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Vitamin C plays an important role in the growth and health of the body. This resistance-boosting nutrient is abundant in vegetables and fruits, however, they are easily lost if not careful during storage and processing.
According to Dr. Dr. Tran Thi Minh Hanh - Deputy Director of the Nutrition Center of Ho Chi Minh City, vitamin C is found in many citrus fruits, tangerines, sweet red peppers, sweet green peppers, strawberries, tomatoes, guava, broccoli, potatoes. Sweet potatoes, potatoes... Among vitamins, vitamin C is the most easily lost and "volatile" type when exposed to sunlight, air, and high temperature. Here are some tips to help housewives effectively conserve and avoid losing vitamin C in vegetables.
Avoid sunlight
Sunlight is the agent that causes vegetables to wilt quickly and lose water, leading to vitamin C loss. Therefore, vitamin C-rich foods should be stored in a cold, humid environment, avoiding exposure to the sun or in high temperature environment. Ideally, purchased fruits and vegetables should be used within the same day.
The more you cut it, the more you lose
Do not cut / cut vegetables into small pieces and then wash them, because this makes vitamin C easier to disappear. Similarly, should limit chopping, crushing vegetables when processing; do not let food press against each other to cause crushing; When washing, also have to be gentle. Chopped vegetables and tubers will release enzymes that allow oxygen from the air to penetrate and destroy vitamin C. You can keep the shape of green vegetables when boiled or cut into large pieces. Note, do not soak vegetables and fruits for too long because vitamin C is very soluble in water.
Limit cooking at high temperatures
The higher the temperature, the easier it is to lose vitamin C, so it is necessary to limit cooking vegetables and tubers at high temperatures. Instead, it should be steamed, boiled with a little water or microwaved for a short time. Only add vegetables and tubers to cook when the water is boiling, when the food is cooked, turn off the stove immediately, limiting the cooking time. In addition, vitamin C is very water soluble, so when cooking should not add too much water. In particular, when processing, the lid should be tightly closed to limit dehydration and loss of vitamin C.
Eat after processing
Food should be used immediately after processing because the longer it is left, the higher the amount of vitamin C in the dish. will decrease. Do not cook dishes with vegetables and fruits containing vitamin C for the whole day, but only cook for each meal. The more times you reheat, the more vitamin C will be lost. Fruit and vegetables should be eaten immediately after peeling, and the processed juice should be stored in the refrigerator for no more than 2-3 days. Some fruits and tubers can be eaten, processed with the whole skin on, will keep vitamin C better, but need to ensure hygiene.
Choose good food
Crushed and crushed foods will lose more vitamin C. Therefore, it is advisable to choose foods that are intact, fresh, and naturally ripe (naturally ripe fruit contains more vitamin C than pressed ripe fruit). If possible, should use fresh vegetables and fruits, eaten raw, not processed to ensure the least amount of vitamin C loss.
Considerations when supplementing with vitamin C
Although vitamin C is essential and good for health, it does not mean that more is better. When eating foods containing about 100mg of vitamin C, the body will absorb from 80-90% of vitamin C. But consuming at a higher level of about 1.5mg, the body can only absorb 49%. If taking a large amount of vitamin C or taking a high dose of vitamin C, the body will not absorb it all, the excess vitamin C will remain in the intestines, causing abdominal pain and diarrhea.
According to Dep.com.vn
