November 16, 2000
NUTRITION NEWS FOCUS
"Nutrition news is important.  We help you understand it!"

Today's Topic: Can I Cook Nutrients Away?

People often hear that cooking destroys nutrients in foods.  This is
primarily a concern for the B vitamins and vitamin C because
prolonged heating breaks down some of these nutrients.  Most other
nutrients are not affected adversely by any cooking process.  In
fact, cooking improves digestibility of most protein.  High heat
"denatures" protein - that is, the structure of the protein is
partially broken down before you eat it.  This also serves to
preserve the meat, making it less susceptible to spoilage.

Fresh vegetables versus cooked? Sometimes, frozen or canned
vegetables have higher nutrient content than fresh because fresh no
longer means "just picked."  Produce bought in a supermarket is often
picked weeks before the consumer gets them.  Again, it is mostly the
vitamins mentioned above that decline.  Mineral content does not
change.  Nor does the calorie content.  While boiling in water can
remove some minerals, the amount is usually not nutritionally
significant.  If you are concerned about this, steaming is a good
option.

HERE'S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: Cooking methods such
as frying or sautéing add fat and calories to foods.  In fact, half
the calories in fried chicken come from the oil it is cooked in.  But
the nutrient content of the chicken itself is the same no matter how
it was cooked.  The method of cooking, or overcooking, does not
decrease nutritional value of food.  Just the way protein structure
is altered by cooking, the same thing happens to dietary fiber.
There isn't any less - it is just digested more easily.


(This story originally appeared in Nutrition News Focus on
March 31, 1999.)


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Copyright 1999, 2000 Nutrition News Focus Inc.

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