{"id":10867,"date":"2021-06-21T14:00:49","date_gmt":"2021-06-21T13:00:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.theguthealthdoctor.com\/?p=10867"},"modified":"2023-03-01T10:26:13","modified_gmt":"2023-03-01T10:26:13","slug":"is-canned-food-ok-to-eat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.theguthealthdoctor.com\/is-canned-food-ok-to-eat","title":{"rendered":"Is canned food OK to eat?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With the cost of living at an all time high, I wanted to bust the myth that canned fruit and vegetables are less nutritious than fresh &#8211; in fact, according to the research, putting food into cans can actually maintain those nutrients rather than reduce them.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That said, not all canned foods are created equal! So let\u2019s weigh up the pros and cons. That way, you know what to look out for and can make informed decisions about what\u2019s right for you.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b>The benefits of canned food<\/b><b><\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"color: #ed076f;\"><b>Convenience and accessibility<\/b><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Depending on where you live, access to fresh fruit and vegetables might be limited, so having canned foods is a great practical way to have nutrient-rich foods all year round.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Canned foods can provide nutrient-dense convenience options at a lower price, with a longer shelf life. Take legumes (beans and pulses), for example, buying in cans means there\u2019s no need to soak and cook &#8211; but I do always recommend draining and giving them a good rinse. For those with sensitive guts, double rinsing using a strainer can help increase tolerance as I touch on below.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"color: #ed076f;\"><b>Nutrients<\/b><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Most canned fruits and vegetables are processed straight after harvesting, when they still have the highest nutrient concentrations. The process of canning can preserve most of the nutrients, so it\u2019s not accurate to say fresh or frozen produce is always more nutritious versus canned.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In fact, one study found those who ate 6+ canned foods a week consumed more nutrient-dense food groups, including fruits, vegetables and protein-rich foods such as legumes. They also had higher intakes of 17 essential nutrients, including potassium, calcium and fibre, which most people don\u2019t get enough of (aka common \u2018shortfall nutrients\u2019).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The canning process involves heat and heating can actually increase certain health-promoting compounds. As a result, several vegetables, including canned tomatoes, have been shown to have higher levels of certain compounds (e.g. lycopene) and polyphenols with higher antioxidant activity.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When it comes to the all-important fibre content, while canned fruits and vegetables have a softer texture, generally speaking most of the fibre remains intact.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b><span style=\"color: #ed076f;\">One for those with IBS: FODMAPs<\/span><\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you have IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) and have been recommended to try a low-FODMAP diet. Just remember, FODMAPs aren\u2019t inherently \u2018bad\u2019 &#8211; many are prebiotic (food that feeds your gut microbes), so it\u2019s super important not to cut them out completely! <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguthealthdoctor.com\/the-low-down-on-the-low-fodmap-diet\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Read more on that here<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tinned and thoroughly rinsed legumes have fewer FODMAPs compared to legumes that have been boiled from dry. Therefore, small portions (\u00bc cup per sitting), particularly of tinned chickpeas, butter beans and adzuki beans, can be better tolerated for those with IBS. \u00bd cup of tinned lentils is considered low-FODMAP.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b>What to look out for<\/b><b><\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"color: #ed076f;\"><b>Nutrient loss<\/b><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When the food is heated during the canning process, certain heat-sensitive vitamins (e.g. vitamin C) can be lost (just like they would be with other cooking methods using heat, such as boiling<\/span>)<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">BUT this nutrient loss is pretty minimal in the context of your overall diet, so it\u2019s not something to get hung up on &#8211; especially if your diet includes plenty of fresh foods too, most of us easily meet our daily vitamin C needs.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"color: #ed076f;\"><b>Polyphenols<\/b><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So far, the evidence is pretty limited for the canning effects on polyphenols, but initial research suggests the effect on these health-promoting plant chemicals largely depends on the specific product. On one hand, a study on canned peanuts found the polyphenols decreased when stored in brine.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On the other hand, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/29786843\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">one study<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> found the polyphenol content of canned apricots increased by 48% versus fresh apricots.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"color: #ed076f;\"><b>Preservatives<\/b><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some canned foods may contain added salt, added sugar or other preservatives. While salt (sodium) is important for a whole bunch of processes in the body, most of us already consume too much. And for those with concerns about high blood pressure, high salt intake can be even more problematic.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s a good idea to opt for canned foods with no added salt or other unnecessary additives. Some are also canned in brine or syrup, which can increase the added sugar, so look for products canned in water. Simply draining and rinsing can remove much of the excess salt and sugar too.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"color: #ed076f;\"><b>BPA<\/b><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">BPA (Bisphenol A) is a chemical that\u2019s often added to food containers, where it may mix with the food contents. Liquid has been found to be more likely to absorb BPA from its container than solid foods.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Simply put, in test tube studies it\u2019s been shown to have estrogen-like properties, so theoretically could affect our hormones and influence some of our body\u2019s processes, such as cell repair, development and reproduction. Some studies have associated BPA exposure with increased risk of issues such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes and fertility problems.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, the evidence is a mixed bag, with some studies showing minimal or no effect &#8211; so the jury is still out! For now, it could be worth opting for those labelled as \u2018BPA free\u2019 where you have the choice, to be on the safe side.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #ed076f;\"><b>Take-home: <\/b><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Canned fruits, vegetables and legumes can absolutely be a great convenient option as part of your gut-loving diet &#8211; they all count towards your weekly plant point goals. Just have a read of the label and try to go for no added salt or sugar options.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ultimately, it\u2019s all about BALANCE. There\u2019s certainly no need to shun canned foods, especially if it\u2019s the easiest way for you to up your plant diversity. Drain and rinse, and you\u2019re good to go. Just try to think about mixing it up with plenty of fresh and frozen plant goodness too.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b>4 canned foods in my cupboards<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"color: #ed076f;\"><b>Mixed beans:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\"> a great way to up your plant diversity with 4 plant points in one, at no extra cost or effort<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"color: #ed076f;\"><b>Chopped tomatoes:<\/b><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> so versatile and often higher in lycopene than fresh tomatoes<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"color: #ed076f;\"><b>Lentils: <\/b><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">fibre-filled, packed with plant protein and an easy addition to any pasta sauce or soups<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"color: #ed076f;\"><b>Sardines: <\/b><\/span>canned sardines are a good source of omega-3, protein and calcium<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>With the cost of living at an all time high, I wanted to bust the myth that canned fruit and vegetables are less nutritious than fresh &#8211; in fact, according to the research, putting food into cans can actually maintain those nutrients rather than reduce them. That said, not all canned foods are created equal!&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":10868,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[48,30],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10867","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-food-or-nutrition","category-myth-busting"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Is canned food OK to eat? | The Gut Health Doctor<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Canning foods can actually maintain nutrients rather than reduce them, however not all canned food is created equal. 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