Comments on: Why Would You Benefit More From Eating Raw Vegetables Than Cooked?

By: Jerry C

Jerry C — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 14:46:00 +0000

Cooking causes many changes in the structure of the vegetables, breaking down the internal organization, denaturing the cell proteins and causing the oxidation of some sensitive compounds including vitamins. These changes are not all bad, but on the whole they are typically not helpful. Examples of changes include:
In vegetables such as broccoli, watercress, cabbage, turnups compounds are stored called glucosinolates. These change to isothiocyanates as you chew the vegetable and help induce phase 2 enzymes in the body thus reducing the chance of getting cancer. However, upon cooking these compounds are broken down before the vegetable is eaten and the anticancer effect is lost. A similar situation exists in onions – raw are better than cooked. Onions, like garlic, are members of the Allium family, and both are rich in powerful sulfur-containing compounds that are responsible for their pungent odors and for many of their health-promoting effects. For example, onions contain allyl propyl disulphide, while garlic is rich in allicin, diallyl disulphide, diallyl trisulfide and others. Allyl propyl disulfide lowers blood sugar levels by increasing the amount of free insulin available by competing with insulin, which is also a disulphide, to occupy the sites in the liver where insulin is inactivated. This results is an increase in the amount of insulin available to usher glucose into cells causing a lowering of blood sugar. Cooking onions greatly decreases the levels of these compounds and thus lowers the health effects caused by eating the fresh onions.

By: Matt

Matt — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 07:49:56 +0000

the heat would denature enzymes i would assume because they will be put far beyond their optimum temperature when boiled i would assume. Why that would affect their nutrition i don’t know
In fact i would assume that the reason why they are healthier raw is due to the fact that ions and other nutrients within the cell will diffuse out of the membrane due to them being in a higher concentration inside the cytoplasm of the cells as opposed to the water they are being boiled in.
This also means that more osmosis (diffusion of water) would occur, due to the water potential inside the cell being lower than that outside the cell.
Hope that helps.

By: Teresa A

Teresa A — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 07:23:23 +0000

Cooking food reduces the vitamin and mineral content. Your body makes some enzymes but relies on foods for others. If all your food is cooked you may be lacking in any of there areas.

By: swarovski rhinestones

swarovski rhinestones — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 06:32:30 +0000

cooking leaches some of the vitamins, minerals, and nutrients from the veggies. it also reduces the fiber which is essential to good health.

By: bush_is_

bush_is_ — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 00:42:14 +0000

The vitamans and minerals that are important in vegetables are cooked out of the vegetables and poored down the drain when you drain them

By: science teacher

science teacher — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 22:56:54 +0000

Some of the vitamins are destroyed by heating. Enzymes are also destroyed by heating.