Does Blending Vegetables Destroy Nutrients
`To comply with a modern and fast life, juicers and smoothies became the popular way to meet the vegetable servings for a healthy and balanced diet.
Recently, a rumor started going around online about blended vegetables being worse or at the same level as junk food. With the increase of health hazards, illnesses, and diseases due to bad dietary choices, people are now more involved with what they are eating.
To answer the question, does blending destroy nutrients, we must understand certain facts about digestion and what makes a vegetable. Chewing helps breakdown the food into more easily digestible and therefore, absorbable pieces.
As the food moves through the meters of intestine, the body slowly absorbs nutrients, vitamins along the way. Until only waste is left. Vegetables are known to be made up of plenty of antioxidantes, fiber and a mixture of nutrients and are considered mandatory in any healthy diet.
Does Blending Vegetables Destroy Nutrients?
The claims
The director of the Hippocrates Health Institute Dr. Brian Clement made a claim that blended vegetable smoothies lost approximately 92% of nutrients.
Does blending destroy nutrients in reality though? Dr. Clement mentioned that blending ninety to one hundred and twenty seconds will basically result in a 8% nutritional shake. He compared a blended vegetable shake or smoothie to junk food and suggested to everyone that they avoid it at all costs.
There were no scientific experiments done. Results are not confirmed.
His analysis is solely based on the fact that oxygen is sucked into the blender during the rotating motion, which causes oxidation. Oxidation is a known factor in reducing or destroying nutrients.
The process of oxidation during the blending moment is not long or overly exaggerated. However, there is scientific research showing that key nutrients can be destroyed but not necessarily by a blender. Most of the organic food’s nutrients are actually commercially destroyed or when the handling happens at home.
Does blending destroy nutrients?
Blending can potentially destroy a very small amount of nutrients but nothing that is significant to worry about.
The only way to maintain a vegetable’s complete nutritional value is by eating it directly from the ground; no processing involved at all. Vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants can be destroyed by heat or common processing methods that many commercial businesses use.
Cooking with high heat, overcooking, frying, baking, and boiling will destroy some nutrients as is natural. Blending raw vegetables though will keep most nutrients intact.
Blending only breaks down the vegetables, making it easier for the body to digest as well. You can only break down food by a limited amount of volume, no matter how much you chew.
Also, no one actually blends vegetables for a minute or more. Most blenders will only require thirty seconds to fully blend a smoothie, keeping destruction at a minimal rate.
To avoid destroying too many of the nutrients when cooking, always know how long each vegetable should be cooked for.
Certain veggies can withstand higher temperatures while others cannot. Eat raw vegetables or lightly cooked veggies for most of your meals. This is where having a battery blender comes in handy because you keep most of the nutrients by blending the veggies while raw.
Since drinking raw veggies is more pleasant than eating them, blending is a great option. This is because you can mix it with fruit or other appetizing ingredients for those picky eaters.
The benefits of vegetable smoothies
There are many sources online that support a vegetable smoothie diet. Along with other dietary supplements and guidelines of course. It is a great alternative for vitamin supplements, which keeps your body from swallowing many pills.
Best of all, smoothies are 100% natural. You keep away additives, colorantes, and artificial flavorings from your system. Imagine getting your full servings in a delicious way. A personshould have at least four to six servings of vegetables daily.
A smoothie in the morning and one in the afternoon should meet that requirement of having one a day can help you prep the meals for later. A healthy diet is essential for all purposes.
Another benefit of vegetable smoothies is the ability to lose weight when you combine with healthier eating and exercise. Weight loss is a problem for many people worldwide.
Drinking more vegetable juices or mixtures help keep your stomach full for longer and prevents unnecessary snacking. Using veggie smoothies as a healthy snack is also a great option. It helps with maintaining an adequate weight and a good health overall.
Cutting back on high sugary foods and sticking to a better, more balanced diet is the proper way of losing weight. With a daily amount of exercise, even if it is light, you will experience a significant amount of weight loss with time.
Green smoothies are loaded with many nutrients, antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and more that are not found in other food sources. Many of these are considered to keep cancer at bay and keep you living a healthier and stronger lifestyle.
It is a known fact that most people are not getting enough nutrients from their mundane diets. The only way a green smoothie will not help you is if you are already eating properly. Even then, it will not hurt you. Enjoy a glass of vegetables whenever you can, there is nothing but benefits to this.
Conclusion
Blending does not cause a destruction of nutrients. You can blend all you want now, knowing that you are doing something beneficial for your health.
Adding green smoothies to your everyday diet is also a wonderful way to keep your body healthy and strong. It is best to obtain a good blender so you can limit the amount of time you blend the raw vegetables. But other then that, there is nothing to worry about.
There are so many yummy recipes online that include a variety of vegetables and even fruits. You will find at least seven that you adore.
Switch up the ingredients daily or every other day. This is to keep it from getting boring or from only enjoying the same nutrients. A mix and balanced green smoothie is just as important as anything else. Make a scheduled intake of green smoothies. Do full out veggie smoothies one day and the next add in a fruit.
There are also plenty of seeds to complement your shakes that will be a great addition to any recipe.
Research your vegetables to know which ones have what nutrients and also know what your body requires. Talking with a nutritionist is also an important before diagnosing yourself or significant dietary changes.
Having underlying health issues, for example diabetes, will require certain dietary restrictions. Knowing your body and knowing your vegetables is the key to reaping the full benefits of a green smoothie. Read about the pros and cons of blending.