Raw or cooked– which is more nutritious? Raw foodists believe that cooking and processing fruits and vegetables drastically reduce or destroy the nutrients and helpful enzymes found naturally in them. It does make sense, considering how destructive heat can be. However, data from a new study indicates that cooking is not all that bad, and depending on the method used, cooking may even boost some veggies’ nutritional content.

In the new study, the researchers evaluated the effects of three commonly-used Italian cooking practices ⿿ boiling, steaming, and frying ⿿ on the nutritional content of carrots, zucchini and broccoli. Boiling and steaming maintained the antioxidant compounds of the vegetables, whereas frying caused a significantly higher loss of antioxidants in comparison to the water-based cooking methods, they say. For broccoli, steaming actually increased its content of glucosinolates, a group of plant compounds touted for their cancer-fighting abilities. The findings suggest that it may be possible to select a cooking method for each vegetable that can best preserve or improve its nutritional quality, the researchers say.

So cooked or raw? I say, enjoy both, and make sure you eat lots of ‘em!

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