We usually assume that fruits and vegetables have the greatest benefits to the body when consumed raw. Although it may seem contradictory, some of them are more useful when they have undergone heat treatment.
1. Pumpkin
In fact, most people hardly cook pumpkin raw, but if we think that heat treatment takes away from its useful properties and we avoid consuming it, for this reason, it is wrong.
Boiled pumpkin contains all the useful antioxidants , such as beta-carotene, which are easier to absorb when heated.
2. Asparagus
Raw asparagus is delicious, but heat treatment helps to break down thick cell walls, which make it difficult to absorb vitamins A, C and E, as well as folic acid . In this way, cooking makes the valuable substances in asparagus more accessible to the body. Five minutes of steam is the optimal period for their preparation and preservation of the creeping nutrients.
3. Tomatoes
During cooking, tomatoes release the antioxidant lycopene. Consumption of high amounts of this antioxidant is associated with a reduced risk of heart attack and cancer .
Heating tomatoes , as with asparagus, breaks down cell walls and releases lycopene into the body. It should be noted, however, that this reduces the amount of vitamin C in red fruits.
4. Carrots
According to researchers, cooked carrots contain higher levels of beta-carotene , which gives the carrots their characteristic orange color and are found in all fruits and vegetables that are colored orange, yellow or red.
The body converts beta-carotene into vitamin A, which plays an important role in vision , reproduction , bone growth, and in regulating the immune system.