Five Foods that are healthier to eat when raw

By Angel Cuala on Sep 1, 2010 in Food, Health, Lifestyle, Science • No comments

Cooking may be fun, but not for always. As you might have yet known, there are foods that highly reduce their nutrients after being cooked.

Apparently, there are certain foods that are healthier to eat when they are raw.

While there are a lot of raw foods to be included in the list, here are five of them that are common to us.

Nuts

Nuts when raw have healthy fats that are vital to the body. Raw nuts can help lower the LDL (low-density lipoprotein), or “bad” cholesterol level in the blood. It can also reduce risk of blood clots and can improve the healthy lining of arteries.

When nuts are roasted higher than 170 degrees, those disease-fighting fats get broken down into free radicals that do just the opposite; which can contribute to plaque and cardiovascular disease.

Broccoli

Eating raw broccoli, including the chewing process, helps to shatter the special compound enzyme called Myrosinase; which is located in the plant’s cell walls, an enzyme. This increases the ability of our liver to detoxify carcinogens.

Cooking broccoli inactivates the enzyme. Only about a third as much of these special cancer-fighting compounds is present when people eat a steamed broccoli.

Garlic

When raw garlic is being chewed, it produces a DNA-protecting compound called Allicin. Even a minute of cooking, can completely inactivates this enzyme.

Cooked garlic absorbs only a little or none of the protective Allicin compound.

Raw Fruit Juice

Raw fruit juice is definitely better than the ones we buy from stores and groceries, since the latter is always pasteurized.

Pasteurization do not only kill bacteria and preserves the juice, but it also destroys many (if not all) of the vitamins, minerals and enzymes, along with their health-promoting properties.

After all, it is very easy to prepare one at home such as lemonade juice.

Cacao (chocolate)

Raw cacao (chocolate) is very rich in nutrients: essential vitamins and minerals that boost the body’s neurotransmitters, and phyto-chemicals that activate the mood-elevating emotion of “euphoria.”

Cooked cacao, which is found in most chocolate bars and baked goods, has lost much of its nutritional value. When the oils and fats within the cacao bean are heated, they actually can become toxic.