TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – Spinach so one of the vegetables most often consumed by people. Besides being easy to get, these vegetables are also rich in important nutrients for the body. Usually spinach is processed by making clear vegetables or sautéed. But apparently there is the best way to process spinach so that its nutritional content is not reduced.
New York nutritionist and author Cynthia Sass recommends including spinach in raw dishes. She also recommends including it in cooking, although some research suggests not cooking it is the best way to preserve its lutein content.
Lutein is an antioxidant that has a role in reducing a person’s risk of developing age-related macular denegeration (AMD), which is an eye disease that causes vision damage.
This was proven in a study in Sweden. In that study, spinach was cooked using various methods for up to 90 minutes. The longer the spinach is boiled, the lower the remaining lutein content.
Likewise, when spinach is fried at high temperature, most of the lutein degrades in just two minutes.
So, scientists say the best way to consume spinach so that its lutein levels don’t decrease is to make it into smoothie combined with healthy fats, such as avocado or almond butter.
When processed so smoothie, spinach spinach cut into small pieces so that more lutein is released from the leaves. The fat mixture serves to increase the ability to absorb antioxidants.
Previous research has found that cooking spinach can affect its folate content; boiling it can cut vitamin B levels by almost half. While steaming spinach, it doesn’t make much folate disappear even after four and a half minutes.
A recent study looked at the effect of different cooking methods on the content of vitamins in vegetables certain, including spinach. The researchers found, use microwave can cause vitamin K to be lost.
Cooking spinach also lowers vitamin E levels in the vegetables but increases the content vitamin A due to its softened condition, which helps release and absorb nutrients.
So, to get the maximum benefit, spinach should be consumed partly raw, partly cooked. But, don’t overcook it.
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