raw or lightly blanched broccoli can retain up to 90% of the sulforaphane.

If you find it difficult to eat broccoli raw, chop it up, let it sit for about 40 minutes, then steam it lightly. This allows the enzyme to activate the sulforaphane before it is exposed to heat.

Garlic

Garlic is known for its antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, cholesterol-lowering, and heart-supporting properties. The main active ingredient in garlic is allicin, which is only formed when raw garlic is chopped, crushed, or chewed and exposed to air for 10–15 minutes.

If you cook garlic immediately after cutting or chopping, allicin will not have time to form or will decompose quickly. Therefore, to absorb the maximum benefits in garlic, people should eat raw garlic or add it to dishes after cooking.

Spinach

Spinach is rich in folate, a B vitamin that is important for blood formation and cell regeneration. However, folate is very sensitive to heat. Therefore, cooking spinach for just a few minutes can lose up to 50% of its folate content. In addition, eating raw spinach also helps to absorb maximum vitamin C, E, antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin. These substances are very beneficial for vision and cardiovascular health, according to Eating Well .

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/4-loai-thuc-vat-se-hap-thu-toi-da-dinh-duong-neu-an-song-185250517141833817.htm