The advantages and disadvantages of canned food & bull; hello healthy

Canned food makes it easy for you, you just need a little time to heat it up and then you can eat it right away. Fast, instant, easy, and no less delicious, these are the advantages offered by canned food. With these various benefits, it's no wonder that many people start eating canned food and make it an option in their diet. However, what are the consequences if you often eat canned food?

The positive side of canned food

Besides being easy, practical, instant, and delicious, canned food also has other positive sides, namely:

Canned food is not lacking in nutrients

Not always canned food contains fewer nutrients than fresh food or frozen food. In fact, canned food also contains nearly the same nutrients as fresh food. Proteins, carbohydrates, fats, and fat-soluble vitamins and minerals, such as vitamins A, D, E, and K, are still found in canned foods. Based on research, the nutrients in food are still intact after the food is put in a can, although the amount has decreased slightly.

Some nutrients that are not heat-resistant may also be damaged, such as water-soluble vitamins, for example vitamin C and vitamin B. This type of vitamin is very sensitive to heat and air, so the vitamin can be lost after going through the heating, cooking, and storage process.

Don't worry, some canned foods can also have higher levels of nutrients than regular food. For example, tomatoes and corn have higher levels of antioxidants after going through the heating process, so tomatoes and canned corn may have higher antioxidants than normal.

The negative side of canned food

Canned food makes it easy for us and has many advantages. Especially if we are on a long trip, canned food is the most practical to carry and easy to enjoy. However, behind the positive side, canned food also has a negative side.

Canned food with added salt and sugar

Salt, sugar, and preservatives are commonly added to some canned foods. For those of you who are healthy, maybe this is not a problem if eaten within reasonable limits. However, for those of you who suffer from high blood pressure or heart disease, canned food can worsen your health condition because these foods generally have a high salt content.

Salt in the form of sodium in canned food is usually found in high levels because it also serves to maintain the quality of canned food. Too much salt or sodium consumption can cause your blood pressure to rise and the electrolyte balance in your body is disturbed.

The high sugar content in canned food also has a dangerous impact because excess sugar is associated with an increased risk of diseases, such as type 2 diabetes mellitus and heart disease. For those of you who have this disease, you should limit it even if you can avoid eating canned food, eating fresh food is better for you.

Before you buy canned food, it's a good idea to look at the nutritional value information that is available. Pay attention to the ingredients in it, how much sodium, calories, fat and other nutrients it contains.

Canned food contains BPA

BPA or Bisphenol-A is a chemical contained in food packaging, including in cans. Research shows that the BPA in canned food can move from the lining of the can to the food. BPA that enters the body is associated with health problems, such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus, and can also cause sexual dysfunction in men.

Research published by Environmental Research shows that eating canned food is associated with higher concentrations of BPA in the urine, the more canned foods you eat, the higher the BPA levels are found in the urine. However, the levels of BPA found in canned food vary in amounts.

Because the health effects of BPA are very dangerous, even the United States Food and Drug Administration has banned the use of BPA for packaging in contact with food, but the use of food packaging containing BPA is still being found.

Canned foods run the risk of containing harmful bacteria

Although rare, canned food that is not properly processed can contain harmful bacteria known as Clostridium botulinum. Eating canned food containing these bacteria can cause a disease called botulism, which can lead to paralysis and even death if left untreated. To avoid this, it is important that you check the condition of the can before buying it, do not buy canned food that is damaged, for example the can is bulging, dented, cracked, or leaking.