Mistake in the database (folate content after boiling)?

daisy

Hi,

I think I discovered a mistake in the database.
It's about the folate content between raw lentils and boiled lentils, more specifically the folate loss through boiling.
Boiled lentils gain weight through the cooking water, approximately by a factor of 2,25 .
So the folate content in lentils of the same amount, for example 100 grams, is according to cronometer:

Lentils, raw, 100 grams: 479 micrograms of folate
Lentils, boiled, 225 grams (higher weight because of cooking water, but still the same weight of raw lentils): 407 micrograms of folate

So the loss by boiling is according to cronometer only about 15%, which is almost nothing.
Some will argue, that the factor by which lentils gain weight is even about 2,5, which would result in only about 5,5% of folate loss according to cronometer.
The literature shows, that by cooking/boiling you loose much of the folate, sometimes even up to 90% of the original content.
Also the literature shows, that on average you have losses of 40%-50% by cooking/boiling.
But according to cronometer only 5,5%-15%?

Why this low number of folate loss in the database?

maxb

There are probably very different ways of cooking them. When I cook rice or lentils I add just enough water for all of it to be absorbed, so it doesn't need to be drained.

When scientists write a paper saying "OMG all (nutrient) disappears", they probably do the opposite and err on the side of using too much water.

(That said, my main source of starchy food is canned chickpeas from Trader Joe's -- they taste awesome, but IDK what they do to them, nutritionally speaking)

Hilary

To be clear, "Lentils, Raw" are just that - raw (Fresh) lentils. Am I correct in assuming you are measuring the weight of Dried lentils? The weight difference will be much less between Fresh and boiled than that between Dried and boiled, and the nutrient changes different as well.

daisy

Of course I thought, that "Lentils, Raw" are uncooked dried lentils. I'm sure that 99,99% of cronometer users think so, because who except the farmer can even get fresh lentils? And even the farmer can get fresh lentils only at harvest time.
Also, to my knowledge there is no "Lentils, Dry" option on cronometer, even though 99,99% of bought lentils are dried lentils.

So if "Lentils, Raw" really means fresh lentils, which 99.99% can't even buy and there is no "Lentils, Dry" option, which I could not find, then cronometer is misleading many users on this topic.