A discussion about business ethics, character traits, integrity, and values

Subtitle: Beware Of Boiling Broccoli

By Jennifer Warner, reviewed By Brunilda Nazario, MD, October 18, 2003, WebMD Medical News

[A recent] study compared the effects of various cooking methods on the antioxidant content of fresh broccoli. Researchers tested high-pressure boiling, low-pressure (conventional) boiling, steaming, and microwaving about 5 ounces of broccoli using about two-thirds of a cup of water.

They found that microwaving the broccoli in the water for five minutes at full power produced the greatest nutrient loss, and the microwaved broccoli lost 74% to 97% of three key antioxidants. Boiling also led to a significant loss of these antioxidants.

In contrast, steaming broccoli over the water for three and a half minutes caused only minimal loss of the three antioxidants (0% to 11%).

"Most of the bioactive compounds are water soluble; during heating they leak in a high percentage into the cooking water, reducing their nutritional benefits in the foodstuff," says researcher Cristina Garcia-Viguera, of the department of food science and technology at CEBAS-CSIC in Murcia, Spain, in a news release. "Because of this, it is recommended to cook vegetables in the minimum amount of water (as in steaming) in order to retain their nutritional benefits."