How can cooking broccoli increase it’s calcium content? Broccoli is traditionally steamed – how does the addition of steam cause it to change it’s calcium?
In: Biology
The same quantity of calcium exists in both uncooked and cooked broccoli.
However, after being cooked, more of the calcium is what we call “bio-available.”
That means that through the cooking process, which raises the temperature of the food until its cells, membranes and other structures begin to break down and fall apart, more of the calcium is “unlocked” so to speak, and floating around waiting to be ingested.
In contrast, in uncooked broccoli, some of that calcium is safely tucked away inside biological structures whose difficulty to digest means your body can’t access what’s inside.
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