Why rhubarb is good for you and who shouldn't eat it: Svitlana Fus explains

Rhubarb is a healthy and tasty spring plant that is rich in vitamins A, B, C, PP, and also contains carotene, pectin, potassium, magnesium, and phosphorus. Rhubarb has tonic and tonic properties, and according to experts, it is also a good choleretic agent. It can be eaten raw, has a sweet and sour taste, and is often used to make pies and compotes.

Nutritionist Svitlana Fus shared on Facebook how rhubarb is good for you, who should eat it, who should avoid it, and what you can make with it.

"Rhubarb is a vegetable, but because it has a sweet and sour taste, it is often used in desserts and sweet bakery products. The edible part of the plant is the juicy and fleshy leaf stalks, which can have different colors. The varieties with green cuttings taste sour, while rhubarb with pink and red cuttings is less sour," says Fus.

What is the value of rhubarb?

"Like other vegetables, it is rich in fiber and pectin. 100 g of cuttings contain 14% of the daily value of pectin and 12.8% of fiber, as well as a small amount of starch (100 g – 0.22 g) and sucrose (0.1 g of the norm in 100 g). Among the minerals, there are more calcium, potassium, manganese, and chromium salts," explains the expert.

Why is rhubarb sour?

"A large amount of organic acids – malic, citric, and oxalic – gives the plant its sour taste. Malic and citric acids predominate in young cuttings, while their content decreases in old cuttings, but a lot of oxalic acid accumulates. As a result, they become rough and tough," the nutritionist said.

Who should not eat rhubarb?

"Eating older, hard rhubarb roots is dangerous because of the high content of oxalic acid in them. When it enters the human body, it binds to calcium and forms oxalates. These salts can contribute to the formation of oxalate stones in the kidneys. Therefore, it should not be consumed by people with urolithiasis, gout, cholecystitis, and pregnant women," the expert explained.

Fuss noted that frequent consumption of this vegetable can lead to the leaching of calcium from the body and an imbalance of calcium and phosphorus.

"Therefore, people who suffer from joint diseases (arthritis) or bone fragility (osteoporosis) should definitely avoid all desserts with rhubarb. It can have an even greater impact on the weakened musculoskeletal system," the expert summarized.

The nutritionist advises eating up to 100 g of young cuttings to avoid exceeding the permissible level of oxalic acid from food.

What part of rhubarb can you eat?

"It is important to choose only young cuttings for food. The leaves are inedible, they are not used for food – they contain several times more oxalic acid than cuttings. In addition, the leaves contain a lot of the natural glycoside anthraquinone, which gives the plant its red color and can cause unwanted intestinal cramps," Fus explained.

How to store rhubarb properly?

"It can be stored in the refrigerator in bags, after tearing off the leaves and cutting off the ends, and frozen. The skin is removed before cooking," says Fus.

What can be cooked with rhubarb?

"Rhubarb is often used as a filling in sweet pies and is made into jam, candied fruit, and jam. Cinnamon, ginger, strawberries, apples, and other fruits go well with rhubarb and reduce the amount of sugar added to dishes. Rhubarb is used to make refreshing drinks, compotes, jelly, and sauces. Along with other vegetables, rhubarb can be used as a garnish for meat, fish, and poultry, and it can also be used to make compotes," Fus explained.

"Too frequent consumption of the vegetable can be harmful, wash calcium out of the body, and contribute to the formation of kidney stones. For this reason, it is better to limit your rhubarb consumption," the expert summarized.