Cooked or Raw?

Like everything else in life. Balance is key in one's eating habits. Cooked and raw vegetables need to be eaten generously. Raw vegetables contain the vitamins and minerals that have not been cooked out. In particular vitamin C which is the most sensitive vitamin to heat. However, studies have shown that people who consume only raw vegetables and fruits actually have lower doses of anti-oxidants and lycopene (a substance found in red produce that is known to help prevent cancer).

Cooking breaks down the fibers and proteins in food, making it easier to digest. An article by a food scientist in ScientificAmerican.com  points out "that the level of one type of lycopene, cis-lycopene, in tomatoes rose 35 percent after he cooked them for 30 minutes at 190.4 degrees Fahrenheit (88 degrees Celsius). The reason, he says: the heat breaks down the plants' thick cell walls and aids the body's uptake of some nutrients that are bound to those cell walls." http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=raw-veggies-are-healthier

Certain vegetables actually release more anti-oxidants when they are cooked than they do when they are raw. Plus, it is easy for the body to digest the nutrients of certain produce when they are served cooked. Carrots in particular have an increased level of beta-carotene once cooked (beta carotene is used by the body to make vitamin A-good for the eyes).

What consumers must be very careful not to eat are fried vegetables. Cooked or steamed vegetables naturally break down enzymes and allow nutrients to be absorbed into the body, but
"deep fried foods are notorious sources of free radicals, caused by oil being continuously oxidized when it is heated at high temperatures. These radicals, which are highly reactive because they have at least one unpaired electron, can injure cells in the body. The antioxidants in the oil and the vegetables get used up during frying in stabilizing the cycle of oxidation." http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=raw-veggies-are-healthier 

So the key? Eat a balanced diet of both raw and steamed produce and avoid fried produce. The changes and breakdowns in some vegetables lead to an increase in some vitamins and minerals and a decrease in others. To maintain a healthy diet-both need to be consumed daily.