Chives add flavor to egg, dill to potatoes and parsley to soup. But the main advantage of greens is that they are extremely rich in essential ingredients for he alth: vitamins A, C, E, K, folic acid and iron. How to prepare vegetables so as not to lose these valuable nutrients?
Iron
It is digestible in 10-25%, depending on the preparation methodgreens . If the leaves are combined, for example, in a salad with spirit vinegar,ironbecomes completely non-digestible (wine vinegar does not cause this). The addition ofvitamin Cto vegetables and products containing iron (also of animal origin, e.g. liver) causes that the digestibility of this element increases even 2-3 times. The content of other minerals in the body is also important for the absorption of minerals from food. For example, the correct level of copper increases the absorption of iron.
Folic acid - vitamin B9
Its name comes from Latin - folium means leaf. Folic acid (a vitamin from group B) was obtained from spinach in 1941. To isolate it, 4 tons of leaves were used. Folic acid prevents anemia. Its deficiency causes susceptibility to stress, depression, bad mood, may lead to mental disorders and increase susceptibility to infections. Alcohol destroys it. Folic acid is easily destroyed during culinary processing: it decomposes under the influence of light, at elevated and reduced (e.g. in a refrigerator) temperature. Soaking and cooking also contribute to the loss of this vitamin. This is why it's best to eat green vegetables raw. Easier absorption of folic acid occurs in the presence of vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Vitamin A (plant-derived carotenoids called provitamin A, from which the body produces vitamin A) is fat-soluble (similar to vitamins D, E and K), so it is better used in the presence of fats. Therefore, it is worth adding mayonnaise, olive oil or oil to the salads. Vitamin A decomposes under the influence of prolonged exposure to light, oxygen and too high temperature. Therefore, e.g. juices, also from leaves, should be consumed immediately after pressing.
Vitamin K
Occurs almost exclusively in vegetable leaves. It worksantihaemorrhagic, we usually have sufficient amounts of it, because it is produced by the bacterial flora of the digestive tract. However, after antibiotic treatment, it is necessary to eat more greens to get vitamin K.
Vitamin E
Simply cooking it doesn't destroy it. This vitamin does not dissolve in water, but in fats. It is called the vitamin of youth. Among other things, it has an antiatherosclerotic effect - it prevents the oxidation of unsaturated fatty acids. Its absorption may be blocked by the lack of selenium in the diet.
Vitamin C
Ascorbic acid (or vitamin C) is very unstable. It is damaged by high temperature, boiling (it is soluble in water), it also decomposes under the influence of iron, e.g. during cutting and storage.
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