A British surgeon reveals that certain frozen or canned fruits and vegetables can provide nutritional value that matches, and in some cases even exceeds, their fresh counterparts.
اضافة اعلان
The British National Health Service (NHS) recommends eating five portions of fruits and vegetables a day for the essential vitamins, minerals, and fiber they provide to maintain a healthy body and prevent many diseases. This comes at a time of growing interest in the importance of increasing plant-based food intake to reduce the risk of chronic diseases, including bowel cancer.
Despite the common belief that fresh produce is always the best choice, Dr. Karan Rajan, an NHS surgeon, explained in a TikTok video that some frozen or canned products may retain higher amounts of certain nutrients compared to fresh ones, especially if the latter spend many days in transit or on store shelves.
The doctor highlighted four foods he believes deserve attention:
Canned Tomatoes
Dr. Rajan explained that canned tomatoes contain higher levels of the antioxidant "lycopene" compared to raw tomatoes, and they also provide larger amounts of calcium and iron. However, he stressed that this does not mean fresh tomatoes are less beneficial, as they stand out for their higher levels of vitamin A.
He added that cooking tomatoes, whether fresh or canned, increases the body's ability to absorb lycopene because heat helps soften the plant's cell walls, releasing more of this compound.
Frozen Blueberries
Dr. Rajan noted that frozen blueberries may retain larger amounts of vitamin C and antioxidant polyphenol compounds because freezing slows down nutrient loss. He pointed out that most berries are frozen within 24 hours of being picked, making them, nutritionally speaking, better at retaining their value than some fresh varieties that spend days in storage and display.
Frozen Peas
He showed that frozen peas may contain higher levels of certain B vitamins and vitamin E as a result of being frozen immediately after harvest, which helps preserve their nutritional content.
Frozen Spinach
Dr. Rajan explained that frozen spinach may also contain higher levels of certain forms of vitamin E, and iron absorption from it might be better than from fresh spinach.
He attributed this to the fact that frozen spinach is often blanched before freezing—a process that reduces "oxalate" compounds that hinder iron absorption, thereby increasing the body's utilization of it.
Source: Mirror
