Many people think that raw vegetables are packed with nutrients, but here’s a surprising fact: some foods have even more health benefits when cooked.
Cooking food doesn’t just enhance flavor: it can also have a huge impact on the nutritional value of what we eat.
Some foods are best eaten raw to preserve their nutrients, while others benefit more when cooked. While it’s true that heat can degrade some vitamins and minerals, it’s also true that your body can absorb some more efficiently.
The raw vs cooked food debate has been going on in nutrition circles for many years. Raw foods retain natural enzymes and heat-labile vitamins, but cooking increases the availability of other essential nutrients.
Understanding which foods have more nutritional value when cooked can help you make better dietary choices. Here are some of the most notable foods that are more nutritious when cooked than when raw:
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1. Tomato
Cooked tomatoes Have a higher level Antioxidant Lycopene Reduce risk Heart disease and cancerHeat Break down Tomato cell walls make lycopene readily available.
However, when cooking tomatoes, Decrease Research has shown that tomatoes can increase your vitamin C content by up to 33 percent, so if you’re looking to top up on vitamin C, raw tomatoes may be your best bet.
Additionally, tomatoes, or pretty much any food, can lose nutrients if they are burned or charred, so be careful not to cook them over high heat.
2. Carrots
Cooking carrots Strengthen Beta-carotene content in the body Convert It is converted into vitamin A. This vitamin is important Vision, immune function and skin health.
But that’s not all. Cooking carrots also Increase Antioxidant power. In fact, research Published In Food Science Journal Cooking carrots with the skin on has been shown to triple the amount of antioxidants.
However, pan frying should be avoided as it can reduce the carotenoid content.
3. Spinach
Raw spinach is packed with nutrients, but when cooked reduce Oxalic acid levels are Suppress Calcium absorption, make This makes the calcium and iron in spinach more available.
Research shows that cooking spinach can increase It increases the bioavailability of nutrients such as vitamin A, zinc, magnesium, and vitamin E. Steamed spinach is also has been shown to reduce In addition to the oxalic acid content Help maintain Folic acid content.
4. Mushrooms
Cooking mushrooms increases their potassium, niacin, and zinc content. Strengthen Availability of antioxidants. Heat breaks down cell walls, release These beneficial compounds.
The antioxidant ergothioneine is more bioavailable when consumed with mushrooms. To be cooked.
Additionally, choosing cooked mushrooms over raw ones helps remove toxins such as agaritine, a carcinogen. Several mushroom.
5. Asparagus
Cooking asparagus provides vitamins A, B9, C, and E. More accessible This is because the heat breaks down the thick cell walls of the stem.
Asparagus too Holds quite a lot Cooking increases antioxidants, such as ferulic acid, by up to 25 percent. Cooking the vegetable also softens the fiber, making it easier to digest.
But that’s not all. Phenolic acids Increases when cookedwhich then Helps to fight cancer.
6. Bell peppers
Most cooking methods will help increase the vitamin C levels in peppers. Increases bioavailability Carotenoids are powerful antioxidants that protect cells from damage. Some of the carotenoids found in bell peppers, such as beta-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin, capsanthin, and lutein, are enhanced by cooking.
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However, steaming or boiling has been shown to reduce rather than increase the vitamin C content, so roasting is the best option.
7. Broccoli
When you cook broccoli, provide Indole Compounds Has anti-cancer propertiesThe glucosinolates and sulforaphane found in broccoli also require the enzyme myrosinase. Be activated This is because it is converted into cancer-fighting compounds.
Steamed Broccoli has been shown to maintain its myrosinase content and also its vitamin C content better than other cooking methods.
8. Kale
Kale is well known as a superfood and certainly has many health benefits when eaten raw, but cooked kale also has its own unique benefits.
Cooking Kale Reduces isothiocyanate and goitrogen content,this is Confuse It boosts thyroid function. It also makes the iron and calcium in kale easier to absorb. Raw kale is less easily digested than cooked kale.
