does microwaving broccoli destroy nutrients

The truth is; microwave heating of foods does not destroy or affect antioxidants, vitamins, minerals or any other nutrients in our foods in a more severe way than conventional cooking methods. For example, steamed broccoli holds on to more glucosinolate than boiled or fried broccoli. That's why steaming is one of the best ways to maximize nutrients. It's also best to use methods that require minimal added liquid; however, you can salvage nutrients that leach into cooking water when boiling foods by using the cooking liquid as a vegetable stock instead of pouring it down the drain, Linsenmeyer said. https://www.cnn.com/2018/09/26/health/microwave-nutrient-food-drayer Understanding how microwave ovens work can help clarify the answer to these common questions. One study published in The Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture in 2003 found that broccoli cooked by microwave — and immersed in water — loses about 74 percent to 97 percent of its antioxidants. In the video I mentioned earlier, Second Strategy to Cooking Broccoli, you can see the amount of sulforaphane in boiled broccoli versus the amount after half a teaspoon or a teaspoon of mustard powder is added. With microwave cooking, the temperature raises more uniformly throughout the food; thus the point at which all particles of the food have reached the desired temperature is achieved with little damage, Rankin said. Breast Milk. Microwaving and steaming caused a loss in phenolic content in squash, peas and leeks, but not in spinach, peppers, broccoli or green beans. That keeps in more vitamins and minerals than almost any other cooking method and shows microwave food can indeed be healthy. WHAT WE KNOW. In other words, eating raw broccoli provides you with natural anti-cancer medicine that's extremely effective at halting the growth of cancer tumors. This study is often cited as evidence that microwaves … By activating your account, you will create a login and password. But even still, if you conventionally cook foods to what Rankin refers to as a "reasonable degree of doneness," like steaming broccoli on a stovetop, then "the differences in nutrients are minimal at best," he said. Stir-Fry. Irregular and long menstrual cycles linked to shorter life, Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children, Salt shakedown: A boon for lowering blood pressure, Meat-free diet linked to benefits for people with type 2 diabetes, Get trusted advice from the doctors at Harvard Medical School, Learn tips for living a healthy lifestyle, Stay up-to-date on the latest developments in health, Receive special offers on health books and reports. All rights reserved. But heating food in a microwave often requires very little or no liquid at all. (A 2003 study concluded that microwaving destroyed most of the antioxidants in broccoli – but the researchers had added far too much water.) Here are some simple tricks to get yourself out of your chair: While you're on the phone, stand up and walk around. The microwave is a marvel of engineering, a miracle of convenience — and sometimes nutritionally advantageous to boot. Smell training can help fix distortions caused by viruses, Take a deep breath before adopting new asthma guidelines, Radiation after prostate cancer surgery may not be necessary, Hormone therapy and radiation may help with certain prostate cancer. In point, it can make sure vitamins extra readily available to your system. The cooking process can cause some destruction of beneficial compounds in fruits and vegetables (phytochemicals, antioxidants, vitamins, minerals), BUT it can also make some beneficial compounds (such as lycopene) more available to the body. Microwaves are now commonplace in American homes, prized for their convenience. Please note the date of last review or update on all articles. Artichokes, asparagus, broccoli, and pepper do well, and green beans, eggplant, corn, Swiss chard, and spinach can increase their antioxidant activity significantly. Do bagged salad greens hold their nutrients? HOW DO WE KNOW THIS? The first claim above is that food is supposed to be alive, and that cooking it “kills” the food. However, you do maintain glucobrassicin and glucoraphanin concentrations. It's no surprise that boiling ends up on the bottom of the vegetable nutritional preparation pile, because studies have shown for years the process leaches nutrients into the water. Avoid soaking your vegetables, as that can remove key nutrients, such as vitamin C. Cooking vegetables whole preserves the water-soluble vitamins and nutrients. A study published in the November 2003 issue of the Journal of Science of Food and Agriculture found that broccoli cooked in the microwave lost up to 97 percent of its antioxidant content. Using electromagnetic energy, microwaves heat or cook foods ranging from vegetables to canned soups to meat. When in doubt, microwave. You want those nutrients to stay locked in. One study published in The Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture in 2003 found that broccoli cooked by microwave — and immersed in water — loses about 74 percent to 97 percent of its antioxidants. © 2010 - 2021 Harvard University. The fact is that all forms of cooking can destroy some of the nutrients (such as vitamin C and B vitamins) in vegetables. But … "The advantage of microwaving is that the come-up time is quick, and so it takes less time to reach a target temperature of food," Rankin said. MICROWAVED VEGGIES: May Retain Nutrients BETTER! THE BOTTOM LINE Microwave ovens generally do not destroy nutrients in food. Microwaving meets those criteria. Microwaving vegetables isn't any worse for your veggies than other types of cooking. Not only does it maximize flavor, but the addition of olive oil "appears to increase the absorption of phytonutrients like phenols and carotenes," says Elaine Magee, author and corporate dietitian for Albertsons Companies. To many people, this study seemed to indicate that microwaves kill the nutrients in broccoli and presumably in other vegetables as well. Studies show that microwave cooking results in more moisture loss from foods (and explains why heating cold pizza in a microwave for 30 seconds results in a rubbery crust), but that doesn't result in significant differences in terms of nutrient retention in foods, Rankin explained. Using the microwave with a small amount of water essentially steams food from the inside out. Microwaving is an easy, convenient, and safe method of cooking. What's more, heating food in a microwave often takes just a few minutes. Microwave cooking can have a shorter "come-up time," the time it takes a food to reach its proper cooked temperature and a factor that affects nutrient survival. https://recipes.howstuffworks.com/do-microwaves-kill-nutrients-in-food.htm According to a January 2007 article in the “Journal of Food