Sous vide doesn’t just result in a flavorful, tender steak — it also makes the beef easier to digest, at least according to a new study published by the American Chemical Society. The French cooking method presents a unique environment compared to other cooking options, potentially making it easier for one’s digestive system to break down the meat.
Sous vide is a cooking method that involves vacuum-sealing food, then cooking it slowly in warm water (below boiling point). The combination of even, slower cooking combined with the oxygen-free environment caused by vacuum sealing the food resulted in fewer changes in the meat related to oxidation and structure, among other things.
The study used a simulated digestion model and found that compared to roasting beef in the oven or cooking it in boiling water, sous vide made the meat’s proteins easier to break down into amino acids and small peptides for absorption into the bloodstream.
Focusing specifically on beef, the researchers found that the sous vide cooking method resulted in less protein aggregation, oxidation, and structure changes compared to roasting and boiling. The simulated digestion model revealed that sous vide-cooked beef resulted in a larger variety and greater quantity of peptides compared to other cooking methods.
The findings indicate that sous vide beef is easier to digest and more nutritious compared to beef cooked in the oven or on a grill, and this may be particularly beneficial for people who suffer from digestive issues. The researchers note that future research will be necessary to explore the potential health effects of the peptides from beef cooked using sous vide rather than other methods.
