Vegetables And Health
E. Coli: How To Protect Your Veggies
Page 1 of 2After Germany's recent E. coli scare, many are wondering if the U.S. is vulnerable to a similar outbreak. One way or another, you need your veggies. And the golden rule, of course, is five servings a day. But when it comes to getting the most out of those veggies - and staying safe from disease - many are still stumped. Boil, steam, bake, fry, or dry? The options are limitless, but the nutritional differences can be profound.
Is raw always best?Most nutritional scientists will agree that eating vegetables raw is the most efficient way to preserve vitamins, minerals and other important nutrients, but is raw always best? It appears the answer is no. A study published in 2008 in the British Journal of Medicine followed 198 subjects who adhered to a strict raw food diet and found that the participants had low levels of lycopene, an important cancer-fighting antioxidant found in tomatoes, guava, watermelon, and red bell peppers. The solution? Heat. Cooking tomatoes for 30 minutes or more has been shown to significantly increase the amount of lycopene compared to raw tomatoes, because the heat breaks down the tomato’s thick cell wall, facilitating the release of this important compound. However, heating isn’t always the solution.
CookingOn one hand, cooking veggies such as carrots can increase levels of beta-carotene, a carotenoid that is converted by the body to vitamin A, which plays an important role in vision, reproduction, bone growth, and regulating the immune system. On the other hand, canned carrots or peas have been shown to lose up to 95% of their vitamin C from cooking. What’s more, delicate veggies, such as spinach, break down in no time at all, even at low temperatures. The dilemma of whether or not to cook is therefore far from settled. The issue is even further muddied when trying to decide which cooking method is best.
Stay put and read on about what cooking method is best for your veggies...