Raw vs. Cooked Veggies: Which is Better?

Is it healthier to consume cooked vegetables or raw vegetables? That’s what we’re going to cover today. Vegetables have numerous health benefits. They are packed with important vitamins and minerals and are high in fiber. Vegetables are also loaded with phytonutrients, which are hard to get from other types of foods. Phytonutrients have a range of incredible health benefits, from protecting against inflammation to fighting cancer. Raw vegetables grown on soil even contain probiotics, which are friendly bacteria. Organic vegetables have a higher diversity of friendly microbes than non-organic vegetables. But keep in mind that the more you cook a vegetable, the more you’ll lessen the probiotic effects. It’s important to note that not everyone can tolerate high amounts of vegetables. If you are immune compromised or have any inflammatory condition in the gut, you may have difficulty consuming vegetables. If you consume raw vegetables and you feel worse, you may do better on the carnivore diet for a while. However, you could also try fermented vegetables or cooked vegetables. When you cook vegetables, you destroy many of the vitamins and enzymes in them. Heat also kills the microbes in vegetables. However, if you lightly steam or sauté your vegetables, you won’t lose minerals or as many vitamins. Steaming or sautéing vegetables may actually enhance the phytonutrients—but the data on this is inconsistent. As far as raw vegetables vs. cooked vegetables, I believe it’s best to consume a good portion of your vegetables raw. But, certain vegetables should be cooked, like Brussels sprouts, broccoli, and cauliflower. The worst thing you can do as far as preserving the nutrient content in your vegetables is to fry them. You can still consume fried vegetables but don’t think you’re getting a lot of nutrients from them.