What Rhubarb Can Do For Your Health
3 quick and delicious recipes
Rhubarb (Rheum rhabarbarum) is a member of the knotweed family (Polygonaceae) and features fleshy stems with broad-based leaves. The plant can grow up to one meter tall and up to 1.5 meters wide with its large leaves. There are red- and green-fleshed varieties. The varieties with red stems taste milder and contain less oxalic acid. Because oxalic acid levels begin to increase around mid-June, rhubarb should not be harvested later. Although the oxalic acid concentrations are safe for healthy people, they are detrimental to the taste.
The peak season is between April and about mid-June.
Is rhubarb poisonous because of the oxalic acid?
It is better not to eat rhubarb raw because of the oxalic acid it contains. Oxalic acid binds the mineral calcium, which the body cannot absorb well. It also attacks tooth enamel.
If the rhubarb is heated, the oxalic acid is essentially rendered harmless, and the sour, fresh-tasting vegetable can be eaten without hesitation.
The effect of oxalic acid can also be reduced if rhubarb is combined with milk because the oxalic acid is neutralized by calcium.
