Thevegetables that we buy daily are still alivesince, even after harvest, they respond to light signals and thereforechange their biology by improving their resistance to insects and their nutritional values. This is what researchers from Rice University (USA) have shown who, in the latest issue of the journal ‘Current Biology’, suggest that the way in which products are stored and when they are consumed could have consequences on the Human health.
“This work shows that vegetables and fruits after harvest respond to external treatments and, therefore, we must think of them as living plants,” explains Janet Braam, a researcher at Rice University and co-author of the study, in statements to the SINC agency.
The scientists came to this conclusion from plants grown in the laboratory, which changed their physiology in important ways throughout the day, driven by circadian rhythms. For researchers, that meansan advantage for plantsas it allows them to alter the levels of important chemicals that protect them from being eaten by insects and other herbivores. For example,Cruciferous vegetables, such as cabbage, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts, accumulate glucosinolates, which have effectsanticancerígenos. Therefore, experts believe that this work may have potential implications for modifying storage practices for these foods and thus optimizing their beneficial nutrients and phytochemicals.
But when is it better to eat a vegetable? According to Braam and his team, if the postharvest circadian clocks of vegetables and fruits are maintained after harvest, and if they control the levels of nutrients and phytochemicals important for health, it can be beneficial to maintain your clock andeat or cook vegetables and fruits at times of the day when they are most enriched with these beneficial metabolites. “Perhaps we should store our vegetables and fruits under light-dark cycles, and choose the best time to cook and eat them in order to increase their nutritional value,” argues the expert.
The researchers made the initial discovery in studies with cabbage. They then observed similar responses in lettuce, spinach, zucchini, sweet potatoes, carrots, and blueberries. Likewise, fruits and vegetables subjected to light-dark cycles at the right time suffered clearly less damage by insects.
