1. Hotly debated news events: the origin of the turmoil
A report spread quickly in the online world like a virus, causing heated discussions among the majority of netizens! The core content of the report focuses on a 60-year-old man from Ningbo, Mr. Li, who had to be hospitalized for treatment because he had eaten a plate of spinach that had not been blanched, which had caused a sharp deterioration in his physical condition and had to be hospitalized.
As soon as this news was revealed, many netizens were immediately dumbfounded! "I've eaten spinach for most of my life, and for the first time, I learned that it needs to be blanched before it can be eaten." A netizen wrote this passage with emotion, apparently unheard of this cooking technique.
Another netizen, who may be a bachelor, asked with a puzzled face, "What does blanching mean?" Such questions of innocence reveal his ignorance in the kitchen life.
This is a hard blow to those who have conservative cooking habits. After all, in the daily diet, vegetables are usually directly cleaned and cooked in the pot, so how can there ever be such a thing as blanching? The doubts and doubts of netizens fully show their inner confusion and consternation.
"In our case, spinach is put directly into the pot when the noodles are cooked, which has been a tradition for generations, and no one has ever mentioned the need to blanch beforehand.
A netizen wrote, which shows that this cooking method of raw stir-fried spinach has long been deeply rooted in their community.
"Spinach water is included in baby food, and it is said that the water produced when cooking spinach is rich in nutrients, and my mother-in-law often gives her children blanched spinach water. But now that I've been told that I have to blanch, whose advice should I follow? "A young mother is clearly in a dilemma and doesn't know what to do.
Second, the doctor deeply analyzes the cause
After rigorous and meticulous examination and analysis, the doctor finally concluded that the culprit that caused Mr. Li's kidney disease to worsen was that he had eaten raw spinach that had not been blanched.
It turned out that Mr. Li's body had long been buried with the hidden danger of chronic kidney disease. Spinach contains high levels of oxalic acid, and if eaten raw without proper blanching, oxalate will accumulate in the body, further increasing the burden on his kidneys.
The diagnosis report revealed that inside Mr. Li's renal tubules, doctors found dozens of oxalate crystals of various sizes, which is strong evidence of the deposition of spinach oxalic acid in his body.
The heart-wrenching Mr. Li never imagined that a seemingly ordinary home-cooked dish would make him pay such a heavy price!
According to the doctor's accurate diagnosis, I am afraid that Mr. Li will have to rely on the dialysis machine to maintain his life in the years to come. An inconspicuous detail of his life completely subverted the trajectory of his life.
3. The importance of blanching vegetables
For example, vegetables such as green beans, toons, and daylily have high nutritional value, but if eaten raw, they contain natural toxins such as beans, saponins, and colchicine, which may cause varying degrees of harm to the human body.
Doctors point out that bestigin can cause blood clotting, and saponins can strongly irritate the gastrointestinal tract and may even induce poisoning symptoms; Colchicine, on the other hand, enters the body without adequate heating, which may cause adverse reactions such as headache and vomiting.
In addition, vegetables such as fungus, bean curd, broccoli, cauliflower, etc., although the risk is relatively low, doctors still recommend that we blanch them in boiling water before eating.
The reason is that the fungus contains a substance called porphyrin, which is easily absorbed by the body and causes inflammation when exposed to sunlight; Cauliflower vegetables themselves are difficult to wash thoroughly, and blanching can remove surface dirt more effectively.
It can be seen that modern medical research has provided professional guidance for the habit of eating many raw vegetables, and reasonable blanching treatment can remove the potentially harmful substances to the greatest extent, which is worthy of our great attention and learning.
Fourth, some reasons for blanching vegetables
Through the doctor's explanation in simple terms, it is not difficult to understand that behind the need for blanching of each vegetable, there are unique reasons and considerations.
Taking spinach as an example, its high oxalic acid content will affect the body's absorption of calcium, iron and other important nutrients. Moderate blanching can effectively reduce the oxalic acid content in spinach, so that we can enjoy more beneficial nutrients while enjoying the food.
As for vegetables such as green beans and toons, because they naturally contain some substances that are harmful to the human body, such as beanins, saponins, nitrites, etc., if they are ingested in excess, they are likely to cause various degrees of poisoning reactions, such as blood clotting, gastrointestinal discomfort, etc.
Take daylily as an example, if the colchicine contained in it is not fully processed at high temperature until cooked, it may induce headaches, vomiting and even diarrhea once eaten!
Therefore, timely blanching treatment not only helps to remove impurities and pollution on the surface of vegetables, but more importantly, it can maximize the digestion of those latent substances that pose a potential threat to human health carried by the vegetables themselves, so that we can enjoy the food while also obtaining more nutrients that are conducive to maintaining health.
Fifth, netizens reacted differently
Although the doctor's advice is based on professional knowledge and concern, in the eyes of many netizens, this sudden request for "blanching" makes them feel a little at a loss.
"In our area, spinach is usually thrown directly into the pot when the noodles are cooked, and this has been a habit for generations, and no one ever mentions blanching them before eating." A netizen wrote, apparently this practice of eating raw spinach has long been deeply rooted in their local people.
If we want to change now, I am afraid that many people will face a difficult dilemma to adapt.
"Baby food contains spinach soup, which is said to be rich in nutrients in the soup in which spinach is cooked. My mother-in-law used to give her children blanched spinach soup, but now she was told that unblanched spinach should not be eaten. "A young mother is clearly caught in the tension between two very different points of view, at a loss.
Others are starting to worry about their daily diet: "I'm going to cook spinach and egg soup this afternoon, and I'm planning to cook fungus tomorrow, and the ingredients are ready." According to the doctor's advice, do these spinach and fungus also need to be blanched first? "When you are confused and helpless, you can only ask for help from the majority of netizens.
From the heated discussions on the Internet, it is not difficult to find that for most people, eating raw vegetables has become a commonplace way of life, and it is not easy to change suddenly.
Faced with the conflict between authoritative speech and traditional habits, netizens can't help but fall into confusion and hesitation.
6. Summarize and reiterate the main points
After witnessing a lot of controversy and confusion on the Internet, some rational and objective voices gradually emerged:
"I think the problem is not just spinach itself, but perhaps more of the impact of the various chemical additives contained in current agricultural products. After all, in the process of modern agricultural production, fertilization and spraying pesticides are the norm.
For those with underlying medical conditions, such as kidney disease and high blood uric acid, it is true that raw spinach should be avoided. However, for the general population in a healthier physical condition, the need for blanching does not make a significant difference.
In other words, although the cooking method of blanching has a certain degree of rationality, for the general public, as long as the vegetables are strictly controlled during the planting process, proper raw food will not cause serious problems.
To sum up, the key is to be able to deeply understand and rationally apply this knowledge about dietary health, and master some basic life knowledge. Only in this way can we enjoy our food to the fullest while ensuring our physical and mental health, which is undoubtedly the most important thing!