Chinese toon is delicious, but you may be worried about nitrite poisoning! Here's a way to solve it

Another spring has come, and Chinese toon has begun to be put on the market. Chinese toon sprouts are fresh sprouts that grow in spring. Because they grow on the treetops, they are often called "vegetables on trees". Its unique taste has attracted many people, and its price has also risen accordingly.

Recently in some vegetable markets in Shanghai, the price of Chinese toon has even risen to around 120 yuan per catty.

Toona sinensis is so expensive, does it have any special nutritional value? Let’s talk about Toona sinensis today.

01

Chinese toon is so expensive, what nutritional value does it have?

Chinese toon is also known as Chinese toon bud, fragrant pile head, big red toon tree, etc. The special taste of Chinese toon comes from its special volatiles, including terpenes, sesquiterpenes and other substances. It is precisely because of this special fragrance that people who like Chinese toon must eat it every spring, while those who don't like it avoid it.

Why is Chinese toon so expensive? Does it have any special nutritional value?

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Chinese toon is a vegetable with good nutritional value. It is rich in potassium, calcium, and magnesium, and its content of B vitamins is among the highest among vegetables. Other studies have also found that Chinese toon is helpful in preventing chronic diseases, as it contains ingredients that inhibit a variety of pathogens, as well as a fairly rich polyphenol antioxidant ingredient.

However, it is nothing special. I have seen many articles saying that Chinese toon has various health-preserving effects, such as anti-tumor, lowering blood lipids, lowering blood sugar, etc., which is exaggerated. In fact, Chinese toon does not have such magical effects. It is just a seasonal vegetable with a unique taste. It is only eaten a few times a year in spring, and each time it is not eaten much, so it cannot be said to have any special effects.

02

Toona sinensis is delicious, but it can be dangerous

Although the delicious Chinese toon always makes people who love it willing to empty their wallets, did you know that there is often a dangerous element lurking in the delicious Chinese toon - nitrite?

Why is there nitrite in Chinese toon? We know that plants need nitrogen fertilizer when they grow. Nitrogen is an element widely present in nature. Plants absorb nitrogen from the environment and eventually synthesize amino acids through complex biochemical reactions. In this process, the production of nitrate is an inevitable step. There are also some reductases in the plant body that will reduce part of the nitrate to nitrite. In fact, all plants contain nitrate and nitrite.

Nitrite is toxic to a certain extent. Toxicological analysis shows that nitrite has a certain acute toxicity, and its median lethal dose for animals with caries is 57 mg/kg. Moreover, it also increases the risk of cancer, because nitrite reacts with protein decomposition products under acidic conditions to easily produce nitrosamines, which are recognized carcinogens.

Although the nitrite content in most toona sinensis is not harmful, the nitrite in some toona sinensis is sometimes directly measured in g/kg. There have been cases of nitrite poisoning due to accidental ingestion of toona sinensis in the past.

03

Before eating Chinese toon, blanch it in boiling water.

The good news is that before eating Chinese toon, most of the nitrite can be removed by blanching it in hot water.

For example, studies have shown that when blanching Chinese toon, about 80% of nitrite can be removed in 30 seconds, and 83.86% of nitrite can be removed in 45 seconds.

Therefore, when eating Chinese toon, you must first blanch it in boiling water for 30-40 seconds.

In addition, we would like to remind everyone that when selecting toon, try to choose tender shoots and eat them when they are freshest, because the toon shoots contain less nitrate and nitrite at this time.

References:

[1] Hu Min, Zhang Zhe, Cheng Zhuang, et al. A case report of suspected nitrite poisoning caused by eating Chinese toon[J]. Chongqing Medicine, 2020, 49(12): 1966-1968.

[2] Yang Yuzhen, Peng Fangren, Cao Yida. Study on the changes of nitrate, nitrite and vitamin C content in Toona sinensis sprouts from different sources [J]. Food Science, 2007, 28(6): 48-51.

[3] Chen Lijuan, Wang Zhaogai, Yang Hui, et al. Effects of blanching time and storage temperature on the quality of young sprouts of Toona sinensis[J]. Food Research and Development, 2016, 37(2): 19-23.

[4] Zhao Mingye, Dai Yunqing, Su Chunyuan, et al. Effects of drying and blanching on the quality of Chinese toon[J]. Anhui Agricultural Sciences, 2012, 40(21): 11070-11072, 11099.

[5] Liu Junlei. Study on drying treatment and drying characteristics of Chinese toon pruning[D]. Henan: Henan University of Science and Technology, 2018.

[6] Study on the nitrite content in edible toona sinensis[Z]. Langfang Municipal Health and Epidemic Prevention Station. 2000.

[7] Chen Xin. Research on the variation of nitrite content in toona sinensis sprouts and nitrite degradation technology[D]. Shandong: Shandong University, 2010.

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Source: Nutritionist Ruan Guangfeng