Store bought salad may be healthier than fresh cut
In the first study of its kind, the University of Reading has found that levels of cancer-fighting nutrients like Sulforaphane in supermarket rocket leaves peak between five and seven days after being processed.
But after a week of being left in the fridge at four degrees, levels had risen threefold, suggesting that as the leaves slowly die, some of their nutritional benefits are actually enhanced.
Dr Luke Bell, a food chemist from the University of Reading said: “The discovery is really surprising, going against the assumption that nutrients found in rocket will dissipate over the period of time following harvest.
“Our study has shown that the processing actually has a potentially beneficial effect to consumers, and that rocket lovers can have confidence in the health boost a bag of rocket will give them. The biggest boost in these cancer-fighting compounds came seven days after processing, but begin to tail off after that.
source: telegraph.co.uk
