Raw or cooked? What is the best way to consume vegetables?
Research shows which form of cooking maintains antioxidants
The dilemma of how best to consume vegetables (raw or cooked?) is not new. Research has long been carried out on the consequences of different ways of cooking different foods to see what is gained and what is lost.
Nutritionist Flávia Vicentini stated, in an interview with Minha Vida portal, that she believes that cooking food causes a great loss of nutrients. “When cooked in water, vegetables lose 35% of the carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals that are transferred to the liquid medium”, he says.
Therefore, it seems evident that the best is to consume the greens as they came into the world, right? Not quite.
In a recent research funded by the Foundation for Research Support of the State of São Paulo (Fapesp), carried out by the Federal University of São Paulo (Unifesp), different tests were carried out to understand the efficiency of cooking methods in different vegetables.
The conclusion at the moment is that the preparation depends a lot on the food to be consumed, as “there is no rule that applies to everyone”, says the professor and research coordinator, Veridiana Vera de Rosso.
Rosso emphasizes the different compositions of each vegetable. The type of cooking (or even the preference for eating it raw) depends on several factors mentioned by it: solubility, amount of fibers, water, texture, types of molecules present, etc.
How were the tests done?
The study was carried out by analyzing what happened to the antioxidant substances present in kale and red cabbage when they were subjected to three main forms of cooking used in Brazil: braised, by immersion in water and steam.
The master concluded that, despite all the ways having proved to be efficient, the one that showed the greatest potential in keeping the antioxidants was steam cooking.
Despite the loss of some nutrients, eating vegetables remains a good bet for diets. Whether cooked or raw, the important thing is to always try to include them in your meals in whatever way you find tastiest.
