Tag: Defense chemicals

Over 50,000 different plant defense chemicals have been identified, produced by plants to protect themselves from predators. The big question for humans remains: Are defense chemicals in plants bad for you, or do they offer health benefits?

According to research, boiling vegetables can reduce antinutrients like oxalates by 30-87%, depending on the vegetable and cooking duration. This demonstrates that cooking vegetables remove defense chemicals to varying degrees, influencing their nutritional composition. It is important to understand how different cooking methods impact these plant compounds.