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Posted on Oct 10, 2002, 2 a.m.
By Bill Freeman
Tung-Ching Lee of the Department of Food Science at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, N.J. reports that cooking vegetables actually increases their iron value. For 48 samples of vegetables and fruits, Lee reports that iron values change after cooking. For example, the iron value increased from 16.
Tung-Ching Lee of the Department of Food Science at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, N.J. reports that cooking vegetables actually increases their iron value. For 48 samples of vegetables and fruits, Lee reports that iron values change after cooking. For example, the iron value increased from 16.7 percent in raw green peppers to 32.4 percent in cooked peppers; tomatoes changed from 24.6 percent raw to 33.6 percent cooked; and broccoli's iron value jumped from 6 percent to 30 percent. Fruits, however, did not show the same results after being cooked, with the exception of peaches. Raw peaches carried only 1 percent of iron that could be absorbed by the body compared to 13.5 percent when cooked. Lee says boiling and stir-frying vegetables increased iron value equally.
SOURCE/REFERENCE: American Chemical Society March 2000 Annual Meeting
