In daily life, we often believe that eating fruits raw preserves more nutrients, while cooking destroys vitamins. In fact, this isn't entirely accurate—some fruits actually offer better benefits when cooked!
1. Apples
Apples are rich in pectin, a water-soluble dietary fiber that cannot be digested by the human body. Pectin absorbs water in the intestines, softening stool for easier elimination.Pectin also lowers plasma cholesterol levels, stimulates growth of beneficial gut bacteria, reduces inflammation, and boosts immunity. Additionally, cooked apples contain 8 times more iodine than bananas and 13 times more than oranges, making them one of the best fruits for preventing goiter.
2. Pomelo
Here, we recommend consuming the often-overlooked pomelo peel warm. This peel is a nutrient-rich treasure containing flavonoids with antioxidant properties. It helps reduce blood viscosity, aids weight loss, and combats aging. When cooked and heated, its compounds become more active in the body, maximizing their benefits.
3. Bananas
Bananas have a cold nature, but steaming removes this chilliness. This makes them suitable for those with a cold constitution. Bananas contain pantothenic acid (Vitamin B5), also known as the "happiness hormone," which reduces stress, promotes relaxation, and lifts mood.Cooking also allows polysaccharides and other compounds in the peel to diffuse into the flesh, enhancing digestibility and absorption.
4. Tomatoes
The difference between raw and cooked tomatoes: Raw tomatoes provide vitamin C, while cooked tomatoes deliver antioxidants.Heating reduces vitamin C content in tomatoes, yet significantly increases lycopene and other antioxidants. The longer the heating time, the greater the increase in lycopene and antioxidants. As an antioxidant, lycopene inhibits harmful free radicals about 10 times more effectively than vitamin E.
5. Pears
Did you know that cooked pears are more effective at nourishing yin, generating fluids, moistening dryness, and quenching thirst? Boiled pears can treat yin deficiency with excessive heat, thirst and restlessness, sore throat and dryness, or dry-lung cough. They make the most nourishing treat when you're exhausted from work.
6. Hawthorn Berries
Raw hawthorn berries contain tannic acid, which readily combines with stomach acid to form gastric stones that are difficult to digest. Persistent undigested gastric stones can lead to gastric ulcers, bleeding, or even perforation. Therefore, minimize consumption of raw hawthorn berries, especially if you have weak gastrointestinal function.If you wish to consume hawthorn, boil it first to convert the tannic acid. Frozen persimmons and black jujubes also carry a risk of causing gastric stones.
7. Tangerines
Traditional Chinese medicine classifies tangerines as a cool-natured fruit, believed to moisten the lungs, relieve coughs, dissolve phlegm, quench thirst, strengthen the spleen, and regulate qi.However, excessive consumption by most people can easily lead to internal heat, manifesting as mouth sores, dry mouth and throat, sore throat, and constipation. Those with spleen-stomach deficiency-cold or weaker constitutions may experience diarrhea from eating too many oranges. Therefore, eating cooked oranges is a better choice, as cooking neutralizes their properties, reduces the risk of internal heat, and still achieves spring health benefits.
8. Jujubes
Jujubes excel at tonifying the middle energizer, boosting qi, nourishing blood, and calming the spirit. Steamed jujubes are more digestible than raw ones. Those with weak spleen and stomach function can steam jujubes directly in a bowl before eating. For individuals with qi and blood deficiency or liver and kidney insufficiency, steaming jujubes with goji berries and eggs is also beneficial.