Vegetables that are more useful when cooked

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Not always raw – some vegetables are much healthier than cooked : their nutrients are fully developed only when heated.

Accordingly, some vegetables become much healthier after cooking, although some vitamin C is almost always lost.

< strong>Asparagus.A particularly large number of important nutrients are contained in the cell walls of asparagus, which can be broken by heating. Thus, only during cooking, vitamins A, B9, C and E are released from asparagus cells, which are then better absorbed and used by the body.

Mushrooms. Mushrooms contain a large amount of the antioxidant ergothioneine : it is also released only during cooking. Antioxidants help break down free radicals – unwanted chemicals that damage cells and contribute to many diseases and premature aging.

Spinach.It is rich in nutrients, including iron, magnesium, calcium, and zinc, and the body absorbs them much more easily when cooked. Raw spinach is high in oxalic acid, which blocks the absorption of iron and calcium.

Tomatoes. Another vegetable that is more useful when cooked – heating increases the lycopene content in tomatoes, by 50 percent. Lycopene is a powerful antioxidant that prevents heart disease and improves protection against cancer.

Carrots.Cooked carrots contain more beta-carotene than raw ones. Beta-carotene is converted in the body to vitamin A, which supports bone growth, vision and the immune system. What is important: carrots should always be cooked with the skin and whole, because this prevents important nutrients from getting into the water. In turn, frying has the opposite effect and dramatically reduces the content of beta-carotene.

Pepper. Bell pepper is also much more useful in cooked form, it contains a large amount of antioxidants that strengthen the immune system. system: beta-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin, lutein. The best way to cook peppers is to bake them: less vitamin C is lost.

Cabbage. Steamed broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts become very rich in glucosinolates – sulfur-containing phytochemicals that the body can convert on a number of anti-cancer compounds.

Green beans. To preserve valuable antioxidants, this vegetable should not be boiled, but baked or heated in a microwave oven.