Salad of cucumbers and tomatoes with the addition of crunchy onions or fresh chives is a classic of Polish cuisine. This is a juicy and light meal for the summer, when access to good quality vegetables and fruits is the simplest. Everyone has probably heard the warnings that This combination is unhealthy or even harmful, because the cucumber neutralizes vitamin C contained in tomatoes. According to some, eating salad is a waste of time. However, as it turns out, you don’t have to give it up at all. Just know the simple principle, which is mentioned by the medical science doctor Robert Jarema.
The source of all the confusion around the combination of these ingredients together is the enzyme – ascorbinase in cucumbers. It is him is responsible for the breakdown of vitamin C in products with which cucumber is compiled. So if we combine it with tomato, then season it only with salt or pepper, then in practice we lose some vitamin C. This is based on the belief that these vegetables should not be eaten together.
However, it is worth remembering that The very presence of ascorbinase does not mean immediately that the salad becomes harmful. Tomatoes are still a source of many valuable ingredients – lycopene, potassium or dietary fiber. Cucumbers are easily digestible vegetables with a high water content that perfectly irrigates. So the myth came from the fact that focused only on one aspect, i.e. the loss of vitamin C, apart from completely the remaining benefits.
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Interestingly, There is a way that ascorbinase does not receive the nutritional value of juicy salad. Just lower the pH of the dish, adding a bit of sour ingredient to it, which neutralizes the effect of the enzyme. The simplest solution is to sprinkle vegetables with lemon juice or adding vinegar. Dr. Robert Jarema, in an interview in the program “Halo Tu Polsat”, also admitted that It is also worth adding fat to such a saladbecause it increases its value significantly:
The expert also added that the inhabitants of southern Europe regularly consume this type of salad (for example, the famous Greek) and do not complain about health. Really, The addition of olive oil, cold pressed rapeseed oil or even a bit of sunflower seeds or nuts means that not only vitamin C is protected, but also improves the absorption of an extremely strong antioxidant from tomatoes, i.e. lycopene. He is responsible for their intense color, and above all for a protective effect on the heart, circulatory system and for the beautiful appearance of the skin.
What’s more, fat makes the salad more filling And it is a fuller meal. Therefore, you do not have to immediately give up your favorite combination of tomato and cucumber – just enrich them with a simple, healthy ingredient – a bit of olive oil and lemon juice.
Although the combination of cucumber and tomato has already been somewhat conjured up, it is worth knowing that there are connections that are better to avoid. What not to eat tomatoes with? Doctor Robert Jarema warns against licking them with acid productssuch as strong tea or coffee. Duets of this type can irritate the bladder, especially in women, leading to more frequent urination. They are also more difficult to digest.
You should not combine tomatoes with iron -rich products. Ingredients such as plums, apples, beans, avocados, raisins limit the absorption of lycopene. According to the anti -cancer properties of tomatoes, especially those resulting from the lycopene contained in them, they can disappear when the meal has high iron content.
Tomatoes eaten in large quantities, in unfavorable combinations, can intensify migraines, reflux or signs of irritable bowel syndrome. In addition, due to the presence of oxalates, people with kidney disease or gout is not recommended to consume excess tomatoes. This does not mean that they must be completely excluded from the diet. Right, they are very healthy if we combine them with the right products. The key is moderation and reasonable meals. There will be monounsaturated fats (olive oil), sources of vitamin E (pumpkin seeds, adjudicated), garlic or onion, as well as fish rich in omega-3.
Source: NowowoPuje.pl, halotu.polsat.pl
