October 10, 2009
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Written by Dr. Maoshing Ni
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When it comes to food, there is no shortage of questions about how to get the most nutrients out of the food we eat. In this modern world, even more questions arise as we contemplate the effect of brand new technology on the quality of our food. Read on to find out how processing and technology is affecting what you eat.
Excerpted from full article:
1. Microwave: Destroys nutrients
Vegetables, when microwaved, lost 80-97 percent of nutrients.
2. Freezing food may preserve nutrients
Freezing when fruit is fresh can be helpful and usually retains the nutrients. However, when food is stored and sits for a long period of time, it starts to lose nutritional values of the vitamins, especially the B and C Vitamins.
3. Dried Fruit vs. fresh fruit
In general, when you dry a food, you are taking the water content out and dehydrating it. You don’t necessarily destroy the nutrients, although in fruits, certain vitamins can be easily destroyed. Vitamin C, for instance, is fragile, so it may be destroyed in the process. That is why fruits are generally better fresh.
4. Organic for nutrients and safety
Many scientific studies have shown that organic foods have a much higher percentage of antioxidants. And studies regularly emerge about the negative effects of pesticides and herbicides used on commercial crops: cancer risk, inflammation, and reproductive imbalance in humans and animals.
The primary reason for buying organic is that you get wholesome, nutrient-rich foods that aren’t covered in dangerous chemicals. Even the foods that are grown below ground or have peels are not always safe from pesticides.
If you have to make a choice between the two, make an informed decision.
• These fruits and vegetables tested the worst for chemicals, so buy organic: apples, bell peppers, carrots, celery, cherries, grapes (imported), kale, lettuce, nectarines, peaches, pears, and strawberries.
• When tested, these have the least amount of chemicals: avocados, asparagus, broccoli, cabbage, eggplant, kiwi, mangos, onions, papaya, pineapples, sweet corn, sweet peas, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, and watermelon.