Canned, it has a better nutritional profile, insists this doctor.
We all know: eating at least 5 fruits and vegetables a day helps provide all the essential nutrients to the body. Important sources of fiber, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, these treasures of nature allow our body to fight against cellular aging, maintain a stable body weight and prevent many diseases, particularly cardiovascular ones. What is less known is that the nutrients present in fruits and vegetables are affected by their storage conditions and it would even be better to consume them canned rather than fresh.
When they are canned (in the dry section of supermarkets), certain foods have preserved nutritional value. This is particularly the case for this summer food, which can therefore be eaten 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 published on his TikTok account (more than 5 million subscribers). 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.”, adds the expert. This is because the process of cooking canned foods softens plant cell walls, making nutrients easier to absorb. This does not mean that fresh tomatoes should be banned or that they are less healthy, they simply have a different nutritional profile. Fresh tomatoes also contain more vitamin A than their canned counterparts. To benefit from all the nutrients that fruits and vegetables provide us, the ideal is to alternate between canned tomatoes, fresh tomatoes or even frozen tomatoes. But 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.