Although cooking fruits and vegetables destroys some essential nutrients like vitamin C, food scientists have now shown that it can boost levels of other beneficial compounds - in sweet corn, at least.

A team from Cornell University has shown that cooking sweet corn unleashes substantial levels of antioxidants that can reduce the chance of heart disease and cancer.

The researchers - Rui Hai Liu, Veronica Dewanto and Xianzhong Wu - cooked sweet corn in batches at 115 °C for 10, 25 and 50 minutes. They found that levels of antioxidants in the sweet corn increased by 22, 44 and 53 per cent, respectively.

Antioxidants are able to quench free radicals, which cause damage to the body from oxidation, increasing the risk of cancer and heart disease. Free radicals also have been linked to ageing-related diseases like cataracts and Alzheimer's.