Raw veggies aren’t always the healthiest
For many people, it’s become gospel that vegetables are best eaten raw. Heating veggies, we’re told, kills the vitamins and nutrients they contain, leaving them almost useless for improving your health.
The truth, however, seems to be a bit more complicated. While some veggies are indeed best eaten raw, others offer more nutrition cooked, as heat can release nutrients, according to nutrition researcher and family physician Dr. Joel Fuhrman. Here’s some examples from his interview with HealthyWoman.com.
Best cooked: Veggies that benefit from cooking include tomatoes, which release cancer-fighting oxidant lycopene, and mushrooms, as cooking them removes some mild toxins they contain while supplying polysaccharides thought to slow tumor growth.
Eat while raw: Believe it or not, the stinging, bitter onion is among the best vegetables to eat raw. Why? According to Dr. Fuhrman, cutting an onion kicks off a chemical reaction which releases organosulfides which can help stop cancer cell growth. The organosulfides don’t form if the onion is heated.
For a list of veggies that are best when raw and cooked get combined, check out this article.