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We often damage the nutrients of a food by cooking it too much. What you eat is as important as how you cook the food that you eat. The fact that eating fibre loaded vegetables affects the gut microbiota is well known but research on whether it matters if it is consumed raw or cooked is still ongoing. Preliminary results show that when you eat raw food, it impacts the composition of your gut microbiome in ways that cooked food cannot.
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Gut microbiomes are those bacteria living in your digestive tract whose diversity and richness are crucial to one’s overall mental and physical well being. For this reason, the human gut is often nicknamed the ‘second brain’. Many studies, like the article on how Cooking methods affected the phytochemicals, show that certain heat sensitive phytochemicals in vegetables like potatoes are destroyed by popular cooking methods before they are absorbed by the body. Take a look at the top foods that are best when consumed raw rather than cooked.
Fruit Vegetables Like Ash Gourd
The juice of this vegetable, more than any other, lives up to its hype. Known for cooling the entire body, it is great for the digestive system as well as the nervous system. Peel the rinds of the ash gourd, chop the vegetable into manageable chunks, add mint leaves and honey for a more interesting flavour, and juice them together in a mixer. Strain the juice out by wrapping and squeezing the pulp with a clean cloth. The delicious ash gourd juice is ready. This is much more beneficial than stir-frying it in oil or making a candy out of it with sugar.
Nightshades Like Bitter Gourd
A study titled Immediate effect of bitter gourd, showed that bitter gourd is one of the best known vegetables for its ability to control blood sugar levels. It can be tempting to have it in its most popular Indian version as fried sabzi. If one is serious about health and doesn't want to miss out on all the substantial heat sensitive alkaloids the bitter gourd contains, it is advised to rather enjoy it as a raw mashed condiment or as plain juice if one has tolerance to the bitter taste. If so taken, expect your metabolism and immunity to soar.
Green Peas And Moong Sprouts
Sprouts are germinated seeds. Undoubtedly one of the great sources of plant protein, you can sprout moong beans, chickpeas, peas and even wheat grains and lentils. Sprouts need a lot of care while they are being germinated, such as being washed regularly and allowed proper ventilation or else they can accumulate dangerous bacteria. People cook sprouts to kill those bacteria but unfortunately, a lot of the powerful phytochemicals are lost in the process too. An option is to learn to grow your own sprouts in a hygienic environment rather than buying them from stores.
Root Vegetables- Carrots And Radish
Carrots and radish, when eaten raw, boost the immune system. Grate them into thin shreds along with onions and add your favourite homemade sauce and some lemon juice to enjoy a healthy raw salad. In her article, What are the benefits of eating Radishes? Medical author Divya Jacob, Pharm.D, talks of how radishes are loaded with fibre and help clean the digestive tract by increasing the bulk volume of bowel movements and clearing constipation.
Cruciferous Vegetables - Broccoli And Cauliflower
Even though you may be consuming mostly vegetables in your diet, you may not be absorbing all the nutrients. This is because much of the vital vitamin C present in broccoli is lost to heat in the cooking process, according to research like the article on Effects of Different Cooking methods on health promoting compounds of broccoli . Grind them into a paste along with chilli, garlic, sesame seeds and some olive oil to make your own ‘cauliflower/broccoli hummus’ to spread on your bread.
Spices- Raw Garlic And Turmeric
Tempering spices in hot oil is an age-old Indian tradition. While this technique releases essential oils that improve the flavour, it also destroys many important antioxidants found in the spices. For example, raw garlic can cure bacterial infections in the stomach and raw turmeric powder is a mood booster. To avoid bad breath, dip the garlic in honey, leave overnight and have it the next morning, while raw turmeric can be added to milk with a pinch of pepper and ingested regularly to help deal with insomnia.
