Fruits and vegetables are obviously good for us and we have known this for a long time now. What many of us may be unaware of is that in addition to choosing the right foods for us, the way we combine them or prepare them for consumption is just as important. And the reason; It sounds like bioavailability.
The concept of bioavailability
Bioavailability is a concept that is getting hotter and hotter. In the science of nutrition, the term bioavailability describes the percentage of a nutrient that is ultimately absorbed by the body, compared to the total amount of that ingredient in a food. For example, 100 gr. spinach contain 2.7 mg of iron. However, of the 2.7 mg of iron, much less is retained for utilization by the body. In other words, the bioavailability of iron obtained from spinach is low or otherwise the iron absorbed by our body from spinach is limited.
How to increase the bioavailability of the nutrients you receive
As mentioned above, consuming five servings of fruits and vegetables a day may be one of the best things we can do for our body, but just as important as the intake is the absorption of nutrients contained in food.
Below you will find some tips to increase the nutritional value of the food you consume. And the best; They even taste good!
Crush the garlic for more antioxidants
Crushing and chopping onions and garlic releases an enzyme called allinase that helps form the nutrient allicin. Allicin may help lower cholesterol and blood pressure, as well as kill antibiotic-resistant strains of the MRSA bacterium as well as cancer cells.
Keep the vegetables in the refrigerator
Oxygen, light and heat can cause a loss of nutrients in foods of plant origin. So prefer to store in the refrigerator those vegetables that do not belong to the variety of roots (roots are considered carrot, turnip, potato, etc.), until the time you need them.
In addition, if you want to bake them, then make sure to store them somewhere dark and dry, while if you plan to eat them fresh, then just keep them in the refrigerator.
Soak cereals and legumes for stronger bones
If you are vegan then I want you to pay extra attention to this tip, since the increased consumption of vegetables leads to the intake of large amounts of phytic acid. Excess phytic acid, in turn, can reduce the absorption of calcium, zinc and magnesium, which can be harmful to bone health. At the same time, high concentrations of phytic acid limit the absorption of iron and may be responsible for gastrointestinal upset and headaches.
What is the solution? The soaking of beans and cereals reduces the intake of phytic acid.
Remember, coffee (unfortunately) does not go with everything!
The tannins in coffee make it difficult to utilize plant (non-heme) iron, which is found in soy products, vegetables, legumes and nuts. Caffeine can also increase the amount of calcium excreted through diuresis, which means less calcium is available to strengthen bones.
All this does not mean that you have to cut e.g. your morning coffee (God forbid!). However, especially if you are experiencing vitamin D deficiency, anemia symptoms or just want to boost your calcium and iron absorption, it may be worthwhile to drink your coffee at a reasonable distance from any meal.
For healthy skin, eat cooked carrots
Cooking carrots improves the absorption of β-carotene. A study published in the European Journal of Nutrition looked at the difference in the availability of beta-carotene in mashed cooked and raw chopped carrots. The researchers found that significantly more β-carotene was absorbed from meals containing cooked, mashed carrots than from meals containing raw carrots.
And you know, your skin loves β-carotene.
Lemon juice and spinach for better absorption of iron
The combination of citrus fruits or peppers rich in vitamin C with plant foods rich in iron, such as lentils, cabbage and spinach, can help absorb the non-heme iron (divalent) iron contained in them.
While heme (trivalent) iron of animal origin is easily and directly absorbed by the body, the same is not true of iron intake from plant sources. In this case, the addition of ascorbic acid (ie vitamin C), contained in citrus fruits, can enhance the bioavailability of ferrous (“vegetable”) iron, turning it into the most “intelligible” form of trivalent (heme) iron.
Yeast bread for more iron
Choose sourdough instead of regular bread to enhance iron absorption. Once again, it all has to do with the annoying phytic acid. When the dough is fermented, the phytic acid present in whole grains breaks down, making it easier for the body to absorb iron.
What do we keep from all this
Our foods are made up of complex chemical structures that interact with each other, as well as with the gut microbiome and our cells. So take care, on the one hand, to pronounce yourself a wide variety of colored vegetables and fruits, as well as to combine them in the appropriate way. As we have said, it is important not only the intake but also the way in which your body will manage what you will feed it.
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