When canned, their nutritional profile changes, insists this doctor.
Fruits and vegetables are an important source of fiber, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Their benefits allow our body to fight against cellular aging, maintain a stable body weight and prevent many diseases, particularly cardiovascular diseases, which is why it is recommended to eat at least 5 per day. But you should know that the way you cook them will influence their nutrients. Some fruits and vegetables are affected by their storage conditions; it would even be better to eat them canned rather than fresh.
In canned foods found in the dry section of supermarkets, certain foods have nutritional value that is good for our health. This is particularly the case for this summer food, whose preserves allow us to eat it all year round; “If you eat canned tomatoes, you will have even more antioxidants called “lycopenes” compared to fresh tomatoes”shares Dr Karan Raj, surgeon at the NHS (the English public health system) in a video posted on his TikTok account. Lycopenes are good antioxidants that protect against premature aging as well as the occurrence of certain cancers. “You also have more calcium and iron than in fresh tomatoes.”, completes the expert with more than 5 million subscribers. This change comes from the cooking process of canning which softens plant cell walls, making nutrients easier to absorb. Rest assured, this does not mean that fresh tomatoes are less healthy, they simply have a different nutritional profile. Fresh tomatoes also contain more vitamin A than their canned counterparts. By alternating between canned tomatoes, fresh tomatoes and even frozen tomatoes, you will be able to benefit from all the nutrients that fruits and vegetables provide you. The ideal is to also vary their preparations: in sauce, raw, cooked…
That’s not all. According to the expert, frozen blueberries contain more vitamins and polyphenols (plant micronutrients) than fresh blueberries because the freezing process slows the loss of nutrients. “Most frozen fruits, like berries, are often frozen within 24 hours of being picked and are often nutritionally fresher than fresh produce that sits around in supermarkets for days.” Frozen peas contain higher levels of vitamins B and E. The latter are also more present in frozen spinach, in addition to a higher level of iron: “Frozen spinach is often blanched and packaged into cubes before freezing, which means it may contain fewer “anti-nutrients” like oxalates that slow iron absorption.concludes the doctor.