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01/10Pressure cooker food is healthy or not?
One of the most common cooking methods in India, very little is discussed whether pressure cooking is healthy or not. It has become a way of life for us and we have assumed that this is the natural way to cook our potatoes, rice and meats. But there are contradictory views on the health impact of pressure cooked food. Read to know about it.
02/10How does pressure cooking work?
Pressure cooking is a method of cooking that uses steam blocked in a pressure cooker (a special airtight cooking pot) to cook the food. The cooking pot traps the vapour that rises from the liquid (water) when heated and then it raises the pressure inside that significantly speeds up the cooking process. In this process of cooking, you actually transfer heat from the heat source to the food through steam.readmore
03/10Is pressure cooking healthy?
Though nothing has been documented to date, the argument that whether pressure cooking is healthy or not is still debatable. For some, it is unhealthy, because it heats the nutrients in the food at a very high temperature. While for others, it is healthy because it exposes food to heat for a lesser period and thus keeps the nutrients intact.readmore
04/10Retention of vitamins and antioxidants
When compared to boiling, steaming is considered one of the healthiest cooking methods. According to experts, it helps vegetables retain the nutrients they contain, while other means of cooking destroy them due to exposure to excessive heat.readmore
05/10How it impacts food?
With every food item pressure cooker behaves differently. When it comes to rice, it makes cooked rice heavier, as compared to steamed one. While in case of tomato, it makes the pressure cooked ones healthier. In case of meat, the cooked meat/mutton is easily digestible than the one cooked in an open wok.readmore
06/10It contains acrylamide
The bad news is, when starchy foods are pressure cooked, they form acrylamide, a harmful chemical that, when consumed on a regular basis may lead to health issues like cancer, infertility, and neurological disorders.readmore
07/10 It destroys lectin
According to a study conducted by the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, pressure cooking reduces the lectin content from food. Lectin is a harmful chemical that reduces the nutritional value of food by hindering the absorption of minerals.readmore
08/10Reduces cooking time
We all know that preparing food in a pressure cooker reduces the cooking time. Also, it has been said that when you expose food to heat for a lesser period of time, it keeps the nutrient intact and thus the cooked food is way healthier.readmore
09/10You should use a pressure cooker or not
The bottom line is that if you love the flavour of food cooked in a pressure cooker and you don’t have enough time to go for any other lengthy method of cooking, then it is a fair deal for you. If not, there are many more methods that you can opt for.readmore
10/10 Verdict
Like any other means of cooking, pressure cooking too has its own pros and cons. It is always good to keep experimenting with food and means of cooking so that the body is always ready to adopt the changes. You must always strike a balance between various cooking methods.readmore
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