For example, participants in the raw food diet group consumed<\/i> more beta-carotene per day than any other group. But participants in the wholesome nutrition diet group absorbed<\/a> the most of this critical antioxidant<\/b>.<\/p>\n When you cook your veggies, you lose some nutrients. But others become more available for your body to use<\/b>.<\/p>\n In addition to apparently supplying you with more absorbable beta-carotene<\/b>, as mentioned in the study above, cooked veggies give your body more of certain other antioxidants, such as lutein<\/b> (which is good for your eyes) and lycopene<\/b> (which helps protect your heart and your bones).<\/p>\n Cooked vegetables can also give you more minerals<\/b>. Heating releases<\/a> bound calcium<\/b>, making more of the mineral available for the body to absorb. And the difference can be significant. Cooked spinach has 245 mg\/cup of calcium, while raw spinach only has 30 mg\/cup!<\/p>\n Cooking can have other benefits too. A 2009 study published<\/a> by the Cold Spring Harbor Symposia on Quantitative Biology<\/i> journal and conducted by Harvard University showed that cooking:<\/p>\n Plus, some evidence suggests<\/a> that cooked foods contributed to the evolution of the human brain<\/b> because it \u201cgreatly increases the caloric yield of the diet, as a result of the greater ease of chewing, digestion, and absorption of foods.\u201d<\/p>\n With many vegetables, the best way to prepare them is the way that gets you to eat them. If cooking them means you\u2019ll eat more, that could be a very good thing.<\/p>\n Sometimes, adding heat makes veggies better for you in some ways. Here are nine vegetables that might be better for you when cooked:<\/p>\n This dark green leafy vegetable shrinks up when cooked, which makes it easier to eat more. And more spinach equals more nutrients! Spinach contains oxalic acid, which can hurt your body\u2019s absorption of calcium and iron. But steaming spinach has been shown<\/a> to cut the oxalic acid by five to 53%. Steaming also allows the spinach to retain<\/a> its folate content, a B-vitamin that helps your body produce DNA.<\/p>\n A 2009 study published<\/a> in the International Journal of Food Science & Technology<\/i> found that cooking asparagus increased its antioxidant and cancer-fighting activity (including phenols, quercetin, rutin, beta-carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin) by 16 to 25%. And a 2009 study published<\/a> in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences<\/i> found that cooking asparagus increased the level of two types of phenolic acid, which has been linked to lower cancer rates.<\/p>\n Lycopene (found in many red and pink pigmented foods) is an antioxidant and an anti-inflammatory<\/a>, and has been linked to lower levels of cancer and heart attacks. A 2002 study published<\/a> in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry<\/i> found that cooking actually boosted the amount of lycopene in tomatoes. Also, lycopene is a fat-soluble antioxidant, which means it\u2019s better absorbed<\/a> by your body when consumed with some healthy form of fat.<\/p>\n Mushrooms<\/a> retain more antioxidants when cooked. A 2006 study published<\/a> in the journal Food Chemistry<\/i> found that using heat significantly enhanced the overall antioxidant activities of Shiitake mushrooms. Additionally, some types of raw mushrooms contain<\/a> a potentially carcinogenic substance called agaritine. Joel Fuhrman, MD, says cooking mushrooms for even a few minutes gets rid of most of the mild toxins they contain.<\/p>\n In general, raw potatoes contain a lot of resistant starch, which can cause gas and bloating. Raw potatoes also have anti-nutrients<\/a> (which can interfere with the absorption of key vitamins and minerals) that decrease during cooking.<\/p>\n A 2009 study published<\/a> in the Journal of Food Science<\/i> found two vegetables that actually become healthier with cooking \u2014 carrots and celery. Green beans did, too, except when they were boiled or pressure cooked. Cooking and pureeing carrots (with the skins on) can multiply their antioxidant power threefold<\/b>! Roasting<\/a> can also boost nutrients.<\/p>\n Most legumes can\u2019t be eaten raw<\/i>, though some can be sprouted as an alternative to cooking. Some beans (red kidney beans in particular) contain<\/a> a specific lectin that can cause gastrointestinal issues; however, cooking deactivates this compound. Nutritionally, a 2013 study published<\/a> in the journal Food Chemistry<\/i> found that both sprouting and cooking<\/a> beans improved some of their health benefits including their neuroprotective and anticancer effects.