Should you eat raw or cooked vegetables? Raw food junkies enthusiastically recommend raw vegetables. Why? They’re convinced that exposing vegetables to heat destroys many of their nutritional benefits and makes them less nutritious. They believe naturally nutrient-packed veggies are best enjoyed straight from mother earth at room temperature – after a thorough washing, of course.
It’s true that preparing vegetables in copious amounts of hot water or cooking them to high temperatures causes nutrient and vitamin loss, but, surprisingly, some vegetables are more nutritious cooked than they are raw. Here are two popular salad veggies you shouldn’t eat without cooking them if you want to get the most health benefits from them.
A Common Red Vegetable You Shouldn’t Eat Raw
Raw tomatoes are good on a salad, and there’s good reason to eat them in their raw state if you want more vitamin C. That’s because tomatoes lose some of their vitamin C when they’re exposed to heat. On the other hand, processing, cooking, mashing or processing tomatoes actually increases their antioxidant power. Cooked tomatoes are a good source of carotenoid compounds called lycopenes. These strong antioxidants play a role in reducing the risk of heart disease and some forms of cancer.
It’s the lycopenes in tomatoes that gives them their brilliant crimson shade that adds an enticing touch of color to a salad. Unfortunately, you’ll lose out on some of these heart-healthy lycopenes if you eat raw sliced tomatoes. Try eating tomato sauce, stewed tomatoes or ketchup to get more lycopenes out of the tomatoes you eat.
Why Eating Raw Carrots May Not Maximize Their Benefits
Carrots are a top-notch source of beta-carotene, a compound the body turns into vitamin A – an antioxidant vitamin that’s important for healthy skin and good night vision. Only about half of the beta-carotene in carrots is effectively converted to vitamin A once it is absorbed. On the other hand, the remaining unconverted beta-carotene still has positive health benefits – by acting as natural antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds.
Some people enjoy eating raw carrots, but they may not be getting the full antioxidant and anti-inflammatory power of carrots when they munch on them straight out of the bag. This is because carrots have a tough outer cell wall made of cellulose that locks in the beta-carotene and makes it more difficult for the body to absorb them. Cooking carrots helps to dissolve some of this tough cellulose, so the body can better use the beta-carotene that makes carrots such a healthy snack.
Research shows the body can absorb only a small percentage of the beta-carotene in raw carrots. Fortunately, when you cook them, absorption increases significantly. But, it’s important to prepare them properly. To prepare carrots and still get the most health benefits, cook them before chopping them into bite-size pieces. Current research shows that cooking before taking a knife to them preserves more of their natural nutrients.
Is It Smart to Eat Raw Vegetables: The Bottom Line?
Raw vegetables have advantages, but cooked vegetables have health benefits too. The key is to cook them in a way that preserves the vitamins and nutrients they naturally contain. When making a healthy bowl of veggies, heat them with as little water as possible – and only for brief periods of time. This ensures that most of the vitamins and antioxidants don’t leech into the cooking water. To make use of any vitamins and nutrients that do make their way into the water during the cooking process, save it and use it to prepare healthy soups and stews in the future.
So, should you eat raw or cooked vegetables? Hedge your bets by getting both – but don’t forget to enjoy at least five servings of vegetables a day. Do it for your health.
References:
BBC News website. "Cooking Vegetables 'Improves Benefits" (accessed December 26, 2010).
Science Daily. "Cooking Tomatoes Boosts Disease-Fighting Power" (accessed December 26, 2010).
Kristie Leong - I'm a family physician interested in all aspects of traditional and alternative medicine, especially the use of nutrition to prevent ...
