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Cut Produce & Nutrient Retention
Posted by:
DerekXMcCoy
()
Date: August 05, 2008 08:41PM Hi everyone. I'm enjoying this forum. A lot of really nice people around here. I was thinking about the question regarding "travelling green smoothies" from another thread. This got me thinking about what happens to nutrients after we cut our produce. Does anyone know anything about how much is lost immediately after we cut our fruits and veggies? How fast does nutrient loss happen in general, etc? I've heard this debated many times, but don't know of any concrete answers or if one even exists. Thanks.
Derek Re: Cut Produce & Nutrient Retention
Posted by:
arugula
()
Date: August 05, 2008 09:59PM Derek, there is oxidation at every blade cut, but this is not really a problem because the cells on the surface are greatly exceeded by the cells in the interior of the plant food.
But with time, the oxidized layer will move deeper into the interior of the plant tissue. Refrigeration, protection from light, and protection from heat tend to lessen the speed at which this occurs. It's always best to eat soon after cutting, choose the whole food rather than the cut up pieces in bags, etc. I make my salads at 7am for consumption at around noon. Then it goes in the fridge until I am ready to eat it. I don't feel like I am losing much. I feel that I would lose a lot more if I opted not to have a salad for lunch at work if you know what I mean. Re: Cut Produce & Nutrient Retention
Posted by:
davidzanemason
()
Date: August 05, 2008 10:42PM Enzymes start to oxidize at the point of the cut, and cells start to die. The rate of nutrient loss and cell death....I would imagine...as mentioned above....is directly related to the surface area thus exposed by breaking the plants skin. This loss is negligible if the food is eaten right away....and only slightly diminished....if the food is not cut too finely....and eaten within 24 hours....out of cold storage. Either way: fresher is better (in my opinion) of course.
-Juice is different, and should probably be drunk right away (just my opinion). -David Z. Mason WWW.RawFoodFarm.com Sorry, only registered users may post in this forum.
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