There is no self-respecting Portuguese person who does not put one or two canned foods on their shopping list. And if some go on the 'blacklist', others are highly recommended, as stated by the doctor Karan Raj, in a video shared on TikTok.

The surgeon from the British National Health Service revealed four fruits and vegetables that, regardless of whether they are in canned preserves, contain many nutrients. These are canned tomatoes, as well as blueberries, peas and frozen spinach.

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Regarding canned tomatoes, Karan Raj said that "they have more antioxidant lycopene than fresh tomatoes, as well as more calcium and iron". However, he points out that "this does not mean that fresh tomatoes are worse than canned tomatoes, only that they have a different nutritional profile".

He also added that fresh tomatoes have significantly higher levels of vitamin A than canned tomatoes. "If we cook the tomatoes, whether they are canned or fresh, we further increase the bioavailability of the antioxidant lycopene. This is because the cooking process softens the cell walls of the plants, making it easier to absorb the nutrients."

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As for frozen blueberries, the truth is that they may, in some cases, contain more vitamins and polyphenols than fresh ones. "Frozen blueberries retain more vitamin C and polyphenols than fresh blueberries, because the freezing process slows down the loss of nutrients", explains the doctor.

According to Karan Raj, frozen peas also have higher levels of certain types of vitamins, such as B and E, compared to fresh peas. The same happens with frozen spinach, which has higher levels of vitamin E complex and absorbs iron better.

Watch the video below:

@dr.karanr

Food hacks

original sound - Dr Karan Raj

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