Science," refined olive oil and sunflower oil destroy 49 percent and 37 percent of broccoli glucosinolates after three and a half minutes, respectively 1. In some respects, yes. The fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K) are not as easily lost in the water during the cooking process. Sitting for long stretches of time increases the odds of illness and untimely death. In some cases, it may even be better: One small study found that steamed broccoli retained more of its cancer-fighting sulforaphane than microwaved broccoli. As a general rule, keep cooking time, temperature and the amount of liquid to a minimum when cooking vegetables. The result saw steaming and boiling causing a 22 percent to 34 percent loss of vitamin C in broccoli. Over-the-counter hearing aids: Are they ready yet? The nutrients of most concern when microwaving are the water soluble vitamins: vitamin C and the B vitamins. These vitamins are lost more easily during the cooking process, because they easily move into the cooking water. Why junk food diets may raise heart disease risk, A flavanol-rich diet may increase brain function, Sleeping too much or not enough may raise the risk of cognitive decline, Steroid injection may be the best medicine for frozen shoulder, Use topical painkillers for strains and sprains, Study finds similar outcomes for two different weight-loss procedures, Don’t delay cancer treatment during the pandemic, Certain foods and drugs may lower risk of colon cancer, Gum disease linked to an increased risk for cancer, More daily movement may lower cancer deaths, Oral health problems may raise cancer risk. With potatoes and tomatoes, the story turned upside down. However, cooking broccoli in the microwave with water can actually cause it to lose up to 97 percent of its antioxidants, according to a 2003 study published in the Journal of the science of Food and Agriculture.Stovetop cooking only result in an 11 percent loss. Is steaming vegetables — even microwave steaming — better? The factors that affect nutrient losses in foods during cooking include time (the longer the food is cooked, the more nutrient loss); temperature (the more heat, the more losses); and the amount of liquid the food is cooked in (the more water, the more nutrients you will probably lose as they leach into the cooking liquid). You only need to activate your account once. Enter search terms and tap the Search button. And, in some cases, it may be better. Losing nutrients Some research has shown that vegetables lose some of their nutritional value in the microwave. However, Karen Collins, R.D., points out that cooking at such high temperatures for an extended period of time can still cause the broccoli to lose some nutrients, especially when compared to a technique like steaming. It's been said that microwaving kills all, or most, existing nutrients in food. The cooking method that best retains nutrients is one that cooks quickly, heats food for the shortest amount of time, and uses as little liquid as possible. Roasting and baking is another healthy way to fix your vegetables. But because microwave cooking times are shorter, cooking with a microwave does a better job of preserving vitamin C and other nutrients that break down when heated. So whether you choose microwaving or conventional cooking methods, keep your cooking times low when possible (don't overcook that broccoli). Packers suffer major loss days before season finale. Steaming is best, especially for broccoli. If you subscribe to any of our print newsletters and have never activated your online account, please activate your account below for online access. Does microwaving broccoli destroy nutrients? Sign up here to get The Results Are In with Dr. Sanjay Gupta every Tuesday from the CNN Health team. Any kind of cooking method will result in some nutrient losses, so a better way to look at the issue is to what degree nutrients are depleted, explained Scott A. Rankin, professor and chair of the Department of Food Science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. When steamed or cooked without water, the broccoli retained most of its nutrients . When steamed or cooked without water, the broccoli retained most of its nutrients . (That's OK if you're eating the broth with the veggies.) Is microwave food healthy? What can we help you find? Can adopting a healthier diet help fight prostate cancer? While methods like steaming are better than boiling, the answer depends on the vegetable. Water-soluble vitamins such as Vitamin C, common in a lot of vegetables, are particularly sensitive to heat, said Haas. This can also help in retain beta-carotene and lutein. Broccoli. Steaming can help retain chlorophyll and vitamin C, but microwaving is better. No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician. Although cooking vegetables does reduce the amount of certain vitamins, it can also liberate other nutrients, like antioxidants, allowing for greater absorption by the body. Advertisement Can taking aspirin regularly help prevent breast cancer? For maximum impact, eat raw kale, broccoli, and cauliflower. Instead of sitting at your makeup table, stand up. One study showed that microwaving vegetables destroys up to 97% of the nutritional content (vitamins and other plant-based nutrients that prevent disease, boost immune function and enhance health). Please note: If you have a promotional code you'll be prompted to enter it prior to confirming your order. Like any method of heating, microwaving can affect the nutrient content to a certain extent -- however, it depends on how much you cook it. This vegetable is one of the most common microwaved food items in American households. Short cooking times and reduced exposure to heat preserve the nutrients in microwaved food ( 9 , 10 ). So microwave cooking positively influences the time and temperature variables at play, and this bodes well for nutrient retention. As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content. One exception: Carrots. And don't forget the big picture. When that's not practical, be sure to cut them into large, uniform pieces that will cook evenly. Microwaves cause these molecules to vibrate and quickly build up thermal (heat) energy. A 2007 study looked at the effects of boiling, steaming, microwaving and pressure cooking on the nutrients in broccoli. Use as LITTLE water as possible when microwaving — that’s where the nutrients are loss. Fears about statin side effects: Often unfounded? There are dangers to microwaving your food. Reduces Formation of Harmful Compounds Microwaving may … Some nutrients break down when they're exposed to heat, whether it is from a microwave or a regular oven. In other words, eating raw broccoli provides you with natural anti-cancer medicine that's extremely effective at halting the growth of cancer tumors.

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