Grind, Blend, Microwave - How Does the Way You Process Them Affect the Health-Benefits of Veggies and Fruits
Originally shared by Ward Plunet
Grind, Blend, Microwave - How Does the Way You Process Them Affect the Health-Benefits of Veggies and Fruits
Food processing ain't always bad(!) - if you could remember one take-home message, only, it should be just that: "Food processing ain't always bad!" While the study found no difference among the commercial blenders/grinders on the extractable levels of health-beneficial components including carotenoids, anthocyanins, free radical scavenging compounds and potential anti-inflammatory components, there is a general trend that favors the increase, not decrease, of such components in carrots (veggies) and blueberries (fruit) with blending and no effect in the probably most important anti-inflammatory effects (measured in the macrophage experiment the scientists did) with either blending/grinding or microwaving. So, if you buy frozen blueberries, defrost them in the microwave oven and blend them that's not worse than eating the 'fresh' blueberries from the farmers' market (you cannot tell me that the 'farmer' gathered them in the morning before he sells them). In fact, doing the former may have two important advantages: (a) the frozen blueberries may actually be "fresher" and more nutritious than the ones from the farmers' market (see Figure) so that the small drop in their health promoting effects matters only if supermarket stored the blueberries for years (Skupień. 2006)
Grind, Blend, Microwave - How Does the Way You Process Them Affect the Health-Benefits of Veggies and Fruits
Food processing ain't always bad(!) - if you could remember one take-home message, only, it should be just that: "Food processing ain't always bad!" While the study found no difference among the commercial blenders/grinders on the extractable levels of health-beneficial components including carotenoids, anthocyanins, free radical scavenging compounds and potential anti-inflammatory components, there is a general trend that favors the increase, not decrease, of such components in carrots (veggies) and blueberries (fruit) with blending and no effect in the probably most important anti-inflammatory effects (measured in the macrophage experiment the scientists did) with either blending/grinding or microwaving. So, if you buy frozen blueberries, defrost them in the microwave oven and blend them that's not worse than eating the 'fresh' blueberries from the farmers' market (you cannot tell me that the 'farmer' gathered them in the morning before he sells them). In fact, doing the former may have two important advantages: (a) the frozen blueberries may actually be "fresher" and more nutritious than the ones from the farmers' market (see Figure) so that the small drop in their health promoting effects matters only if supermarket stored the blueberries for years (Skupień. 2006)
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