Most vegetables contain so many vitamins and essential microelements that it is foolish to refuse them. However, some of them should be thermally treated beforehand. Let us find out what are those!
Vegetables That Can Be Eaten Raw
It is hard to imagine a healthy diet without vegetables. Many ‘green’ meals help your body strengthen the immunity and cleanse itself, providing weight loss. Most of vegetables are OK to be eaten raw; and they should be in order to get as much vitamins as possible.
Eating some raw vegetables helps to replenish fiber content, which protects against heart and vascular diseases, prevents constipation and reduces the percentage of cholesterol in your body. Such food provides many important vitamins A, B, C, D and E, as well as potassium, calcium, iron, magnesium etc.
Tocopherol, which is contained in many raw vegetables, works as a strong antioxidant; a sufficient intake of calcium helps to maintain the health of teeth and bones; potassium helps your pressure remain normal.
Thermal treatment of some vegetables leads to the reduction of beneficial content, as many chemical bonds get broken.
That is why the following veggies are better to be eaten raw:
- Ginger,
- Pepper,
- Cabbage,
- Salad,
- Celery,
- Garlic,
- Onion,
- Zucchini,
- Arugula,
- Beet,
- Cucumber,
- Artichoke.
If you decide to eat raw vegetables constantly, do not start with a large quantity. Human digestive system is not adapted to adequate digestion of a large number of plant fibers.
In order to prevent any digestive problems, thoroughly chew your vegetables, making at least twenty jaw movements for each bite. You may also blend some veggies together.
This way you make sure your body receives a huge amount of vitamins and microelements at once. Needless to say, you can eat raw vegetables both for breakfast and for dinner. Just remember to diversify the meal a bit.
Read about:
Foods Rich in Fiber
Vegetables You Should Not Eat Raw
While for vegetables that we have mentioned above thermal treatment is bad, others are much more beneficial when cooked.
In general, some veggies have a very complicated chemical structure. The bonds are so strong, it is impossible for your digestive system to break them.
Therefore, you cannot receive enough vitamins by eating some vegetables raw. Let us find out why you should cook some greens.
Tomatoes May Harm Your Digestive System
Almost everybody usually eats tomatoes raw. They have a nice taste and are good in combination with cucumbers and Bulgarian pepper. However, they contain a lot of fiber; in fact, a little bit too much.
Of course, it is a useful substance, but an excessive amount of fiber leads to digestive problems.
On the other hand, tomatoes are very beneficial when grilled or stewed. When thermally treated, they release large doses of a substance called lycopene. This substance is known for its ability to fight cancer cells. Therefore, cooked tomatoes are much better for health than raw ones.
Raw Asparagus Is Practically Useless
Asparagus is one of the most useful vegetables for health. It contains a whole set of different vitamins that help prevent the formation of cancer cells.
However, raw asparagus is actually useless because human body cannot digest it fully.
Nutritionists advice to steam asparagus or roast it in oil. This way a high temperature helps to release all the benefits of this green vegetable. Adding raw asparagus to your diet will not harm you, but you will not get any vitamins from it as well.
Raw Potatoes Contain Toxins
Some people claim that the taste of raw potatoes is something unique and inimitable. However, it can be very dangerous to eat this vegetable as is.
We strongly advice you not to eat raw potatoes under any circumstances.
Uncooked potatoes may contain many toxins. Moreover, raw starch is harmful for your digestive system. Excess amounts of this substance cannot be digested. So, it will stay in your stomach or intestines in a form of mucus, accumulating more toxins and preventing a healthy digestion. Raw potatoes might be dangerous, but cooked ones are conversely beneficial and delicious too.
Eggplants Contain Solanine
Eggplants are beneficial for your health as they contain many antioxidants. However, eating them raw might be as harmful as for potatoes. There is some solanine in eggplant content.
This toxin may affect your nervous system and lead to digestive problems.
Therefore, it is a lot better to cook eggplants. There are many recipes and all of them make this vegetable saturated with more antioxidants.
Brussel Sprouts May Lead to Stomach Pain
If you eat this vegetable raw, even in a moderate amount, it will harm your stomach and even lead to bloating.
Brussel sprouts are generally hard to digest.
Therefore, it is a much better idea to roast it in a vegetable oil, adding salt, before eating. Such an easy and fast treatment will eliminate any side effects.
Sometimes Broccoli Are Hard to Digest
Broccoli is actually beneficial for your health, even in a raw form. However, it might be hard for your stomach to deal with it, especially if you eat broccoli often. Therefore, you should steam it every time before eating.
In fact, steaming is never useless or harmful for any vegetables.
It is a delicate procedure that cannot break essential chemical bonds, but makes greens a lot more consumable.
Raw Spinach Contains Less Calcium
Spinach is probably one of the most beneficial products at all. There are so many useful elements in its content, no vegetable can compare. However, if you roast it a little before adding to any meal, the amount of consumable calcium, magnesium and iron will significantly rise. All you need is less than one minute. As spinach leaves start to twist, the vegetable is ready.
Boiled Carrot Contains Much More Beta-Carotene
It is not bad to eat carrots raw. Nevertheless, being boiled, this vegetable is much more useful. According to the research published in online magazine American Chemical Society, boiling carrot for 15 minutes makes the amount of beta-carotene rise a lot. This substance is a nice antioxidant and is beneficial for your eyes.
Vegetables should always be a part of your diet. They contain many vitamins and elements that cannot be found in any other products. Some greens are OK to be eaten raw, while others are better to be cooked beforehand. Nevertheless, any vegetable has much more pros than cons. So, try to eat some every day.
