{"id":3872,"date":"2020-12-01T06:00:54","date_gmt":"2020-12-01T06:00:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.cathybiase.com\/?p=3872"},"modified":"2020-09-02T01:26:14","modified_gmt":"2020-09-02T01:26:14","slug":"raw-vs-cooked-which-contains-more-vitamins-and-minerals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cathybiase.com\/index.php\/2020\/12\/01\/raw-vs-cooked-which-contains-more-vitamins-and-minerals\/","title":{"rendered":"Raw vs. Cooked – Which Contains More Vitamins and Minerals?"},"content":{"rendered":"

My son challenges me.\u00a0 It’s kind of this game that we play.\u00a0 Sometimes it’s not fun.<\/span><\/p>\n

One of the first things questions he threw at me when I started my practice was:<\/span><\/p>\n

“Is it better to each fruits and veggies raw or cooked?”<\/span><\/p>\n

The research commenced!<\/span><\/p>\n

Honestly he wasn’t the only one to put this question to me so the time was well spent!<\/span><\/p>\n

Raw vs. Cooked<\/span><\/h3>\n

Let\u2019s finally put an end to the debate of raw vs. cooked.<\/span><\/p>\n

Of course, in the grand scheme of a well-balanced, nutrient-dense, varied, whole foods diet, the cooked vs. raw debate isn’t that<\/em><\/strong> critical for most people.<\/span><\/p>\n

Where this can become a consideration is for vitamin and mineral deficiencies (or “insufficiencies”). These may be due to digestion or absorption issues, or avoidance of certain foods (due to allergies, intolerances, or choice).<\/span><\/p>\n

Cancer patients may face some issues with digesting raw fruits and vegetables due to the impact of some treatments on the GI tract.\u00a0 In such cases cooking these foods will help to break down the fibre, making it easier to digest.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The answer isn’t as simple as “raw is always better” or “cooked is always better.”\u00a0 As with most nutrition science, it depends on several factors. Some vitamins are destroyed in cooking, while others become easier to absorb (a.k.a. more “bioavailable”).<\/span><\/p>\n

Here is the skinny on vitamins and minerals in raw foods versus cooked foods.<\/span><\/p>\n

Foods to eat raw<\/u><\/span><\/h3>\n

As a general rule, water soluble nutrients, like vitamin C and the B vitamins, found mostly in fruits and vegetables, are best eaten raw.<\/span><\/p>\n

The reason why is two-fold.<\/span><\/p>\n

First, when these nutrients are heated, they tend to degrade;\u00a0 this is from any heat, be it steaming, boiling, roasting, or frying. Vitamin C and the B vitamins are a bit more “delicate” and susceptible to heat than many other nutrients.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"Of course, the obvious way to combat these nutrient losses is to eat foods high vitamin C and B vitamins in their raw form (like in an awesome salad) or to cook them for as short a time as possible (like quickly steaming or blanching).<\/span><\/p>\n

Fun fact: Raw spinach can contain three times the amount of vitamin C as cooked spinach.<\/span><\/p>\n

The second reason why foods high in vitamin C and the B vitamins are best eaten raw is that they’re “water soluble.”\u00a0 So, guess where the vitamins go when they’re cooked in water?\u00a0 Yes, they’re dissolved right into the water;\u00a0 this is particularly true for fruits and veggies that are boiled and poached but even for foods that steamed as well.<\/span><\/p>\n

Of course, if you\u2019re a savvy health nut, you\u2019ll probably keep that liquid to use in your next soup or sauce to preserve those nutrients that are left after cooking. Just don\u2019t overheat it or you may lose what you were aiming to keep.<\/span><\/p>\n

But, how much loss are we talking about?\u00a0 Well, of course, it ranges but can go from as low as 15%, up to over 50%.<\/span><\/p>\n

In short, the water soluble vitamins like vitamin C and the B vitamins degrade with heat and some of what’s left over after they’re heated dissolves into the cooking water. So be sure to cook your fruits and veggies as little as possible, and keep that cooking water to use in your next recipe.<\/span><\/p>\n

Soaking nuts and seeds<\/u><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Regarding raw nuts and seeds, it may be beneficial to soak them. Soaking nuts and seeds (for several hours at room temperature) allows some of the minerals to become “unlocked” from their chemical structure, so they’re more absorbable.<\/span><\/p>\n

Foods to eat cooked<\/u><\/span><\/h3>\n

Cooking certain orange and red \u201cbeta-carotene rich\u201d veggies (e.g. tomatoes, carrots, & sweet potatoes) can help make this pre-vitamin A compound more absorbable.<\/span><\/p>\n

Fun fact: One study found that absorption of beta-carotene was 6.5 times greater in stir-fried carrots than in raw carrots!<\/span><\/p>\n

Of course, eating your fat-soluble vitamins with a bit of fat will help you to absorb more of them, so that\u2019s one factor to consider.<\/span><\/p>\n

One vegetable that\u2019s best eaten both raw and cooked<\/u><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"Spinach!<\/span><\/p>\n

And I\u2019m not just saying this to get everyone to eat it any way possible (although, I would love for this to happen…unless you\u2019re allergic, of course).<\/span><\/p>\n

Spinach contains so many beneficial compounds that it’s great eaten both raw and cooked.<\/span><\/p>\n

Eating raw spinach preserves the water-soluble vitamins C & the B vitamins.<\/span><\/p>\n

Eating spinach cooked allows the pre-vitamin A, as well as some of the minerals like iron to be better absorbed. Not to mention how much spinach reduces in size when it\u2019s cooked, so it\u2019s easier to eat way more cooked spinach than raw spinach.<\/span><\/p>\n

Conclusion:<\/u><\/span><\/h3>\n

The old nutrition philosophy of making sure you get a lot of nutrient-dense whole foods into your diet holds true. Feel free to mix up how<\/u><\/strong> you eat them, whether you prefer raw or cooked just make sure you eat them.<\/span><\/p>\n

Having trouble eating enough spinach? Try this flavourful recipe.<\/span><\/p>\n

Recipe (cooked spinach): Saut\u00e9ed Spinach<\/u><\/span><\/h3>\n

Serves 4<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Ingredients:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n