When we discuss chlorophyll, we first think of the photosynthesis of plants. Chlorophyll plays an important role in the growth of plants. However, many people do not know that chlorophyll also has a great effect on human health. Among the foods we eat daily, green leafy vegetables have the highest chlorophyll content. We know that vegetables are rich in vitamins and it is good to take enough of them, but we ignore chlorophyll.
Some scientific studies have shown that chlorophyll has certain antioxidant effects. Haemoglobin promotes lipid oxidation and chlorophyll is similar in structure to haemoglobin and can act as an anti-lipid oxidant instead of red blood cells. In addition, chlorophyll can inhibit the mutagenic effects of some carcinogens and, to a certain extent, reduce the absorption of aflatoxin in the body. Chlorophyll also increases the quality and quantity of red blood cells in the body, helping the body to replenish haemoglobin, increase blood oxygenation and restore energy. Chlorophyll has a strong ability to combine with some metal ions. It can combine and discharge toxic heavy metals such as "mercury" from the human body. Help the body fight bacteria and inhibit the formation of new bacteria.
Chlorophyll is also an excellent aid to the digestive system, helping to eliminate bad breath; it helps to maintain the body's digestive tract, altering the ecology of the bacterial flora, and facilitating smooth bowel movements. It can neutralise the toxins that accumulate in the body from preservatives, additives and flavours contained in junk food, remove toxins from pesticides and drug residues, and bind to radioactive substances to remove them from the body and purify the blood.
In terms of food research, a pattern has also been found that the chlorophyll content is directly proportional to the content of some nutrients; the higher the chlorophyll content, the higher the content of certain nutrients, such as folic acid, vitamin K1 and vitamin B, lutein, carotene, etc. Only those that are green enough in colour and have a large proportion of leaves are called green leafy vegetables, such as spinach, oleander, hollow cabbage and baby greens. Things like Chinese cabbage and baby greens are not called green leafy vegetables and they contain very little chlorophyll.
So does cooking cause chlorophyll loss? The cooking process does not cause much chlorophyll loss, but improper storage can cause chlorophyll loss. Light, oxygen, acidity and alkalinity all contribute to chlorophyll loss, so leafy greens should not be stored for too long and being exposed to direct air can also cause chlorophyll loss through oxidation. Avoiding light and isolating them from oxygen is the best way to preserve leafy greens. If the leaves are already a little yellow, it means that they have lost a lot of chlorophyll and should not be eaten.
Consuming more green vegetables on a daily basis is a good habit to promote good health.
After learning about these benefits of chlorophyll, we need to eat more green vegetables in our lives and store them well in the right way to keep them fresh.
