As the days pass, vegetable and fruit juices and smoothies are more in demand. These are easy to make and sweet. This has led to a greater demand for personal juicers and blenders.
Juicing is often referred to as having a positive effect on nutrition and fibre. Does this also apply to blending? Although some juicing machines can instantly break down nutrients and remove fibre, this is more due to the extraction process and the loss of cellular structure.
Blenders are different. Blending food in a blender can cause some nutritional loss. The loss isn’t as severe if you still eat the whole food. Continue reading to learn more about how nutrients and fibre are broken down in blenders. Is blending harmful to nutrients and fibre? Both yes and no.
What are nutrients?
It is important to understand what nutrients are. What do nutrients do? Nutrients are substances in food that aid the body in growing, reproducing and thriving. Many nutrients are beneficial for the body. Although the body can create some nutrients, many others are in small quantities and must be supplemented with food.
You can boost your health by eating the right foods. It is strongly recommended that nutrients come from the foods you eat. These nutrients, however, are essential for good health and growth.
There are two types of nutrients. These are the macronutrients as well as the micronutrients.
Macronutrients
Macronutrients are essential for a healthy diet. They provide the energy you require. These nutrients include fats, carbohydrates, proteins, and water.
Micronutrients
The body requires these nutrients in small amounts. These nutrients include vitamins and minerals found in foods.
Can Blending Destroy Fibre?
This is a common question about blending. There are many myths about it. Blending can strip a vegetable or fruit of all its nutrients and fibre. Doctors recommend that people eat fresh fruits and not juice.
This is false. Blending does not remove all nutrients and fibre from your ingredients. While some nutrients and fibre may be lost in a blender, it is not usually a significant loss.
Oxidation causes food to lose its nutrients. Blending anything can cause immediate oxygen exposure. However, this causes nutrients to decrease and spoilage to start. But if you drink your smoothie right away, you will still be able to get plenty of vitamins. However, the strength of the nutrients will decrease the longer the blended concoction is left in the refrigerator.
Because fruits and vegetables’ insoluble and insoluble fibres work together to slow down sugar release and digestion, mixing fruit or vegetables means pre-masticating and not destroying insoluble fibre.
Insoluble fibre is broken down faster, which results in a quicker release of glucose to the liver and a rise in blood sugar. However, this loss of optimal fibre is not very harmful. A glass of vegetables and fruits can still be healthy, as they contain many nutrients.
But whole fruits and vegetables are better than smoothies or juices. A smoothie every once in a while can be good. You still get lots of nutrients when you put your vegetable or fruit in the blender. Don’t panic. Just get a blender and make that smoothie!
Can a Smoothie Lose Nutrients?
Smoothies are always more fibre-rich than juiced fruits. Fruit juice is made from the liquid portion of the fruit, but the pulp contains more fibre. Smoothies preserve the fibre by using every part of the fruit.
One effect of blending is reducing the fibres’ size and shape. This changes the way our bodies absorb them. This is dependent on the fibre.
Healthy fibre can still be found in blended fruits. Even if the blend is short, you won’t lose any fibre if you chew them.
Blending fruits and veggies in smoothies changes how our bodies react to them. Blending wheat bran can cause the fibre to lose its ability to absorb water.
Blending other fibres like oat bran can increase its water-holding abilities. The blended product would be more fibre-rich.
You can affect the fruit’s fibre content if you over-mix and heat it.
Blending fruits with higher fibre has one major drawback: it makes smoothies foamier.
How to Reduce Nutrient Loss in Blending?
Blending your smoothies and juices can be more delicious if you take extra precautions. These tips and tricks will help you.
- Blend in the shortest time possible.
Limiting how long you blend can save as many nutrients as possible. It is best to blend for 60 seconds. Although most blenders take longer to make smoothies than others, there are powerful blenders that can make them in as little as 30 seconds.
- Drink Your Juice/Smoothie Right Away
Drink the product as soon as possible to limit the loss of nutrients caused by oxidation. You can store it in an area protected from heat, oxygen, light, or both. The best solution is a fridge. It is important to note that the longer you wait before drinking the smoothie/juice, the more nutrients can be lost.
