Is it better to eat vegetables raw or cooked?

Carrots are one of the best sources of beta-carotene. The body converts beta- carotene into Vitamin A which is important in reproduction, vision, bone growth and also regulating the immune system.

It has been found that cooking actually increases the level of beta-carotene. The reason is that raw carrots have tough cellular walls. Cooking will dissolve the walls and free the nutrients to be available to the body. An experiment carried out at the Institute of Food Research in 2009 showed that the body can absorb about 5% of the beta carotene from a single carrot, whereas when it is boiled, the carrot released 60% and blended and then boiled a whopping 90%!!

Visit the Carrot Museum.

Tomatoes is another vegetable that most of us can very happily eat raw. We have it in our salads and sandwiches but we also equally have it in our ketchup, pizzas, etc.

Tomatoes are a good source of lycopene, the phytonutrient which gives the tomato its red color and also its antioxidant power. Simply cooking it will increase the antioxidant power of lycopene. Heating changes the chemical structure of lycopene to make it more bioavailable. Studies have suggested that lycpopene may help against cancer particularly prostrate cancer. Lycopene also has antibacterial and antifungal properties. It can help to reduce inflammation of gums and Candida albicans or yeast infections.

Eating your salad greens and tomatoes with an oil-based dressing will help absorption of the carotenoids better. Olive oil especially extra virgin oil is an excellent choice for this purpose.

1. Cooking time - Vitamin C and thiamine are heat sensitive. Allow the water to boil before adding in the vegetables and remove it as soon as it is cooked.

2. Amount of water - Use minimal amount of water.

3. Surface area of vegetables - More nutrients are leached with greater surface area. So the more thinly sliced vegetable will lose more nutrients compared to chunky cuts.

4. Method of cooking - Boiling and steaming are better in preserving the antioxidants especially the carotenoids.
Deep fried foods are sources of free radicals as the oil is continuously oxidized when heated up to very high temperatures.