Are microwaved or frozen foods really "bad" for you? Photo / 123rf
There’s all sorts of health advice swirling around the internet these days — whether it’s an influencer claiming lemon water will help you lose weight or a “health coach” urging you to avoid your microwave like the plague.
But nutritionists warn that not all the tips and tricks you’ll see on the likes of TikTok and Instagram are helpful.
In 2023, it can be hard to tell what really is good for you — so, here are a few of these viral health claims put to the test by the experts.
It’s a tale as old as time, but the claim that your microwave takes nutrients away from your food is alive and well today.
TikTok account @cleanseclub, followed by 285,000 people, shared a video claiming microwaving food “kills 94 per cent” of the “nutrients that your food holds”, while the account @cooperhealth, followed by 3000, claims you’re “better off using a stove or an oven” because microwaves take antioxidants away from your food.
But the truth is that cooking in general, whether it’s roasting, microwaving or steaming, will break down some nutrients because heat can change food’s chemical structure.
Dr Duane Mellor, a registered dietitian at Birmingham’s Aston University, says because microwaves cook food quickly, they can preserve nutrients better than some other methods, reports the Daily Mail UK.
Microwaved meals could preserve vitamin C, magnesium and potassium — essential for heart, kidney, bone and muscle health — better, he said. Microwaving can also help retain fibre better than pressure cooking, according to a study published in the Food Chemistry journal.
Social media might have you believe that capsicum, tomatoes and potatoes are bad for your health, with some influencers claiming the nightshade family of vegetables could cause inflammation and worsen arthritis.
The claim is a result of lectin, a protein in these vegetables that binds cells together, being linked to both arthritis and irritable bowel syndrome, when consumed in large amounts.
One nutrition coach on Tiktok, @iamkellytang, recommended to her 11,600 followers to “avoid” or “limit” nightshades if you suffer from arthritis, claiming they are “known to cause inflammation in those who have joint pains, arthritis and chronic illnesses”.
But Dr Mellor explains these vegetables, particularly tomatoes or capsicums, which are often eaten raw, contain only low levels of lectin, and foods like kidney beans, which are high in lectin, are typically cooked before they’re eaten, therefor breaking the protein down.
He says nightshades are high in vitamin C, which doesn’t worsen arthritis and can maintain healthy joints.
Many people avoid frozen or tinned vegetables and fruit, believing fresh is better.
One TikToker @alejandrofts, who has 55,500 followers, claims frozen food is “terrible for your body”.
But London-based nutritionist Kim Pearson says that “actually, frozen fruits and vegetables can contain higher levels of nutrients” because they’re usually frozen right after they’re harvested.
Fresh produce, on the other hand, can sit in the vegetable aisle in the supermarket for days or even weeks after it’s first picked, meaning they could lose nutrients before they’re purchased and eaten.
Just a couple of days can make a difference in vitamin C levels in fresh produce, while research shows vegetables like frozen peas lose less vitamin C than fresh peas kept in the fridge or at room temperature.
Pearson notes one study where “fresh peas were found to lose 15 per cent of their vitamin C after seven days when stored in the fridge, and 60 per cent when stored at room temperature”.
“However, when frozen, they only lost 10 per cent after 12 months,” she says.
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