Vegan Nutrition with Dina Aronson, M.S. R.D.

Dina Aronson, MS, RD is a vegan dietitian whose specialties include chronic disease prevention, vegetarian/vegan nutrition, and lifestyle management. She is the founder and director of VeganRD.com, a nutrition consulting company. Active in many vegetarian nutrition organizations, Dina was the recipient of the American Dietetic Association's Recognized Young Dietitian of the Year Award in 2002.

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I blend my fruit, water it down and bottle it up to drink during the day. Is it true that the vitamins will degrade during the course of the day?

Not enough to make a significant difference. Long-term exposure (meaning, several days to weeks) to light, air, and heat is what deactivates nutrients in food. This is why, you may have heard, that sometimes frozen fruits and vegetables contain higher quantities of nutrients than their fresh counterparts. Frozen produce is often packaged and frozen soon after harvesting, while those fruits and vegetables at the store were harvested, transported via air, sea, or ground, sorted, and placed on the shelf over many days or even weeks. So, make your fruit concoction in the morning, and feel confident knowing that it's still good for you in the evening! However, I would keep your beverage sealed and refrigerated if possible, because bacteria can start spoiling fresh fruit pretty quickly, given the right environment of temperature and oxygen.

Disclaimer: The advice given here is for eductional purposes only. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat a health problem or disease without consulting with a qualified health care provider.

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