Is It Healthy To Eat The Liquid In Canned Food?

Can you eat the liquid in canned food? Preservation using cans is an effective strategy that allows people to enjoy certain foods throughout the year that can usually only be enjoyed one particular season. In this way, one ensures their nutritional quality and proper food hygiene.

On the other hand, it allows to store a warehouse at home and avoid decay of certain products. But what about the liquid in canned food? Is it healthy?

Sometimes, the liquid contains a good amount of useful micronutrients. Other times, however, it consists of additives or a lot of sodium, which it is best to avoid. In this article, we will tell you in what situations one should ingest this liquid.

Canned fish

With regard to this type of food,  the liquid that manufacturers typically use to guarantee good preservation of the products is usually oil. For this reason, and since fat-soluble vitamins are dissolved in this substance, it is advisable to take advantage of the liquid to avoid nutrient loss.

Vitamin D deficiency is endemic in the population. Low values ​​of this substance are associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, according to a scientific article published in 2016.

Fatty fish, such as tuna, which is usually eaten canned, is one of the few foods that provide significant amounts of this vitamin. If you throw the oil out of the can, it can therefore mean a significant decrease in the supplement of this necessary nutrient.

In other cases, the liquid in canned fish consists of salt storage. In this kind of situation, the intake of it may not be as beneficial as it can increase the level of sodium significantly.

High sodium intake is associated with an increased risk of high blood pressure,  according to an article published in the journal,  Nutrients. You must therefore take this into consideration when deciding whether to use the liquid in canned food or not.

The liquid in canned food: Vegetables

Most canned vegetables contain a liquid that consists of water, ascorbic acid and, sometimes, salt. For this reason, the intake of it is practically harmless, unless one has to regulate his daily intake of sodium.

However, it is advisable to look at the food labels to identify possible additives present in the product. If the presence of additives in addition to ascorbic acid is identified, it is recommended to consume this liquid only in moderate amounts.

Despite all that, some people wash canned types of vegetables, such as legumes, before using them in dishes because the liquid changes their taste.

However, it reduces the loss of water-soluble vitamins, such as B vitamins, if one ingests the liquid in canned food when it comes to canned vegetables. This is because they can penetrate this liquid during the preservation and heat treatment process.

Canned vegetables are recommended foods

Although experts prioritize the intake of fresh foods over processed or pre-packaged foods, one  must not forget that canned vegetables are a recommended food. They have almost the same nutritional properties as the fresh variety, and the organoleptic quality is very acceptable.

In addition, they allow you to eat foods that are not in season. They also allow you to have a large enough stock of products for regular intake without having to go to the supermarket too often. In addition, the price is usually very fair.

This you should remember around the liquid in canned food

Experts recommend consuming canned foods as part of a healthy diet. Generally,  one can eat the liquid in canned food as it is harmless.

Still, it is important to analyze the food label. If many additives are detected, in addition to sodium or ascorbic acid, limit your fluid intake.

However, it is unusual and it is common for manufacturers to pack canned food in saline storage and it would only be harmful for patients with high blood pressure.