We assume you are here to get your answer for Is Raw Food Healthier Than Cooked Food or not! Well, you have reached the right place.
Eating raw and cooked foods, of them has its own set of benefits as well as demerits.
Expecting a clear answer if one should prefer eating cooked food or raw food might not be a wise thing.
Everything depends on several factors such as nutrient density of the particular food, cooking techniques involved, or the medical condition that the individual is holding.
However, eating raw foods is partially underrated and needs to acknowledge since it provides so many benefits. Raw food is the most natural form of eating.
So, as long as you are not eating something poisonous, it would show a great impact on your health.
Raw Food Vs Cooked Foods- Which is a Healthier Option?
According to some dietitians, cooking foods can significantly destroy some of the essential nutrients of that particular food.
For instance, sometimes vitamin b and vitamin c tend to get diminished if cooked thoroughly.
On the other hand, there are some nutrients such as lycopene (found in tomatoes) or beta carotene (found in carrots) that can become more effective once cooked.
It is completely healthy to eat raw food as long as you are aiming to gain a healthier-looking body. However, eating all your foods raw without knowing about the properties of the food might not be a good choice for you.
Some essential nutrients are water-soluble which get lost while cooking since they are heat sensitive. So you are looking for what’s better in raw food vs cooked food, you should prefer raw food while considering some measures.
Moving on forward, let’s know what is raw-food diet is.
What is a Raw-Food Diet?
Foods that are neither cooked nor processed and remain at their most natural state are known as raw foods.
The idea of having raw food diet struck the mind of people as they thought that they would never have to worry about being ill if they stick to raw food.
A raw food diet is a vegan diet that includes varieties of foods such as nuts, fruits, sprouted grains, or beans.
Most of the people who prefer a raw-food diet believe that cooking can destroy some of the essential enzymes of the food which we need for digestion.
Since raw foods are at their natural state, you can still use some preparation methods to enhance the taste of your food.
Mentioned below are some preparation techniques:
-
Soaking
-
Sprouting
-
Blending
-
Juicing
-
Blowing hot air through foods
-
Drying
If you are wishing to switch to a raw-food diet, your ultimate goal should be to eat the food at its natural state while avoiding any kind of heating or processing for obvious reasons.
Moving on to the next part, let’s get to know more about the types of raw-food diets.
What are the Types of Raw-Food Diet?
Some people follow a strict raw food diet. They eat nothing but only raw foods throughout their day.
On the other hand, some might focus on raw foods partially, meaning they like to include some cooked and processed foods in their meal.
We can divide raw food diets into three basic spectrums.
#1. Raw Vegetarian Diet
Like any other vegetarian diet, it includes raw foods from vegetarians while eliminating meat, fish, and poultry.
However, they include eggs and dairy products in their meals as well. All the foods are neither processed nor cooked.
#2. Vegan Raw Food Diet
The vegan raw diet is one of the most common practices followed by people. It restricts your diet and you are only allowed to eat what is raw and vegan. (Vegan included only plant-based things)
#3. Omnivores Raw Food Diet
As the name suggests, in this diet, you are free to eat all types of plant and animal-based foods including meats.
However, the food you eat must be unprocessed and uncooked.
Now that you went through the comparison between raw food vs cooked food, let’s get to know more about the benefits of the raw food diet.
What are the Benefits of Preferring Raw Food Over Cooked Food?
There are plenty of benefits that you can get if you prefer raw food overcooked food.
One of the most prominent reasons why people go for a raw-food diet is its effectiveness in weight loss reasons.
Moreover, you will be getting loads of nutrients such as Photochemical, fibers, and minerals which have their specifications.
Let’s get to know more about the other benefits of eating a raw food diet which we have mentioned below.
#1. Weight-Loss
Since raw foods contain lesser calories than processed foods, your chances to get a leaner body shape might as well increase.
#2. Improves Your Mental Health
Research has found out that eating more raw foods and vegetables than cooked ones can improve your mental condition as well.
For instance, you can lessen your depression and get higher life satisfaction by simply switching to raw food diet.
#3. Reduced Risk of Chronic Diseases
Plant foods come enriched with photochemical which act as a barrier against inflammation, which plays a major role in the development of chronic diseases.
Moreover, eating more plant-based foods can significantly reduce your blood pressure and blood sugar which can also cause chronic diseases.
#4. Suppresses Your Appetite
The consuming raw-food diet indicates that the fiber content in your meal is probably higher than others.
Fiber-rich foods help you feel fuller for a long time and gradually put an end to your cravings at unnecessary times.
So, this was all about the advantages of eating a raw food diet, and for bodybuilding, cooked or junk food supports muscle mass.
However, some certain foods must not be eaten raw and vice versa.
Which Foods That Healthier When Consumed Raw?
There is a list of foods that we need to cook to get most of their nutrients. Mentioned below are a few of those.
#1. Onions
Cooking onion can lessen its effects as it is an anti-platelet agent that prevents heart disease.
#2. Broccoli
It contains sulforaphane which fights cancer-causing cells. Cooking it might destroy the compounds to some level
#3. Garlic
Cooking garlic can destroy the sulfur compound which has some anti-cancer properties
So it was all about the raw foods list that you should try.
List of Foods that are Healthier when Cooked
#1. Tomatoes
Cooking tomatoes can boost the already present compound lycopene.
#2. Carrots
Carrots are healthier when eaten cooked since they contain beta carotene
#3. Spinach
Nutrients such as zinc, calcium, and magnesium get absorbed more by spinach when you cook it.
#4. Potatoes
The starch content of potatoes can become tough to digest if you eat it raw.
Here we discussed the list of food that you must eat after cooking.
The Takeaway
Readers who were looking for Is Raw Food Healthier Than Cooked Food, might have got their clear answer.
To lead a healthy life, you need to put all your efforts together. Well, sticking to a raw-food diet plan is one such way.
In this blog, we discussed many relevant things regarding the raw-food diet. Hope you got what you were looking for.
Follow nutribolism.com for more diet and fitness-related tips.
