Healthy Cooking and Nutrient Preservation

Introduction

Cooking improves digestion, increases the absorption of many nutrients, and helps easy mastication. The cooking methods have an impact on the nutritional value of the foods we consume. For example, Long exposure to heat can change some vitamins; at the same time, it can make phytonutrients and antioxidants more liable. Vitamin C is soluble in water and is also sensitive to heat. Therefore, cooking can cause a significant loss of this vitamin.

Healthy cooking involves cutting down on saturated fats, refined flours and sugars, and retaining as many nutrients as possible. Cutting down the calories can also be healthy cooking if the food is going to be served to overweight people. Here, we discuss some of the cooking methods, their advantages and disadvantages if any.

Baking

Baking is a cooking technique that applies dry heat to food in a closed container.  Baking will destroy heat-labile nutrients, and the long cooking time will negatively affect nutrient value. This method is basically used to make bread, puddings or desserts, and cook vegetables, poultry, meat and chicken.

Roasting

Like baking, roasting uses an oven’s dry heat to cook the food.

Braising

Braising is similar to baking. However, in braising, we brown the food and then cook it covered, with a little liquid. Meat with tough collagen fibres requires high heat and needs a longer time to become soft. This can reduce some heat-labile nutrients. To minimise nutrient losses, keep the meat portion in cooked liquids. Calcium and other essential trace minerals, including magnesium, zinc and iron are less likely to be affected.

Broiling and Grilling

Broiling and grilling expose food to direct heat. This type of cooking allows the fat to drip away from the food.

Poaching

Gentle simmering of foods in water, broth or a flavourful liquid is known as poaching. In this method, the food retains its shape.

Sauteing

Here, food is cut into small pieces and stirred in a pan with or without oil. A good quality non-stick pan will need no (or less) oil.

Steaming

The easiest cooking technique is steaming. The food to be cooked is suspended or placed above a simmering liquid. A flavoured liquid, or adding seasonings to the simmering water, can give extra flavour to the food.

Healthy Ways to Flavour Foods

Herbs and spices are rich in phytochemicals and can be used traditionally for cooking purposes. However, there may be serious health risks for some population groups in case of excess consumption. There is evidence available on commonly used herbs and spices such as garlic, black cumin, cloves, cinnamon, bay leaves and mustard, possessing antimicrobial properties.

Healthy flavour boosts include the following:

• Fresh herbs that will not only enhance flavour but also add a dash of colour
• Dried herbs, added in the initial stages, can infuse more flavour
• Vinegar and citrus juices too are well-known flavour enhancers
• Marinades can help the food soak up the different ingredients
• Dried vegetables and fruits deliver intense flavour that can add considerably to what the dish already offers

Fermentation is a process that uses microorganisms to convert carbohydrates to gases, alcohol or acids in the absence of oxygen.

Food fermentation enriches the diet for diversity in flavours, aromas, and textures. It also helps preserve food. It enriches food substrates with proteins and vitamins to remove antinutrients. Fermentation also helps quicken the cooking process and thus increases fuel efficiency.

Myths and Facts

A healthy diet and healthy weight are the main concepts for reducing cancer risks.  There are numerous anti-cancer diets on social media. The internet is flooded with a number of fad diets and nutrition advice that lack scientific evidence. Patients and caretakers are confused about the right dietary information. Regional diet practices and beliefs do contribute to the myths.

Myth: Sugar Causes Cancer

Fact: Sugar doesn’t cause cancer. But high consumption of a sugar-rich diet by an insulin-resistant patient does increase the risk of cancer initiation and progression. Sugar has an extremely high glycemic index. High GI foods increase blood sugar faster compared to complex carbohydrates. Due to hyper-insulinemia, there is an increase in bioavailable insulin-like growth factor, which appears to have a role in tumour initiation and progression in insulin-resistant patients.

Myth: Artificial Sweeteners, Sugar Substitutes Cause Cancer

Fact: Multiple studies have concluded that sugar substitutes derived from chemicals or plants are safe if consumed in permitted limits.

Myth: Microwave Usage Can Cause Cancer

Fact: There is no evidence to support the above claim. WHO instructs users to follow manufacturer’s instructions for safe and convenient cooking of different types of foods. To prevent exposure to microwaves and thermal burns during food handling, proper precautions need to be taken.

Myth: Super or Miracle Foods Will Prevent Cancer

Fact: A healthy, balanced diet and a healthy weight with good muscle mass are key to preventing cancer. Eating one or two superfoods is good, but it will not be sufficient to guarantee cancer prevention.

Myth: Cooking in Teflon Utensils Can Cause Cancer

Fact: Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), a chemical used to make Teflon utensils, is likely a health hazard and probably a human carcinogen. But there is no consistent evidence to prove the risks to humans from using Teflon-coated utensils. PFOA is possibly carcinogenic to humans – WHO.

Myth: Breast Cancer Survivors Should Avoid Soya Products

Fact: Studies don’t support the myth. In Japan and Singapore, a high dietary intake of soy products has been linked with reduced incidence of breast cancer in pre-menopausal women. Soy bean containing phytoestrogens has been observed to inhibit cancer cell proliferation in in vitro breast cancer cells; in animal models, it was seen to reduce the development of breast cancer, but there was no effect of phytoestrogens on normal human breasts.

Myth: Genetically Modified (GM) Foods Cause Cancer

Fact: Eating fresh foods is the safest way to be healthy, but GM fresh foods are equally healthy. GM foods are consumed globally by millions of people without reports of toxic effects or cancer incidents.

Myth: Usage of Artificial Food Colours May Cause Cancer

Fact: Currently, microbial-derived food colourants are being used in some industries. They may have some protective properties like antioxidant, antimicrobial, anticancer, immune-regulatory and anti-inflammatory.

Myth: It’s Not Safe to Store Fruits and Vegetables in Plastic Bags

Fact: Plastics are synthetic materials manufactured by a combination of some chemicals like dioxin, bisphenol A, phthalates and more. There is no convincing data to show that it’s safe to store fruits and vegetables in plastic bags. Using paper bags or high-grade polyethene bags for food transport and storage seems to be a better alternative.

Myth: Organic Foods Will Protect Against Cancer

Fact: A systematic review published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, consisting of 1000 journal articles and studies conducted over 50 years, concluded: “There is a lack of evidence to confirm organic foods protect against nutrition-related health issues or consumption of conventional produce increases cancer risk.”

Myth: Cancer Patients During Treatment Should Drink Mineral Water

Facts: (i) The immunity of cancer patients during and immediately post-cancer treatment may be vulnerable. Any simple water filter approved by the government or local regulatory body can be used.

(ii) Reverse Osmosis (RO) water filter is required only if the water supply contains TDS more than 500 ppm.

(iii) Mineral Water: It contains various minerals like salts and sulphur compounds. There are no added benefits or harmful effects of mineral water on cancer treatment and its outcome.

(iv) City Water: It is normally considered safe as it is processed by various methods of water treatment like coagulation and flocculation, sedimentation, filtration and disinfection (chlorination). Avoid drinking water left standing in a glass over a period of time. Generally, 30-35 ml/kg/BW/day of water is to be consumed to keep the body well-hydrated.