Baking or Cooking Blueberries Alter Their Polyphenol Content
How you enjoy your favourite blueberries – whether raw, cooked as a pie filling, or sweetened in a jam – has something to do with the quality of nutrients you get from them. According to a new study, baking and cooking blueberries affect their polyphenol levels. These are the natural compounds that give the fruit its health benefits.
It is no secret that how foods (fruits, vegetables, and even meat) are cooked or prepared may affect their nutritional value. However, it is still not clear for scientists to what extent these changes are. Being known as a superfood, scientists at the University of Reading, the University of Düsseldorf and the University of Northumbria were interested in knowing whether the nutritional profile of blueberries are altered when they undergo food processing.
Their study, published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, revealed that proofing (time during which dough rises) and baking all seem to alter the polyphenol levels of blueberries, with some polyphenol levels increasing and some decreasing. For instance, the amount of anthocyanins – the antioxidants responsible for the dark colour of blueberries, decreased by 10 per cent after the fruit was subjected to the three cooking methods. On the other hand, the phenolic acid levels increased after applying these methods to blueberries, whilst the antioxidant quercetin was not affected.
Nevertheless, the researchers said more study is needed to determine how exactly these alterations in polyphenol levels affect health. "Due to their possible health benefits, a better understanding of the impact of processing is important to maximise the retention of these phytochemicals in berry-containing products," they wrote.
Many studies have confirmed the healing benefits of blueberries. Having the highest antioxidant capacity of all fresh fruits, these tasty gems have been found to boost brain and heart health, aid in weight loss, prevent urinary tract infection, improve immunity, slow ageing, etc. Whether eaten raw or cooked, blueberries are delicious and offer amazing benefits to health.
Source of this article:
Baking And Cooking Blueberries Affects Polyphenol Levels: Study
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