Don’t eat green beans like this!
According to experts who state that raw food is much healthier, the explanation for this situation is as follows;
Food is broken down into molecules large enough to be absorbed by the digestive enzymes in our body. Some enzymes in the food we eat also aid in digestion. Many enzymes are very sensitive to heat and almost all enzymes become useless at temperatures above 47°C.
Since the food’s enzymes are destroyed during the cooking process, the body will have to produce more enzymes for digestion, and according to experts, this situation increases stress in the body and can cause enzyme deficiency. However, there are no scientific studies that support this claim.
Some scientists say that the main purpose of food enzymes is to support the growth of the plant, they do not support the digestive system of humans. In addition, science has yet to demonstrate the adverse health effects of eating cooked foods with altered enzymes.
Raw foods are richer in some nutrients than cooked foods. Water-soluble vitamins, such as vitamin C and vitamin B, are easily leached from food during the cooking process. Water-soluble vitamins in cooked vegetables are reduced by 50-60 percent.
Although to a lesser extent, some minerals and vitamin A are also lost during cooking. The fat-soluble vitamins D, E and K remain virtually unaffected.
The method that causes the most nutrient loss is the cooking process. Steaming, baking and sautéing are some of the best ways to cook vegetables to preserve their nutritional value. The longer a food is cooked, the greater the loss of nutrients.
Tomatoes
Even though tomato falls into a fruit category, most of us still think of it as a vegetable. For this reason, it would be good to include tomatoes in the list. According to research, tomatoes contain a type of antioxidant that reduces stress and improves heart health. When cooked, it releases more of these substances.
Cooking in any way significantly increases the antioxidant lycopene in tomatoes. Lycopene has been linked to a lower risk of a number of chronic diseases, including heart disease and cancer. This increased amount of lycopene comes from heat, which helps break down the thick cell walls that contain several important nutrients.
Although cooking tomatoes lowers their vitamin C content by 29 percent, within 30 minutes of cooking the lycopene content rises by more than 50 percent.
The Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry published research on the nutritional value of cooking tomatoes. Raw tomatoes were heated to 87 degrees for 2, 15, and 30 minutes, respectively. Vitamin C and lycopene levels were measured at each interval. The study results showed a significant decrease in vitamin C while a significant increase in lycopene levels.
Steaming or boiling tomatoes are the preferred cooking methods to get more lycopene. Studies show that lycopene reduces cancer risk, improves heart health and reduces neurological disorders.
Spinach
Like dark leafy greens, raw spinach contains acids. Fortunately, you can break down this poison by heating spinach. In addition, when you heat the spinach, you get vitamins A and E. Steaming is a great way to cook spinach without losing its nutrients.
Spinach is rich in nutrients such as iron, magnesium, calcium and zinc. However, these nutrients are more easily absorbed when spinach is cooked. This is because spinach is full of oxalic acid (a compound found in many plants), which inhibits the absorption of iron and calcium. When spinach is heated, bound calcium is released, making it easier for the body to absorb.
Research shows that steaming spinach preserves levels of folate (B9), which may reduce the risk of certain cancers.
asparagus
While asparagus is very healthy when eaten raw, it is more nutritious when cooked. Cooking this herb increases the nutritional value of the nutrients.
Mushrooms
Mushrooms contain a large amount of the antioxidant ergothioneine, which is released during cooking. Antioxidants help break down “free radicals,” which are chemicals that can damage our cells and cause disease and aging.
Carrot
If you want to get more nutritious nutrients from carrots, you should steam them. Carrots release more beta-carotene after cooking. This is how our body produces vitamin A, which is necessary for healthy eyesight, healthy skin and a strong immune system.
The research, published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, examined the nutritional values of carrots exposed to different cooking methods. Antioxidant samples were measured after boiling, steaming and frying. Carotenoids, polyphenols, glucosinolates and ascorbic acid (vitamin C) analyzes were performed after cooking the roots. The results showed a 14 percent increase in carotenoids in boiling carrots. Other cooking methods reduced the antioxidant values. The worst result was frying.
Boiling carrots was the cooking method that preserved the most and increased vitamin C and carotenoids.
Green beans
It has a higher antioxidant content when baked, microwaved, grilled or even deep-fried rather than boiled or pressure-cooked.
Eggplant
Eating raw eggplant leads to digestive system problems. In order not to experience negative effects, it is necessary to consume the eggplant by cooking.