Does cooking destroy the cancer-fighting compounds in vegetables?

Cooking Food - Questions and Answers ABOUT FOODS AND CANCER PREVENTION AND SURVIVAL

QUESTION: Does cooking destroy the cancer-fighting compounds in vegetables?

ANSWER: For the most part, no. In a 2004 medical research review evaluating
the effect of raw and cooked vegetables on cancer risk, both raw and
cooked vegetables were related to reduced cancer risk.

Water-soluble nutrients, such as vitamin C and B vitamins, do tend to
seep out of foods during boiling or steaming. However, if you reuse the
cooking liquid in soups or to cook grains, you will get all the nutrients that
have seeped out of the vegetables.

On the other hand, some antioxidants are actually released or activated
by cooking, including the lycopene in tomatoes and the beta-carotene
in carrots and sweet potatoes. Researchers have found that you can multiply
the antioxidant power of carrots by cooking and puréeing them before
eating. It turns out that cooking and puréeing releases cancer-fighting compounds
from the carrot cells. To reap the full cancer-fighting benefits from
the carrots you prepare, wash them thoroughly but avoid peeling them, as
the skins are rich with cancer-fighting compounds.11

QUESTION: What is the safest cookware?

ANSWER: Various types of cookware have pros and cons. It is important that
all cookware be replaced when dented or worn. If you see any chipping,
throw it out.
■ Stainless steel. Stainless steel is really a mixture of several different
metals, including nickel, chromium, and molybdenum, all of which
can leach into foods if your cookware is nicked or damaged. However
if you take care of your pots and pans, this is probably one of the
safest choices for cookware.
■ Cast iron. Cast iron can help ensure that you are getting enough iron,
as it is transferred from the cookware into food in small amounts. In
large quantities, however, iron becomes a pro-oxidant, causing stress
and oxidation in the body that can lead to disease. Most cast-iron pans
need to be seasoned with oil after use.
■ Teflon. It is important not to leave Teflon cookware on a burner or in
a hot oven without liquid; this will release a chemical toxin called perfluorooctanoic
acid (PFOA). Studies show that this chemical can be
released when Teflon cookware is heated to as low as 464 degrees F.12,13
■ Aluminum. Aluminum contact should be limited or avoided as much
as possible, because of its possible link with Alzheimer’s disease and
its potential of having estrogen-like effects in the body. Anodized aluminum
cookware is a safer alternative.14