The healthiest way to eat
We know we should eat lots of plants, but how should we eat them to get the most nutrients? Peta Bee asks the experts.
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BROCCOLI Best eaten: raw
With its high levels of the beneficial glucosinolates – natural substances that break dow nd uring chopping and digestion into biologically active compounds – broccoli is a star of the vegetable world. However, researchers have shown that heat, particularly boiling and microwaving, damages the beneficial enzyme myrosinase, which converts the glucosinolates in broccoli into sulforaphane, shown to help with blood sugar control, detoxification and disease prevention.
The best way to get maximu ms ulforaphane is from munching on raw broccoli florets. If you do cook it, here’s a tip: chop it into small pieces to enhance myrosinase activity, then leave for at least 30 minutes (but preferably 90 minutes) to allow 4 time for the helpfu ls ulphuric compounds to develop before flash stir-frying for four minutes. Thinly sliced or marinated raw asparagus spears are a superfood salad staple. But you’d be better off cooking it to boost its nutrient value. Researchers have shown that lightly cooking asparag us increases its total antioxidant activity by 16-25%. Levels of two super-antioxidants – beta carotene (important for eye health and a strong immu nes ystem) and quercetin (a natural pigment that helps to control blood sugar and inflammation) are raised b y2 4% and 98%.
ASPARAGUS Best eaten: cooked TOMATOES Best eaten: cooked
All tomatoes and tomato-based products – tomato sauce included – contain the powerful antioxidant lycopene, consumption of which has been linked to reduced risk of some cancers, cardiovascular disease and neurodegeneration. Plenty of research has shown that lycopene bioavailability is higher when tomatoes have been heated or cooked, and especially if prepared with a dash of oil. Preparing them in this way helps to separate the lycopene from the carrier proteins so that it is more easily absorbed by the body.
In 2020 research funded by the World Cancer Research Fund, Gar yF raser, professor of medicine and epidemiology at Loma Linda University Health, found that men who consumed canned and cooked tomatoes fiv e to six times a week had a 28% decreased risk of prostate cancer compared with men who never consumed cooked tom atoes.