9. Sweet potato
The beta-carotene in sweet potatoes is more bioavailable When cookingThis carotenoid It is essential to maintain Healthy vision and immune function.
Potatoes can also be boiled, baked or roasted. Helpful Eating raw potatoes can cause indigestion as the starch is broken down.
But that’s not all. Raw sweet potatoes and other potatoes contain antinutrients that Invalidation Cooking it helps you absorb the beneficial minerals and vitamins it contains.
10. Kidney beans
If you want to get the eye-enhancing benefits of kidney beans, they need to be cooked.
Why? Cooking green beans Raise the level Antioxidants such as lutein and zeaxanthin Two important nutrients for your eyes.
Research Steam Although kidney beans can boost your cholesterol-lowering benefits, you should be careful about how you prepare these vegetables. Baking, microwaving, grilling, or pan-frying kidney beans has been shown to boost antioxidants, but… Not so, it seems. When simmering or pressure cooking.
11. Zucchini
Like many foods that are more nutritious when cooked than raw, cooking zucchini provides more carotenoid antioxidants. Helps to protect It prevents cell damage and improves digestibility.
12. Cauliflower
Cooking cauliflower increases the availability of indoles and sulforaphane. Compounds with potential anti-cancer propertiesSteaming is a great way to preserve the nutrients in cauliflower, including Vitamin C.
13. Eggplant
Research published in Nutrition Research Revealed Steaming eggplant helps compounds in eggplant bind with bile acids, helping your liver break down cholesterol. Cooked eggplant is also high in antioxidants. NasuninProtects brain cell membranes from damage.
The dietary fiber in eggplant becomes easier to digest when cooked, According to a 2016 survey: Roasting eggplant preserves chlorogenic acid, Known to have potential It has antidiabetic effects due to its ability to slow down the release of glucose.
On the other hand, when eggplant is boiled, Delphinidin Cooking eggplant can remove its vitamin D3 content, another health-promoting antioxidant. Solanine A toxin found in raw eggplant.
Additionally, cooking eggplant makes it softer, easier to eat, and reduces its bitterness.
14. Pumpkin
Pumpkins too look The beta-carotene content is more easily absorbed after cooking, and as mentioned earlier, beta-carotene helps maintain healthy skin and eyesight. Other benefits.
15. Cabbage
Cabbage is also a vegetable GoitrogenThis can be problematic for people with thyroid problems. Thankfully, cooking cabbage can help reduce goitrogens. HoldAt the same time, it increases the availability of antioxidants.
16. Beets
Cooking beets Boosts antioxidant levelsespecially Betalainwhich Anti-inflammatory properties They also support detoxification. An added benefit of cooking beets is that they have a lower oxalate content. Increases mineral absorption.
17. Artichoke
Cooking artichokes increases levels of antioxidants such as quercetin and rutin. Helps protect Heart disease and canceractual, Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry Decided It was found that steaming artichokes increased their antioxidant content by 15 times, while boiling increased their antioxidant capacity by eight times.
moreover, microwave oven Although cooking also increases antioxidants, cooking actually destroys water-soluble vitamins, so it’s best to avoid this cooking method.
18. Onion
Cooking onions increases their flavonoid content, especially the antioxidant quercetin. Has anti-inflammatory and immune-boosting properties.
19. Garlic
Fried garlic Offering more Allicin is a compound with powerful antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal properties. heating Garlic also has positive cardiovascular benefits.
20. Celery
Cooking celery It helps to increase the level Antioxidants, etc. Apigenin and LuteolinIt has anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties. Cooked celery is also easier to digest.
However, it’s important to note that only a few cooking techniques can actually help increase the nutritional value of celery compared to eating it raw: Microwaving, baking, pressure cooking, deep frying and grilling all increase celery’s antioxidant capacity, while boiling decreases it.
In addition to the 20 foods mentioned above, the following foods also offer increased specific benefits when cooked rather than eaten raw, reducing anti-nutrients and releasing powerful vitamins and minerals.
