You regularly buy fresh foods, fortified products. But their vitamin content is not guaranteed! Because they are fragile and can disappear during storage, cooking. Some vitamins are extremely fragile. Thus, many foods can lose half of their content between harvest and your plate! The main enemies: light, air and heat.

You definitely buying orange juice, especially to accompany your breakfast. And you say I’m full of vitamin C! Attention this is not necessarily true! Because vitamin C is one of the most fragile. It is thus very sensitive to oxygen.
* A U.S. study moreover showed that orange juice brick can lose 100% of their vitamin C if not eaten quickly enough. The study authors advise to buy orange juice with expiration date is more than three weeks and used within seven days after opening.

Fresh, canned or frozen?

Theoretically, it is preferable to fresh produce to benefit fully from their nutritional value. Some experts also advise to buy daily products that you want to eat, or worse, buying to consume in three days. But does that mean he should avoid canned or frozen? Absolutely not! For, paradoxically, they will sometimes contain more vitamins than fresh produce! Indeed, time removes a portion of vitamins and minerals. But before arriving at the stalls, fresh produce has suffered several days or weeks of storage! While frozen and canned foods are processed mature shortly after the harvest! In addition, you eat shortly after opening. In fact, the nutritional value of foods as they are frozen, fresh or canned varies each vitamin and its sensitivity to different treatments! So be sure to enjoy the qualities of foods, better follow the recommendations of the National Health and Nutrition Program: eat at least 5 fruits and vegetables per day, regardless of their origin!

Raw or cooked?

Many vitamins are sensitive to heat. Eat a maximum raw food may be a good solution, provided good washing. However, do not soak, because you may lose some so-called water-soluble vitamins (B and C). However, cooking has several advantages. It will for example make the fiber more digestible. To retain vitamins, try to cook your food just long enough. Choose any steam cooking and microwave.

The most fragile

Here are some vitamins that can not tolerate being abused:

* Vitamin A: Sensitive to heat and light. Keep food in a cool and slightly exposed;
* Vitamin B1: very sensitive to heat, oxidation air, acidity. Moreover, its absorption is slowed by alcohol or coffee;
* Vitamin B5: sensitive to heat water;
* Vitamin B6: resists heat, oxidation and acidic, but is destroyed by light, and certain compounds called “alkali”;
* Vitamin B8: Sensitive to light;
* Vitamin B9: destroyed by heat and oxidation;
* Vitamin B12: Sensitive to light, destroyed by the heat under the conditions;
* Vitamin C: sensitive to heat: it is largely destroyed by cooking, pasteurization or sterilization. Also very sensitive to oxygen (when preparing food for example). Similarly she fears the basic medium (prefers acidic).

With a few precautions, you can keep all the qualities of your food and greatly improve the nutritional value of your plate!