Photo: Valentina Proskurina / Shutterstock
The skin of fruits and vegetables have important nutrients in the skin. And in most cases there is no need to peel them, although most of us have this habit.
Fruits and vegetables are rich sources of vitamins, minerals, fiber, and many phytochemicals, which are plant chemicals like antioxidants, for example.
Not getting enough of these nutrient-dense foods is linked to an increased risk of chronic disease, including cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends eating at least 400 grams of fruits and vegetables a day. Especially so that our body is nourished with important vitamins such as vitamin C and riboflavin, and minerals such as iron and zinc.
For example, these seven root vegetables are rich in the aforementioned nutrients:
- Beet
- wild mustard
- wild carrot
- Sweet potato or sweet potato (also known as sweet potato or sweet potato)
- Radish
- Ginger
- White potato
fruits with skin
As for fruits, the case of unpeeled apples contain 15% more vitamin C, 267% more vitamin K, 20% more calcium, 19% more potassium and 85% more fiber than their peeled equivalents, according to the US Department of Agriculture.
Additionally, many peels are rich in biologically active phytochemicals, such as flavonoids and polyphenols, which have antioxidant and antimicrobial properties.
On the other hand, uneaten food such as fruit and vegetable peels generate between 8% and 10% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. So by eating them you would also avoid contributing to climate change.
Photo: Shutterstock
In the case of banana, orange, melon, pineapple, mango, avocado, onion, and garlic peels, they can contain dirt residue, be very uncomfortable to chew, and actually inedible. But the peels of potatoes, beets, carrots, kiwi, apple, pear, cucumber and many more are edible.
Some people peel fruits and vegetables because they are concerned about pesticides that may be on the surface. Pesticide residues are retained on or just below the surface, although this varies by plant or fruit species.
That’s why the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends that people wash produce thoroughly in cold water and scrub with a stiff brush to remove pesticides, dirt, and chemicals.
Cooking techniques, such as boiling and steaming, can also reduce pesticide residues.
But not all pesticide residues are removed by washing and cooking. And people who are concerned about their exposure to pesticides may want to keep peeling them.
Keep reading:
• Protect your skin against “Daisy burn”: what it is and how to treat it
• Using psychedelics for depression is allowed in Australia: what you need to know
• What is “water fasting” and how it influences weight loss