A diet high in healthy fats, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains might protect your body against many diseases. We can’t get away from food knowledge, which is power and what you put on your plate can have a huge impact on your life, as previously mentioned. Here Kayla McDonell, RD, HealthLine.com, reflects on whether canned foods are good or bad for you:

“Canned foods are often thought to be less nutritious than fresh or frozen foods.

Some people claim they contain harmful ingredients and should be avoided. Others say canned foods can be a part of a healthy diet.

This article explains everything you need to know about canned foods.

What is canned food?

Canning is a method of preserving foods for long periods by packing them in airtight containers.

Canning was first developed in the late 18th century as a way to provide a stable food source for soldiers and sailors at war.

The canning process can vary slightly by product, but there are three main steps. These include:

• Processing. Food is peeled, sliced, chopped, pitted, boned, shelled, or cooked.
• Sealing. The processed food is sealed in cans.
• Heating. Cans are heated to kill harmful bacteria and prevent spoilage.

This allows food to be shelf-stable and safe to eat for 1–5 years or longer.

Common canned foods include fruits, vegetables, beans, soups, meats, and seafood.

How does canning affect nutrient levels?

Canned foods are often thought to be less nutritious than fresh or frozen foods, but research shows that this is not always true.

In fact, canning preserves most of a food’s nutrients.

Protein, carbs, and fat are unaffected by the process. Most minerals and fat-soluble vitamins like vitamins A, D, E, and K are also retained.

As such, studies show that foods high in certain nutrients maintain their high nutrient levels after being canned (1Trusted Source, 2Trusted Source).

Yet, since canning typically involves high heat, water-soluble vitamins like vitamins C and B can be damaged (3, 4Trusted Source, 5Trusted Source).

These vitamins are sensitive to heat and air in general, so they can also be lost during normal processing, cooking, and storage methods used at home.

However, while the canning process may damage certain vitamins, amounts of other healthy compounds may increase (6Trusted Source).

For example, tomatoes and corn release more antioxidants when heated, making canned varieties of these foods an even better source of antioxidants (7Trusted Source, 8Trusted Source).

Changes in individual nutrient levels aside, canned foods are good sources of important vitamins and minerals.

In one study, people who ate 6 or more canned items per week had higher intakes of 17 essential nutrients, compared with those who ate 2 or fewer canned items per week (9Trusted Source).

They may contain trace amounts of BPA

BPA (bisphenol-A) is a chemical that’s often used in food packaging, including cans.

Studies show that the BPA in canned food can migrate from the can’s lining into the food it contains.

One study analyzed 78 canned foods and found BPA in over 90% of them. Furthermore, research has made it clear that eating canned food is a leading cause of BPA exposure (10Trusted Source, 11Trusted Source).

In one study, participants who consumed 1 serving of canned soup daily for 5 days experienced more than a 1,000% increase in the levels of BPA in their urine (12Trusted Source).

Although the evidence is mixed, some human studies have linked BPA to health problems like heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and male sexual dysfunction (13Trusted Source, 14Trusted Source).

If you’re trying to minimize your exposure to BPA, eating a lot of canned food is not the best idea.”

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Read More … Article Source: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/canned-food-good-or-bad#bpa