Is raw food healthier than cooked food?

True, cooking foods usually makes them tastier, but this process also changes their nutritional composition. Some vitamins may be lost while enzymes are deactivated.

Based on this information, some people argue that a raw food diet, called raw food, would be a healthier option for our body.

For them, the most recommended would be to follow a diet that is at least 70% composed of foods that have not undergone any cooking or processing. The preference is for fermented foods, sprouted grains, nuts and seeds, in addition to fruits and vegetables, of course.

However, rather than being somewhat difficult to follow strictly, a crude diet can have some disadvantages for our body. Learn some facts about raw and cooked foods to decide:

Cooking can destroy food enzymes

Does the cooking process disable some enzymes found in foods? In fact, almost all of them are disabled when the temperature exceeds 47 ° C, as this research indicates. However, there is no evidence that food enzymes offer any benefit to our health.

Read also: 26 Delicious Vegan Recipes for Your Daily Menu

Water Soluble Vitamins Are Lost in Cooking

Raw foods can actually be richer in some nutrients compared to cooked foods. This applies especially when we talk about water-soluble vitamins, such as vitamin C and B-complex vitamins, according to this article.

Boiling food is the method that most causes these nutrients to be lost, while steaming, roasting and stir fry are the best alternatives.

Cooked foods are easier to chew and digest.

Chewing is a very important step in the digestion process as it is at this point that food breaks down into small, digestible pieces. Poorly chewed foods are harder to eat, requiring more energy and effort from our body.

Cooking, in addition to generally making food tastier, also helps break down some fibers and cell walls, facilitating the process of digestion and absorption of nutrients.

Cooking increases antioxidant properties

Cooking vegetables can increase the availability of their antioxidant substances, which help fight aging and diseases such as cancer and heart problems.

Read also: The 5 Best Fruits to Burn Fat

Tomato, for example, loses 29% of its vitamin C when cooked, but the amount of lycopene is doubled, while the total antioxidant capacity increases by 60%. To give you an idea of ​​how important lycopene is, it is associated with a decreased risk of prostate cancer and heart disease.

Cooking kills bacteria and other harmful microorganisms

Even with the loss of some nutrients, certain foods should be consumed preferably cooked, because their raw versions may contain microorganisms harmful to our health.

Fruits and vegetables are often safe to eat raw as long as they have not been contaminated and have been thoroughly cleaned. On the other hand, meat, eggs and fish must go through a cooking process, while milk must be pasteurized, since most disease-causing bacteria do not survive temperatures above 60 ° C.

It depends on the food!

The truth is that some foods are healthier when eaten raw, while others are more beneficial or safer when cooked. Check out:

Foods That Are Healthier Raw

• Broccoli: The raw version contains three times more sulforaphane, a substance that helps fight cancer;
• Cabbage: Cooking cabbage destroys the enzyme myrosinase, which contributes to cancer prevention;
• Onion: Cooking reduces its antiplatelet effect, which contributes to the prevention of heart disease;
• Garlic: Cooking destroys some sulfuric compounds that have anticancer properties.

Foods that are healthier cooked

• Spinach: Cooking increases the availability of nutrients such as iron, magnesium, calcium and zinc;
• Tomato: The cooked version has twice as much lycopene and 60% more antioxidant action compared to the raw version;
• Carrots: Boiled carrots contain more beta carotene than raw carrots;
• Potato: Potato starch is virtually indigestible when it is raw;
• Vegetables (green beans, peas): Raw vegetables contain a dangerous toxin, which is eliminated in cooking;
• Meat, fish and poultry: Raw versions may contain bacteria that cause food poisoning. Cooking eliminates these microorganisms.

As you can see, the final verdict is that we cannot say that a raw food diet is healthier than a cooked food diet and vice versa. A balanced diet with a wide variety of raw and cooked foods is the best option for our body.

Read also: How to identify that you have food poisoning?

RAW VS COOKED FOOD CHALLENGE! (May 2024)