- Be Careful While Washing the Ingredients
Don’t soak peeled or chopped fruits in the water if you plan to blend the soaking liquid. Vitamins C, B and D are insoluble and can be leached from the fruit if immersed in water. The fruit’s nutritional value will be reduced if you add water.
Are blended drinks good for health?
Is it possible to lose fibre by mixing fruit? Does fruit blending result in the loss of nutrients? This is false. Pureed vegetables and fruits have high nutritional content and complete minerals. You must include more fruits and vegetables in your smoothies.
Smoothies may not be as healthy as whole-food counterparts, but this is despite the fact they are often more nutritious than their whole-food counterparts. Smoothies can be consumed faster than whole vegetables and fruits. The speed at which the ingredients are consumed and the activities involved in blending can affect satisfaction.
Fruit must be included in every meal to prevent consuming too much smoothie.
Does mixing destroy probiotics?
Probiotics refer to the live bacteria or yeasts found in foods such as yoghurt. They are good for your digestive system. These beneficial bacteria can be destroyed by blending.
It happens sometimes. You won’t usually kill probiotics if you blend normally and at room temperature. You can reduce the likelihood of probiotics being killed by adding yoghurt to your blender at the last part of the process.
Enzymatic and aggressive mechanical disruptions are required to destroy food-based probiotics. These feats are beyond the reach of your blender, so you don’t have to be concerned!
How Long Do Nutrients Last After Blending?
It all depends on the ingredients and how you store them. You can keep your smoothie in the fridge for up to two hours if you don’t intend to eat it within the first few minutes of mixing it.
Experts claim that a smoothie can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours without causing nutrient loss. We recommend you drink your smoothie within a few hours to reap the full benefits of all the fruits and vegetables.
Blending works differently!
Blending the whole fruit is what you do. Even though you may lose some nutrients and fibre, this is nothing compared with juicers. The juicers allow you to eat all the vegetables or fruit still differently. This means that you will still get the same nutrients and fibre as if it were whole.
Blending is a better version of chewing.
When we eat food, chewing releases all of the nutrients and fibre. Many people are unable to chew properly and lose a lot of nutrients. Blending will give these people more nutrients and fibre than eating whole food. Blending replaces chewing and allows the body to digest food more efficiently.
Blending Enhances Nutrition
The body gets nutrients and fibre that are otherwise lost through mixing. This is especially true for vegetables such as kale, which can be difficult to digest. These vegetables are often too difficult to digest for the stomach to absorb nutrients.
The vegetables are broken down by blenders, which removes the need for the stomach to do all the work. The body can quickly process the food, including its nutritional value, once consumed. Blended kale juice has more nutritional value than consuming kale.
Conclusion
Blending does not cause loss of nutrients or fibre. Other factors, such as heat and oxidation, can also affect the nutritional content of your smoothie.
You can still enjoy delicious smoothies if you follow these simple steps: don’t over-mix or heat your smoothies; drink them shortly after they are blended.
Juicing, on the other hand, can reduce fibre significantly. While both are great ways of getting more fruits and vegetables into your diet, blending your plants in smoothies is the best way for healthy soluble and insoluble fibre.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does blending fruit destroy insoluble fibre?
Although fruit can be blended, it may not cause the fibre to disappear but reduce its ability to aid healthy digestion. Blending fruit also includes the pulp of the fruit. The smoothie will contain some insoluble fibre. Some fibres absorb water better when mixed than others.
Are blended fruits high in fibre?
Blended fruits contain almost the same amount of fibre as solid fruits. Smoothies kept for more than one day may lose their nutritional value. However, smoothies that are consumed fresh will retain their nutrients.
Is it better to eat whole fruit or in a smoothie?
Blending fruits can cause a loss of nutrients and fibre; eating them whole is better than in a smoothie. The health benefits of eating whole fruit over smoothies are negligible. You’ll still get vitamins A, C and D, phytochemicals and folate.
