Vegetables are a rich source of nutrients and contain vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals. High vegetable diets are healthy and have been shown to protect from cardiovascular disease and cancer. Cooking vegetables can be beneficial because the nutrients in vegetables are generally contained within cells, and plant cell walls are made of cellulose. As humans do not possess the enzyme cellulase, breaking down the cell walls of vegetables to release the nutrients can be problematic. Mechanical chewing of the vegetables can achieve this but chewing cannot open all cells. Cooking is one way to break down the cellulose and release the nutrients, however cooking vegetables can also denature some of the vitamins and phytochemicals they contain. Therefore when cooking vegetables it is important not to overcook them, such that the nutrients are released but not damaged by heat. Steaming may be a more effective cooking method for this purpose as the temperature remains lower than when boiling or roasting.
Eat Well, Stay Healthy, Protect Yourself
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