Diets

Chopping Vegetables and Fruits Helps Release Their Nutrients

Chopping vegetables enables the immediate release of beneficial nutrients and enzymes that support proper digestion. A nutritionist explained that chopping fruits and vegetables before consumption releases important substances locked inside them. She added that the process is an improvement to how the teeth works when chewing food. However, the nutritionist warned that chopped vegetables should be consumed immediately.

New York nutritionist Carly Feigan told The Daily Mail that chopping vegetables releases their nutrients faster. “It’s always good to have the vegetables broken down because that’s what our teeth do. We can start that process sooner before they hit our tongue and get the enzymes going,” she remarked.

Slicing or chopping vegetables before consumption releases nutrients such as vitamin C and potassium. It also releases polyphenols, which are compounds responsible for plants’ certain color and the bitter taste of some vegetables. These polyphenols in turn produce antioxidants, which protect the body from harmful free radicals and address the damage caused by oxidative stress.

A study found that chopping specific vegetables can boost their antioxidant levels by almost 200 percent. However, these same enzymes released when vegetables undergo slicing are the same ones responsible for turning them brown when exposed to air. The process is known as enzymatic browning and is seen in fruits such as apples and avocados. Read more…

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