1. Asparagus
All living things are made up of cells, and in plants, important nutrients are sometimes trapped within these cell walls. When vegetables are cooked, the walls break down, releasing nutrients that can then be more easily absorbed by the body. Cooking asparagus breaks down its cell walls, making vitamins A, B9, C, and E more available for absorption.
2. Mushrooms
Mushrooms contain large amounts of the antioxidant ergothioneine, which is released during cooking. Antioxidants help break down “free radicals,” chemicals that can damage our cells, causing disease and aging.
3. Spinach
Spinach is rich in nutrients, including iron, magnesium, calcium, and zinc. However, these nutrients are more easily absorbed when spinach is cooked. This is because spinach contains oxalic acid (a compound found in many plants) which blocks the absorption of iron and calcium. Heating the spinach releases the bound calcium, making it more available for the body to absorb.
Research suggests that steamed spinach maintains your folate (B9) levels, which may reduce the risk of certain types of cancer.
4. Tomatoes
Cooking, using any method, greatly increases the antioxidant lycopene in tomatoes. Lycopene has been associated with a lower risk of a variety of chronic diseases including heart disease and cancer. This increased amount of lycopene comes from heat that helps break down the thick cell walls, which contain several important nutrients.
Although cooking tomatoes reduced their vitamin C content by 29 percent, their lycopene content increased by more than 50 percent within 30 minutes of cooking.
5. Carrots
Cooked carrots contain more beta-carotene than raw carrots, which is a substance called carotenoids that the body converts to vitamin A. This fat-soluble vitamin supports bone growth, vision, and the immune system.
cooking carrots with skin more than twice its antioxidant power. You should boil whole carrots before slicing them, as it prevents these nutrients from escaping into the cooking water. Avoid frying carrots as this has been found to reduce the amount of carotenoid.
6. bell peppers
Bell peppers are a great source of immune-boosting antioxidants, especially carotenoids, beta-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin, and lutein. Heat breaks down cell walls, making carotenoids easier to digest. your body to absorb. As with tomatoes, vitamin C is lost when peppers are boiled or steamed because the vitamin can leach into the water. Try grilling them instead.
7. Brassicas
Brassicas, which include broccoli, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts, are high in glucosinolates (sulfur-containing phytochemicals), which the body can convert into a variety of cancer-fighting compounds. In order for these glucosinolates to be converted into cancer-fighting compounds, an enzyme within these vegetables called myrosinase has to be active.
Research has found that steaming these vegetables preserves both the vitamin C and myrosinase, and thus the cancer-fighting compounds you can get from them. Chop the broccoli and let it rest for a minimum of 40 minutes before cooking it too allows this myrosinase to activate.
Similarly, the sprouts, when cooked, produce indole, a compound that can reduce cancer risk. Cooking the sprouts also causes the glucosinolates to break down into compounds known to have cancer fighting properties.
