Nine vegetables that are better for you if they are cooked.

Raw food diets, including raw veganism, are a relatively new trend. The idea is that the less processed the food, the better. On the other hand, raw food is not always more healthy. Cooked vegetables are, in fact, more nutritious than raw vegetables. Here are nine examples.

1.     TOMATOES

The antioxidant lycopene in tomatoes is considerably increased by cooking, regardless of the method. Lycopene has been associated to a lower risk of cancer and heart disease, among other chronic conditions. The increased lycopene concentration is due to the heat used to break down the thick cell walls, which contain various vital nutrients.

Although boiling tomatoes lowers their vitamin C level by 29%, it increases their lycopene concentration by more than 50% in just 30 minutes.

2.     ASPARAGUS

Cells are found in all living organisms, and vital nutrients are sometimes trapped within these cell walls in vegetables. When vegetables are cooked, the cell walls break down, releasing nutrients that are easier for the body to absorb. Asparagus' cell walls are broken down during cooking, making vitamins A, B9, C, and E more absorbable.

3.     CARROTS

Cooked carrots have more beta-carotene, a pigment that the body converts to vitamin A, than raw carrots. The immune system, bone growth, and vision are all aided by this fat-soluble vitamin.

Cooking carrots with their skins on more than doubles their antioxidant value. Boil carrots whole before slicing to prevent nutrients from escaping into the cooking water. The amount of carotenoid in carrots is reduced when they are fried.

4.     BELL PEPPERS

Bell peppers are high in antioxidants that support the immune system, particularly carotenoids such as beta-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin, and lutein. Heat breaks down cell membranes, making it easier for your body to absorb carotenoids. When peppers are boiled or steamed, vitamin C is lost because the vitamin can seep out into the water, just like tomatoes. Instead, try roasting them.

5.     BRASSICA

Brassica, Broccoli, cauliflower, and brussels sprouts are high in glucosinolates (sulfur-containing phytochemicals) that the body can convert into a variety of cancer-fighting compounds. An enzyme called myrosinase must be active in certain veggies for these glucosinolates to be transformed into cancer-fighting chemicals.

According to studies, boiling these vegetables maintains both vitamin C and myrosinase, as well as the cancer-fighting chemicals they contain. This myrosinase can also be activated by chopping broccoli and letting it sit for at least 40 minutes before cooking.

Similarly, when sprouts are cooked, they create indole, a chemical that may lower cancer risk. Cooking sprouts also breaks down the glucosinolates into chemicals that have anti-cancer effects.

6.     MUSHROOMS

Ergothioneine, an antioxidant, is plentiful in mushrooms and is released after cooking. Antioxidants help to break down "free radicals," chemicals that can harm cells, cause illness, and accelerate the ageing process.

7.     GREEN BEANS

When green beans are baked, microwaved, griddled, or even fried, they contain more antioxidants than when they are boiled or pressure cooked.

8.     KALE

Enzymes that prevent the body from processing the iodine it needs for the thyroid, which helps control your metabolism, are inhibited when kale is quickly cooked.

Higher temperatures, longer cooking times, and more water cause more nutrients to be lost in all veggies. Because they leach out of vegetables into the cooking water, water-soluble vitamins (C and several of the B vitamins) are the most unstable nutrients when it comes to cooking. Soak them in water as little as possible, cook them with the least quantity of water possible, and utilize other cooking methods such as steaming or roasting. Also, if you have any leftover cooking water, use it in soups or gravies because it retains all of the nutrients that have been leached.

9.     SPINACH

Iron, magnesium, calcium, and zinc, among other minerals, are abundant in spinach. On the other hand, these nutrients are more easily absorbed when spinach is cooked. This is because spinach contains oxalic acid, a substance present in many plants that hinders iron and calcium absorption. The bound calcium in spinach is released when heated, making it easier for the body to absorb.

According to study, Boiling spinach preserves folate (B9) levels, which may reduce the risk of certain cancers.