Eating vegetables is definitely trendy, fancy and cool these days. Vegetarianism and meat-free eating have become a trend. Of course, in many cases this does not mean following fashion trends, but a health-conscious lifestyle. It is undeniable that many people are concerned about how to eat vegetables better.
Trends and histories
For years, it has been said that the vegetables should be eaten raw, as this is the only way to preserve their nutrients, as they are healthier raw than cooked. As a result, a system of habits and a culture has developed, and for years we have been stuffing ourselves with lettuce, tomatoes, carrots and celery without letting them near the steamer or the pan. But are vegetables healthier raw or cooked? Well, today we're about to bust the great cooking myth about the supposed superiority of raw vegetables. After all, it's both true and not.
Vegetables broccoli, lettuce, eggplant,avocado,radish in a mesh bag. Zero waste healthy shopping concept.
If you eat the vegetables raw
There is no doubt that raw fruit and vegetables are rich in fibre. They can greatly help the body's metabolic processes. Beneficial in detoxification and definitely good for weight loss. It is rich in minerals and contains a lot of water, of which we should consume several litres a day. They have an alkalizing effect, which is important in the current diet. Cooked foods are largely acidifying. Which is another reason for highlighting fruits, vegetables eaten raw, so that their fat and cholesterol intake can be optimal.
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Reasons for the belief in the consumption of raw vegetables
Many people say that raw vegetables are preferable, because cooking them one way or another removes most of the nutrients from the from raw materials. However, this depends on the vegetable and how it is cooked. If we generalise, this is not true at all. In many cases it is better to use vegetables are cooked.
The myth about eating them raw stems from the fact that overcooking actually reduces the amount of certain vitamins, such as vitamins B and C, in food. So, following simple logic, avoid overcooking. A typical example is broccoli. This fabulous vegetable is rightly considered a superfood, as it is rich in sulforaphane, a molecule with anti-cancer properties. If broccoli is overcooked, the effect of sulforaphane is neutralised and it is recommended to eat it raw. For many of us, however, this is not a delicious experience, so researchers recommend a quick cooking method that keeps the vegetable crunchy. This preserves the valuable substances and pleasant to drink the food.
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Some vegetables are better when cooked
It's also worth bearing in mind that when we eat, we like to enjoy a meal. It is also an important factor that cooked tomatoes, for example, contain about 35% more lycopene, which is an extremely powerful antioxidant and anti-cancer agent. The heat actually helps break down cell walls, which releases many of the valuable substances. Similarly, it's worth cooking carrots to preserve the potency of carotenoids, another antioxidant that's good for your health. It helps our bodies enormously when a vegetable is easier to digest and the nutrients it contains are released by the heating process. In many cases, when vegetables are eaten raw, the cell walls do not allow the valuable materials, and are not absorbed during digestion. However, care should be taken when baking. It involves heating at very high temperatures, which destroys the nutrients in most foods.
Plant enzymes are inactivated as soon as digestion starts, and are in any case very different from those needed for digestion within the body. Also, as explained above, heat helps to break down cell walls, so most cooked vegetables are more digestible than raw ones.
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One simple fact is worth concluding with and reflecting on. When we are sick, what do we want to eat? What does our body crave? Eating fresh vegetables, or a good broth that leaches out the nutrients and is easily processed by the body.
