The raw vegetable movement has gained momentum in recent decades as people look for dietary approaches for health and weight control. Raw proponents will tell you that eating veggies raw is healthier, but that’s not always the case. It depends on the veggie.
Eating vegetables is an essential part of a balanced diet, as they are packed with essential vitamins and minerals that are important for living a healthy and fulfilling life. Therefore, it is important to know the best preparation method for the vegetables you are consuming to maximize the nutrition you get from eating them.
For example, cooking helps soften the fiber in fruits and vegetables and makes them easier to digest. This means that cooking vegetables can increase their nutritional value. So, what vegetables should you consider cooking instead of eating raw? Let’s look at a few that you should enjoy cooked.
Carrots
Carrots are bursting with beta-carotene, an antioxidant your body converts to vitamin A. Why is this a perk? You need vitamin A for healthy vision and immune function. Research shows you can best absorb beta-carotene from carrots if you cook them.
Why is cooking of benefit? It breaks down the cell walls of this veggie and makes beta-carotene more bioavailable, and the heat makes them more digestible. You can boil, roast, or steam carrots to unlock the nutritional benefits this veggie has to offer.
Also, enjoy carrots with a source of fat to maximize beta-carotene absorption. How about sauteing a plate of carrots in olive oil, a source of heart-healthy, monounsaturated fats? Not only is olive oil a source of heart-healthy, monounsaturated fats, but it also adds a delicious flavor to the carrots and makes them even more enjoyable.
Tomatoes
One reason to cook tomatoes is to boost lycopene, a powerful antioxidant. Lycopene is in tomatoes and other fruits and vegetables, such as watermelon, pink grapefruit, and papaya. Lycopene is an antioxidant with anti-inflammatory activity, and studies suggest it may benefit heart health.
Some studies show that men whose diets are high in cooked tomatoes have a lower risk of prostate cancer than those who eat fewer cooked tomatoes or have less lycopene in their blood. Cooking tomatoes helps break down the cell walls, which increases the absorption of lycopene, making it easier for your body to absorb and utilize the antioxidant.
Research shows cooking tomatoes boosts up to three times the amount of lycopene compared to raw tomatoes. To get the most lycopene from tomatoes, cook them or consume processed tomatoes, such as tomato sauce. However, cooking tomatoes decreases their vitamin C content by 10-29% compared to raw, uncooked tomatoes. So, there are pros and cons of cooking versus eating tomatoes raw.
Mushrooms
Mushrooms are a good source of vitamin D, potassium, and fiber. They also contain high quantities of antioxidants. One antioxidant in mushrooms, beta-glucan, helps lower cholesterol and control blood sugar levels while boosting immunity.
You’ll get the most potassium from mushrooms if you cook them. Cooking makes the potassium in mushrooms more available to your body. Potassium is important for heart health and blood pressure control. Try sauteing mushrooms with garlic and herbs to maximize their health benefits.
More perks: Mushrooms are low in calories and carbs, high in fiber, and contain plant-based protein. In addition, they’re rich in antioxidants that fight free radicals and oxidative stress that damages cells. But it doesn’t end there! Mushrooms are packed with B vitamins, including riboflavin, niacin, and pantothenic acid, which provide energy to cells and help the body metabolize proteins and fats. They are also a great source of minerals, such as selenium, potassium, copper, and zinc.
Cooking mushrooms also reduces the amount of a toxin called agaritine. Agaritine is a naturally occurring compound found in some species of mushrooms, and research suggests it could have carcinogenic properties. While it’s unclear how much risk agaritine presents, it’s still a good idea to cook your mushrooms before eating them. This is because the heat of cooking can break down the agaritine and make it less harmful.
Asparagus
Raw asparagus has a flavor and texture that can be tough on the taste buds, and cooking it softens it up. But there’s another reason to eat asparagus cooked rather than raw. Cooking boosts its nutritional value.
A study published in the Journal of Food Science and Technology found that cooking enhanced the nutrients available from asparagus by up to 16 percent. Asparagus is an excellent source of vitamins A, C, and K, as well as vitamin B6, folate, and potassium. Those nutritious stalks also contain antioxidants that help protect your cells from damage caused by free radicals.
Spinach
Spinach is a source of vitamins A and K, potassium, magnesium, calcium, and iron. Plus, it’s packed with antioxidants like lutein and zeaxanthin. But there are some downsides. It also contains oxalates that bind with nutrients in the digestive tract before they make their way into your bloodstream. Unfortunately, the oxalates in spinach can reduce the amount of calcium and iron you absorb from food.
The good news? Cooking spinach in water reduces oxalates by up to 40%, meaning you’ll absorb more minerals from cooked spinach than raw. Plus, oxalates increase the risk of kidney stones in people susceptible to them. If you have a history of kidney stones, kale is a better choice, since it’s lower in oxalates.
Conclusion
So, there you have it. Vegetables are healthy, and you can enjoy them in a variety of ways — cooked or raw, alone or combined with other ingredients. When you cook vegetables, you lose some of their vitamin C, but cooking the five vegetables above will maximize the bioavailability of other nutrients. Whether you eat them raw or cooked, add more veggies to your diet. There are many health benefits to doing so.
References:
- Shi J, Naughton LM, Kakuda Y, Jiang Y. Bioavailability of Lycopene from Tomato Products. ResearchGate. Published 2004. Accessed October 12, 2022. .researchgate.net/publication/263440511_Bioavailability_of_Lycopene_from_Tomato_Products
- Livny O, Reifen R, Levy I, Madar Z, Faulks R, Southon S, Schwartz B. Beta-carotene bioavailability from differently processed carrot meals in human ileostomy volunteers. Eur J Nutr. 2003 Dec;42(6):338-45. doi: 10.1007/s00394-003-0430-6. PMID: 14673607.
- ”Calcium Oxalate Stones – National Kidney Foundation.” .kidney.org/atoz/content/calcium-oxalate-stone.
- Fanasca S, Rouphael Y, Venneria E, Azzini E, Durazzo A, Maiani G. Antioxidant properties of raw and cooked spears of green asparagus cultivars. International Journal of Food Science & Technology. 2009;44(5):1017-1023. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2621.2008.01871.x
- Cooking Tomatoes Boosts Disease-Fighting Power. ScienceDaily. Accessed January 29, 2023. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2002/04/020422073341.htm
- Hashida C, Hayashi K, Jie L, Haga S, Sakurai M, Shimizu H. [Quantities of agaritine in mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus) and the carcinogenicity of mushroom methanol extracts on the mouse bladder epithelium]. Nihon Koshu Eisei Zasshi. 1990 Jun;37(6):400-5. Japanese. PMID: 2132000.
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