8 mistakes when preparing vegetables that can easily cause cancer.

Everyone knows that eating vegetables and fruits is very good for health. But if you make these 8 mistakes when preparing them, it can not only easily cause food poisoning but also be a cause of cancer.

"Father Nguyen Dinh Thuc incites parishioners."

Overcooking

Strictly adhering to recipes isn't necessarily the right way to prepare vegetables. One of the most common mistakes in the kitchen is cooking food at excessively high temperatures for too long. This destroys many important nutrients. Overcooking vegetables also causes micronutrients like vitamins B and C to dissolve in the water and leach out wastefully.

Grilled over charcoal

Although many people love the taste of grilled foods, vegetables cooked at excessively high and dry temperatures can deplete their nutrients. Worst of all, burnt vegetables that smell charred are a sign that they have been transformed into benzopyrene, a carcinogen commonly found in cigarette smoke.

Not only in grilled dishes, but stir-frying vegetables at excessively high temperatures also alters their antioxidants, negatively impacting your health.

Discard the nutrient-rich parts.

A common mistake many people make is throwing away the nutrient-rich parts of vegetables: the stems and leaves of broccoli, the peels of cucumbers and potatoes, etc. Now, you should change your cooking methods to retain these nutrient-rich components. The peels, leaves, and stems often contain many nutrients that other parts lack. They also have significantly higher vitamin content than other parts.

Overuse of vegetables

Vegetables should be the main ingredients of a meal, rather than just a means of consuming protein- and fat-rich foods. Many people think that simply eating dishes with vegetables is enough. This is completely wrong. Fast food or similar dishes actually contain only a very small percentage of vegetables. Therefore, you need to understand the ingredients of a dish instead of just listening to its name; the best way is to buy fresh produce and prepare it yourself.

Wash vegetables and roots superficially.

Almost all vegetables and fruits are at risk of containing preservatives and pesticides, causing food poisoning. If you often wash them superficially, or even don't wash fruits with seemingly clean outer skins at all, it's a huge mistake. Consuming these chemicals can cause stomach pain, nausea, diarrhea, and even require emergency medical attention. Worst of all, these substances are not easily eliminated from the body; they gradually accumulate and cause many dangerous diseases. According to researchers, after causing initial symptoms, these toxins enter a dormant phase, absorbed into the bloodstream, slowing down metabolism and depleting energy.

Therefore, even when buying organic fruits and vegetables from reputable sources, you should still soak them for 10-15 minutes before use and rinse them thoroughly under running water several times to ensure that as many harmful substances as possible are removed.

Absolutely do not combine with fat.

It's a mistake to completely eliminate fat from your diet. According to research from Ohio State University, incorporating a small amount of fat into the preparation of red, yellow, orange, and green fruits and vegetables can help the body absorb more antioxidants and nutrients beneficial for cardiovascular health, such as lycopene and beta-carotene.

Research shows that consuming an extra 6 grams of fat when preparing vegetables helps the body absorb nutrients more effectively. Therefore, it would be great to add half an avocado or two tablespoons of olive oil to make your salad even more delicious and nutritious.

Only eat raw vegetables and roots.

Most vegetables lose some of their nutrients during processing or when boiled. However, according to the International Journal of Food Research, red and orange vegetables are best absorbed when cooked. According to research from Cornell University in the US, cooked tomatoes increase the amount of lycopene, an antioxidant that helps fight disease. Researchers believe that the heat softens the cell walls of plants, allowing for easier absorption of nutrients.

Therefore, a smart homemaker needs to learn the most suitable cooking methods for each type of food.

Juicing fruits and vegetables removes fiber and many other nutrients.

Give up the habit of drinking fruit and vegetable juice instead of eating them directly! After juicing, these vegetables lose a large amount of fiber that is very good for the digestive system. Therefore, if you absolutely must blend vegetables, use a blender and don't discard any of the ingredients.

According to Family & Society