Thursday, August 6, 2009

Does freezing raw fruits and berries kill their enzymes?


Question: Could you please tell me if freezing raw berries and fruits kills the enzymes in the same manner that heat does? Thank you very much.
 
Answer: No, freezing raw berries, fruits and vegetables does not kill the enzymes contained in these foods like heat does. A vast majority of the enzymes stay intact. According to Ron Radstrom of Health Freedom Resources, only "some of them are destroyed (20 to 30%) but not the same amount as cooking. The quicker you freeze them the better and thawing them out gently is easier on the cell walls."

Fresh raw berries, fruits and vegetables are the best choice in obtaining essential nutrients and enzymes. The next best is frozen, especially if they are frozen immediately after they are picked.

Frozen fruits, berries and vegetables are often more nutritious than produce that has been shipped a long distance. In order to transport well, fresh produce needs to be picked before they fully ripen to minimize bruising. Plus, with the time involved transporting produce cross-country, what you think are fresh fruits, berries and vegetables may actually be 1-2 weeks old, if not more. This causes them to lose much of their nutrients.

On the other hand, frozen produce is usually frozen right after it has been picked, thus preserving many of their nutrients and enzymes. To ensure that your berries, fruits and vegetables are of the highest quality, try to buy locally grown fresh produce whenever possible.

For more information about holistic health, natural nutrition, raw foods and herbs, visit the Health Freedom Resources website at
http://www.healthfree.com or contact Ron by e-mail at healthfree@healthfree.com.

For more information about the raw food diet, go to
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raw_foodist and about enzymes, go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enzymes
 
Copyright © by Monique N. Gilbert.
All rights reserved.

Permission must be obtained to use information from this blog.


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Monique N. Gilbert, BSc. has offered guidance in health, nutrition, fitness and stress management since 1989. Through her writings, Monique motivates and teaches how to improve your well-being, vitality and longevity with balanced nutrition, physical activity and healthy stress-free living.
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Copyright © 2000-2011 by Monique N. Gilbert.
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Permission must be obtained to use information from this blog.

This blog is only intended to offer health information to help you understand the benefits of a healthy diet and lifestyle. It is not intended to diagnose, dispense medical advise or prescribe the use of diet as a form of treatment for illness without medical approval. In the event you use this information without a health practitioner's approval, you are prescribing for yourself, which is your right. However, the publisher and author assume no responsibility.

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