According to a latest study, eating of fruits and vegetables is associated with a lower risk of diseases like heart disease and cancer. Scientists analysed data of 65,000 random adults and concluded that a high intake of fruit and vegetable has beneficial effects on overall health and longevity. We know that raw fruits and vegetables contain high nutrient levels and are low in calories. But what are the advantages of a diet that includes raw food and excludes cooked food? And what is the best way to take fruit and vegetables – raw or cooked?
The truth is that eating an exclusively raw food diet can have disadvantages. Raw vegetables are very low in calories and we will absorb about fifty to sixty calories a pound, from raw vegetables. Our caloric needs cannot be met on a raw food diet, unless we consume large amounts of fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds. This may be an inadequate diet for most people - resulting in frequent infections, weak bones, hair loss and poor muscle build up. It is true that cooking at high temperatures results in the formation of toxic compounds; heating garlic has been shown to reduce its anti-cancer properties. Moreover, many water-soluble vitamins and enzymes can be lost by over cooking the food. But cooking is essential, as it helps us digest food without spending huge amounts of energy in doing so. Even though cooking destroys some vitamins and minerals, it softens such food - such as cellulose fibre and raw meat - that our teeth and digestive systems aren't equipped to handle. The steaming of vegetables and the making of vegetable soups helps break down the cellulose and alters the plants’ cell structures, so that fewer enzymes are needed to digest them. Sometimes boiling and steaming even helps preserve antioxidants, particularly carotenoids, in vegetables like Zucchini and Broccoli. Above all, most essential nutrients in vegetables can be easily absorbed after being cooked in a soup. Such moisture-based cooking also prevents food from browning and forming toxic compounds. Conversely, some of the most common heat-created toxins are formed as a result of dry cooking. However, in some cases, cooking is advisable - like for Lycopene rich tomatoes. Several studies have linked a high intake of Lycopene with a lower risk of cancer and heart attacks. Lycopene is a red pigment found predominantly in tomatoes and other coloured fruits such as watermelon, red bell pepper and papaya. Cooking of tomatoes helps in greater Lycopene absorption, thereby making the fruit healthier for the heart and boosting its cancer-fighting ability. In some cases, while Vitamin C is lost under high heat cooking, it substantially raises the levels of beneficial compounds called phytochemicals.
Eating of raw food is necessary for good health and is an important feature of a healthy diet – but raw fruits and vegetables cannot be our sole diet. It also does not mean that eating a raw diet is the healthiest. Some produce is most nutritious when uncooked, while others need heat to bring out the best in them. The bottom line is that we must eat lots of nuts, vegetables and fruits.
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