Khaberni - Nutrition experts have revealed the importance of the method of consuming food alongside its quality, confirming that some dietary habits may weaken the body's absorption of essential nutrients, even when adhering to a healthy diet.
The experts clarified that the absorption of vitamins and minerals depends not only on the quality of the food but is also affected by how foods and beverages are combined. Some dietary combinations can enhance the nutritional value of meals, while others may hinder the body's benefit from them.
They pointed out that consuming coffee or tea with breakfast is one of the most common habits, but it may reduce iron absorption due to their content of compounds that bind with it in the digestive system, making absorption difficult, especially for vegetarians.
The experts explained that the solution lies in separating the timing of consuming caffeine-rich beverages and eating food, preferring to drink them an hour before the meal or after a suitable period to minimize their negative impact.
They also warned against combining leafy vegetables, such as spinach and chard, with calcium-rich foods like cheese, due to their content of oxalates that hinder calcium absorption, indicating that steaming these vegetables reduces the impact of these compounds.
On the other hand, the experts emphasized that there are food combinations that enhance the benefit from useful elements, among the most prominent of which is combining spinach or lentils and lemon, as vitamin C helps improve the absorption of non-heme iron found in these foods.
They also recommended adding healthy fats, such as olive oil and avocado, to vegetables and salads, due to their important role in enhancing the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins, such as vitamins A, D, E, and K.
The experts concluded their recommendations by affirming that awareness of the way food is consumed is just as important as choosing its ingredients, emphasizing that following correct dietary habits contributes to maximizing nutritional benefit and maintaining long-term health of the body.