<\/p>\n Frying creates free radicals and carcinogens<\/a>, which do major damage to your cells.<\/p>\n Fried foods<\/b> also often contain trans fats, which are unsaturated fats that have been hydrogenated and are linked to<\/a> cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and obesity.<\/p>\n And when it comes to preserving the antioxidants in your vegetables, steaming is better than boiling<\/b>.<\/p>\n Why? Because when you boil foods, some of the nutrients get lost in the water. In fact, in a 2009 study<\/a>, 14% of antioxidants were lost on average across 20 vegetables when boiled.<\/p>\n With that said, eating more of the boiled vegetables can make up for the loss. Also, keeping the water and using it to cook grains<\/i> means you can still absorb those good-for-you compounds!<\/p>\n Eating the phytonutrients found in plant foods has been associated with reduced risks of certain chronic diseases, such as heart disease and stroke<\/a>, cancer<\/a>, and age-related eye disease.<\/p>\n But many of these beneficial compounds can be destroyed by heating <\/i>and many types of food processing.<\/p>\n In addition, water-soluble vitamins, such as vitamin C and B vitamins, leach out during the cooking process<\/b>. According to a 2007 review published<\/a> in the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture<\/i>, you lose as much as 55% of the vitamin C in vegetables during cooking,<\/b> compared to eating them raw.<\/p>\n Eating raw vegetables may also help boost mental health and relieve symptoms of depression. A 2018 study published<\/a> in the journal Frontiers in Psychology<\/i> found that people who consumed more produce in its natural, uncooked state reported higher levels of psychological well-being compared to those who ate mostly cooked alternatives<\/b>.<\/p>\n For those who are watching their weight, eating raw produce can be beneficial<\/b> because it requires more chewing \u2014 thus slowing down the eating process.<\/p>\n Advocates for raw or mostly raw diets often point out that raw plant foods carry natural enzymes. These enzymes have digestive and other health benefits which are destroyed when heated. And from a certain perspective, they\u2019re correct.<\/p>\n Heating does<\/a> destroy enzymes. But we make<\/a> our own digestive enzymes<\/b>, and healthy people have no trouble synthesizing the enzymes they need for digestion. In addition, most plant enzymes get destroyed<\/a> in the human gut, anyway.<\/p>\n So while there may be some digestive benefit from eating the enzymes that come with raw fruits and vegetables, there\u2019s little evidence<\/a> to support the notion that this is a major reason to eat raw foods<\/b>. There are, of course, other good reasons to include plenty of raw foods in your diet.<\/p>\n The best way to ensure you have plenty of enzymes to support your digestion is by nurturing your overall digestive health. (For help improving your gut health, read this article<\/a>.)<\/p>\n These are some of the foods that have bigger benefits for you (at least for some nutrients) when you eat them raw. Of course, they are wonderful cooked, too.<\/p>\n Can too much kale be a bad thing? Sometimes it can.<\/p>\n Eating too many raw crucifers can lead to hypothyroidism, a condition in which the thyroid gland doesn\u2019t make enough of the thyroid hormones.<\/p>\n How much is too much? According to 1993 study published<\/a> in the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture<\/i>, 10 cups of raw kale a day on a regular basis<\/b> is probably the limit.<\/p>\n Plus, the amount varies for different types of cruciferous veggies.<\/p>\n Dr. Michael Greger says<\/a>, \u201cYou could probably get away with, theoretically, 50 cups of raw cauliflower a day. But just three cups of raw mustard greens a day.\u201d Another study found<\/a> that a woman eating 15 cups of raw bok choy daily for several weeks went into a hypothyroid coma<\/b>.<\/p>\n But reasonable amounts of raw cruciferous vegetables should be fine<\/i>. And the goitrogenic properties of kale and other cruciferous veggies dissipate when you cook them. So a better approach is to switch up your greens, eat some raw and some cooked, and to consume a wide variety of colorful vegetables<\/a>.<\/p>\n If you want to cook broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables<\/a>, including Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, radish, rutabaga, turnip greens, and arugula, here are<\/b> three science-backed steps you can take to maximize their health benefits<\/b>:<\/p>\n And here\u2019s how to get the most benefit from cooked garlic<\/b>:<\/p>\n A raw food diet typically contains 70% (or sometimes 100%) of food that hasn\u2019t been cooked or processed. To be considered raw, food can\u2019t reach above 104 degrees Fahrenheit (40 degrees Celsius) when heated. Instead, people eating a raw food diet consume a lot of fresh, dehydrated, and fermented foods.