7 Foods You Should Always Eat RAW For Maximum Benefits
You may be well-informed when it comes to what foods you should avoid eating raw, such as chicken and potatoes. However, you may be surprised to find out that some commonly cooked foods are more nutritious to us when consumed in their raw form. That’s right, cooking some things can actually remove all the nutrients without us even knowing. Here are which foods you should eat raw in order to get the maximum benefit out of them.
Cooking some things can actually remove all the nutrients
Foods You Should Eat Raw
Cooking can lower vitamin levels, lower the nutrient value and completely destroy all benefits you could have gotten if these foods were consumed raw. That’s why today we are going to show you which foods it’s best to keep away from the oven or pan.
Cooking can lower vitamin levels, lower the nutrient value and completely destroy all benefits
#Onions
Onions are packed with health benefits, this includes some big cancer-fighting properties. And all of this is thanks to the high concentration of quercetin. However, once cooked, all the benefits of the phytochemicals are significantly reduced. Not only can onions help fight off cancer, they can also help prevent heart diseases. However, once again, if onions are cooked all the heart-healthy properties can disappear in just thirty minutes in the oven. That’s why it’s recommended to consume onions raw, so you can reap these amazing benefits.
Onions are packed with health benefits
#Blueberries
Berries of all kinds are good for you – strawberries, mulberries, blackberries. However, one kind is a bit better than all the rest and that is blueberries. These little, blue bites are full of powerful antioxidants which are called flavonoids. And eating them raw will ensure you get all these amazing benefits, such as keeping your skin young, fighting off the aging process, protecting against diseases and more. Studies showed that any type of processing blueberries is sure to take away from their full potential, so enjoy them raw.
Berries of all kinds are good for you
#Bell Peppers
Red bell peppers are not only amazing for weight loss, but they also have a ton of benefits, if eaten raw of course. Peppers are among the foods that can really help give a boost to your immune system, as they are high in vitamin C as well. Not only that but red bell peppers are also full of antioxidants, which means they can protect you from the oxidative damage to the cells which lead to diseases. But in order to enjoy these benefits, red bell peppers must be consumed raw.
Red bell peppers are also full of antioxidants
#Garlic
Like onions, garlic also has a ton of antiplatelet agents. However, this also means that all of these properties are affected by heat. Raw garlic is great for your heart health, helps fight cancer, has amazing antibacterial properties and can help fight off any cold. But all of this is lost when it’s cooked, while not all properties are completely lost, they are significantly suppressed and less potent.
Raw garlic is great for your heart health
#Coconut
Drinking coconut water is incredible for you! And it’s a much better choice than the commercial sport drinks. This is because coconuts are packed with electrolytes, and they are one of the most hydrating foods. You just can’t get those benefits by eating dried coconut or cooked coconut. Coconut is also rich in magnesium, potassium and in sodium. All the good stuff.
Drinking coconut water is incredible for you
#Broccoli
This one may seem strange, but it’s true. Broccoli contains a ton of antioxidants, called sulforaphane, which can help with depression, inflammation, cancer, heart disease and type 2 diabetes. All that goodness in these tiny green trees. Studies found that when broccoli is consumed raw, our bodies can absorb the sulforaphane quicker. Not only that, but cooking it lowers broccoli’s benefits as well as its vitamin C levels. If you can’t stand raw broccoli, you can try steaming it, as this method has the least effect on its nutritional properties.
Broccoli contains a ton of antioxidants
#Nuts
While you may love the taste of roasted nuts in salt and oil, you’ll be sad to hear that this process of cooking takes away quite a lot from their nutritional value. Roasting your nuts not only increases the calories, fat, and sodium it also lowers their naturally high magnesium and iron levels. So, while you may enjoy the taste, you really aren’t getting all that much from them in terms of nutrition.
Roasting your nuts only increases the calories, fat, and sodium
These were some foods you should eat raw, so you can get maximum benefits from them. We hope you found this article useful. Now you can and should enjoy these foods raw and know you will be enjoying all of their health benefits.
These were some foods you should eat raw
Sources:
- Reader’s Digest ©
- Medical News Today ©
- Lifehack ©
- Men’s Journal ©
- Healthline ©
- The Healthy ©