Table of contents:
- Spinach contains nitrate compounds
- Is it okay to heat spinach?
- However, it is still not good to reheat spinach many times
Spinach is one of Indonesia's favorite vegetables. Spinach contains a lot of fiber and essential nutrients that the body needs, such as iron, phosphorus, folic acid, and calcium. However, maybe you have to be careful when processing spinach. Many people say that spinach should not be heated again. Repeated heating of spinach can be toxic when eaten, he said. But, is this really true?
Spinach contains nitrate compounds
Spinach is a vegetable that is high in nitrates. This nitrate content is obtained by spinach from water, fertilizer, soil, and air that spinach plants use to live. The amount of nitrate content in a particular vegetable depends on soil conditions, the amount of fertilizer used, and the maturity of the plant.
The nitrates from the spinach then enter your body when consumed. Nitrate itself is actually not harmful to the body. In fact, nitrates can have positive effects on the body, such as relaxing blood vessels and lowering blood pressure. However, the nitrates in the body are then converted into harmful nitrites.
Nitrite can react with other compounds in the body and form carcinogens (cancer-causing compounds). Several studies have shown that high nitrite intake is associated (although not directly) with the risk of certain cancers.
This is what makes many people afraid that if heating spinach many times it can cause cancer. Many people think that heating spinach repeatedly can increase the levels of nitrates that are converted into nitrites, thereby increasing the risk of cancer. However, that was not the case.
Is it okay to heat spinach?
Reheating spinach many times is actually not dangerous as long as it is done correctly, not too long, and not at a very high temperature. Spinach that is heated for a short time and at low temperature is actually enough for you to enjoy. This also helps keep spinach from losing much of its nutritional content when heated.
When you boil or reheat spinach, actually the nitrate content in spinach disappears or evaporates due to heat. So, the nitrate content in spinach will be less and not harmful to your body when converted into nitrites.
After all, the nitrate content in the vegetables you eat is actually still in normal amounts that your body can accept. So, you don't have to worry if you want to eat a lot of vegetables or if you want to reheat your vegetables.
However, babies may be more susceptible to nitrates because the baby's digestive system is immature. So, it is recommended that babies are not given excessive amounts of vegetables that contain high nitrates (such as spinach), 1-2 tablespoons of spinach is enough for babies per meal.
However, it is still not good to reheat spinach many times
In fact, repeatedly heating any food can remove the nutrients contained in these foods, including spinach. This makes it unnecessary for you to eat spinach because you don't get the nutrients.
Many of the nutrients, such as vitamins and minerals, in vegetables cannot stand heat, so they can be lost if they are continuously exposed to heat. In addition, heat can also change the chemical structure of food ingredients, making food difficult for the body to digest (for certain foods).
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