<\/p>\n Thousands of anecdotal reports exist of people using raw diets to cure conditions, such as acne, autoimmune disorders, candida, cancer, IBS, and numerous other ailments. However, few scientific studies exist to support these claims.<\/p>\n Here are a couple of studies that have<\/i> shown positive results:<\/p>\n While raw food diets have been found to give remarkable results in the short-term, they are difficult to follow. Raw diets are also typically time-intensive \u2014 and they don\u2019t seem to support long-term health<\/b>.<\/p>\n Chris Wark used a raw food diet<\/a> (including his cancer-fighting salad<\/a> and his anti-cancer smoothie<\/a>), along with lifestyle changes, to beat cancer. But he says, \u201cRaw food can be healing, but it\u2019s not sustainable long-term<\/i>.\u201d<\/p>\n Dr. Michael Greger says<\/a> the reason switching to a raw food diet can improve health is because it\u2019s an extremely healthy diet.<\/p>\n He says, \u201cOne of the benefits that raw diets have over vegan diets is [they] cut out all the crap.\u201d (Like vegan marshmallows and donuts.)<\/p>\n Researchers have also found<\/a> that long-term adherence to a raw diet can lead to a high loss of body weight<\/b>, which can cause health issues from being underweight, including amenorrhea in women \u2014 a condition in which menstruation ceases.<\/p>\n And a 2005 study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine<\/i> associated a 100% raw, plant-based diet with a lower bone mass \u2014 which is usually a sign of osteoporosis and increased fracture risk<\/b>.<\/p>\n If you want to try a raw diet, you want to take steps to be sure you get the nutrients you need<\/i>.<\/p>\n Brenda Davis, RD, and Vesanto Melina, MS, RD, wrote what could be the definitive book on how to eat a raw (or mostly raw) diet and meet your needs for vital nutrients. It\u2019s called Becoming Raw: The Essential Guide to Raw Vegan Diets<\/i><\/a>.<\/p>\n It\u2019s important to note<\/b>, however, that neither Brenda nor Vesanto practice or broadly recommend a purely raw diet on a long-term basis.<\/p>\n The consensus among most nutrition experts is that you need both raw and cooked veggies to get the most vitamins and minerals.<\/p>\n While some might be better cooked and some might be better raw, the bottom line is this: More fruits and vegetables is better, period<\/i>.<\/p>\n \u201cWe should be eating a lot of raw foods each day, but to think that a diet that is 100% raw is better than one that has some steamed vegetables or soup in it is just a distortion of the science<\/b>; it\u2019s not accurate,\u201d says<\/a> Dr. Joel Fuhrman.<\/p>\n He recommends starting both lunch and dinner with a large raw salad or some raw vegetables. And then, he may eat<\/a> a cooked vegetable-based meal.<\/p>\n It\u2019s well established that people who eat more vegetables and fruits are less likely to suffer from chronic diseases.<\/p>\n When it comes to consuming more healthy, colorful fruits and vegetables, it\u2019s best to eat them the way you prefer.<\/p>\nRaw vs Cooked: Some of the Benefits of Cooked Vegetables<\/h2>\n
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9 Foods That May Be More Nutritious When Cooked<\/h2>\n
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Spinach<\/b><\/h3>\n
Asparagus<\/b><\/h3>\n
Tomatoes<\/b><\/h3>\n
Mushrooms<\/b><\/h3>\n
Potatoes<\/b><\/h3>\n
Carrots, Celery, and Green Beans<\/b><\/h3>\n
Legumes<\/b><\/h3>\n
Which Cooking Methods Should You Avoid?<\/h2>\n
Raw vs Cooked: Reasons to Eat Raw Vegetables<\/h2>\n
What About the Enzymes in Raw Food?<\/h2>\n
4 Foods You May Want to Eat Raw, At Least Sometimes<\/h2>\n
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Why Too Many Raw Crucifers Can Harm Your Health<\/h3>\n
How to Get the Most Benefits from Cooked Cruciferous Vegetables and Garlic<\/h3>\n
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Can A Raw Food Diet Be Beneficial for Health?<\/h2>\n
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Why Raw Food Diets May Not Be Beneficial Long-Term<\/h2>\n
A Must-Have Resource If You Want to Try A Raw Diet<\/h2>\n
Raw + Cooked = The Winning Combo for Your Health<\/h2>\n
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Eat Your Veggies the Way You Want and Listen to Your Body<\/h2>\n
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