Vol. 12, Issue 11 (2023)

Author(s):
Jyoti and Aparajita Bhasin

Abstract:
Vegetables are one of the important sources of micronutrients and they are a part of a healthy diet. These are considered an important food source because contain ample amounts of minerals and vitamins that promote good health. They comprise 20% of an Indian meal and help in the proper growth and maintenance of the body. The nutritional and anti-nutritional content in different types of edible leafy vegetables differs from one plant species to another. Anti-nutritional factors are chemical substances found in plant tissues that hinder the body's absorption of nutrients. These factors can have varying effects, ranging from mild reactions to severe consequences, including death. Significant anti-nutritional compounds like nitrates, phytates, tannins, oxalates, and Cyanogenic glycosides have been associated with various health-related concerns. However, there are some chemicals and anti-nutritional factors present in them that are known to be biologically active. Some anti-nutritional factors like saponins, oxalates, protease inhibitors, alkaloids, etc., can interfere with several metabolic processes of the body which can deteriorate the overall health of the individual. Therefore, it is necessary to remove these deleterious compounds from vegetables before consumption. Various techniques like boiling, blanching, soaking, steaming, and cooking can be employed in food preparation., and thermal processing have effectively helped to reduce the antinutritional content from them. And it is very essential to promote these methods so that the public could become aware of the measures that should be taken before consuming vegetables.