Is raw food healthier than cooked food?

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Cooking food can improve the taste but also change the content of nutrients. For example, some vitamins are lost when food is cooked, while others are more available for the body to use. So what are the benefits of raw and cooked foods?

1. Diet using raw food

Raw food that has not been cooked or processed nor subjected to heat. This diet usually includes fermented foods, sprouted grains, nuts and raw fruits, in addition to raw fruits and vegetables.
Many vegans, vegetarians or vegans, have eliminated animal products from their diets and mainly eat plant foods. However, a few still consume raw dairy products, fish and even raw meat.
Most of these people think that raw food is more nutritious than cooked food, because enzymes and some nutrients are destroyed during cooking and cooked food is really toxic.
Although eating raw fruits and vegetables offers some benefits to the body, there are also some potential problems with a raw food diet.
It is very difficult to follow a strict raw food diet and the number of people who follow an all raw diet for a long time is very small. Furthermore to remove bacteria and microorganisms in some foods need to be done by cooking. Diets made entirely of raw foods including fish and meat carry an increased risk of developing foodborne illness.

2. Cooking can destroy enzymes in food

When food is ingested, digestive enzymes in the body help break it down into molecules that can be absorbed. However, the enzyme is very sensitive to heat and is easily deactivated when exposed to high temperatures. In fact, nearly all enzymes are inactivated at temperatures above 47°C. This can be considered as one of the main arguments in favor of a raw food diet. When a food's enzymes are changed during cooking, your body needs more enzymes to digest it.

Those who favor a raw food diet say that this puts a lot of pressure on the body and can lead to enzyme deficiencies. However, there are currently no studies to clarify this.
Some studies suggest that the main purpose of enzymes in food is to nourish the growth of plants, not to help humans digest them. Moreover, the human body will produce the necessary enzymes to digest food, and the body will absorb and secrete some enzymes, making it impossible to digest food leading to enzyme deficiency. However, science has yet to prove any adverse health effects of eating foods cooked with denatured enzymes.

3. Some water-soluble vitamins are lost during cooking

Some nutrients in foods are easily neutralized or may leak out of foods during cooking. Water-soluble vitamins, such as vitamin C and vitamin B, are especially easy to lose during cooking.
In fact, boiling vegetables can reduce the content of water-soluble vitamins by up to 50-60%. Some of the minerals and vitamin A found in foods are also lost during cooking, although to a lesser extent. Fat-soluble vitamins such as vitamins D, E and K are mostly unaffected by cooking.
Boiling loses the most nutrients, while other cooking methods help preserve the nutritional content of food more effectively. Steaming, roasting, and sautéing are some of the best methods of cooking vegetables to retain nutrients.
The length of time a food is exposed to heat is a factor that affects its nutrient content. The longer food is cooked, the more nutrients are lost.

4. Cooked food can be easier to chew and digest

Chewing is an important first step in the digestive process. Chewing helps break down large food particles into smaller particles that can be digested by the body. When food is not chewed properly, it will make it more difficult for the body to digest and can lead to symptoms of gas and bloating.
Cooked foods in general also help improve the smell, aroma and help you eat a lot more delicious. Although the number of people who eat raw meat consuming raw meat is small, it is easier to chew and digest when cooked.
Properly processed grains and legumes not only improve digestibility but also reduce the amount of antinutrients in them. Antinutrients are compounds that inhibit the body's ability to absorb nutrients when using plant foods.

5. Cooking increases the antioxidant capacity of some vegetables

Studies have shown that heat-affected vegetables can increase food antioxidants such as beta-carotene and lutein. Beta-carotene is a powerful antioxidant that the body converts to vitamin A. Beta-carotene plays a role in reducing the risk of heart disease.
The antioxidant lycopene is more easily absorbed by the body when using cooked food instead of raw food. Lycopene has been linked to a reduced risk of prostate cancer in men and a reduced risk of heart disease.
Some studies show that cooking tomatoes reduces vitamin C content by 29%, while their lycopene content more than doubles within 30 minutes of cooking. Thus, the antioxidant capacity of tomatoes increased by more than 60%. Or in some other studies, it also shows that cooking foods such as carrots, broccoli .. can increase antioxidant capacity and content of plant compounds.
Antioxidants are important because they protect the body from harmful molecules called free radicals. A diet rich in antioxidants is associated with a reduced risk of chronic disease..

6. Cooking kills harmful bacteria and microorganisms

It's better to eat some foods that have been cooked, as raw versions can contain harmful bacteria. When cooked, these bacteria are destroyed, so a cooked diet is always recommended.
However, with fruits and vegetables, if eaten raw, they will provide more nutrients, but must ensure food safety and hygiene for these fruits and vegetables. Spinach, lettuce, tomatoes, and raw sprouts are some of the vegetables most commonly contaminated with bacteria.
Raw foods such as: meat, fish, eggs and dairy often contain bacteria that can cause illness. E.coli, Salmonella, Listeria and Campylobacter bacteria most commonly can be found in raw foods.
Most bacteria cannot survive at temperatures above 60°C. This means that cooking effectively kills bacteria and reduces the risk of foodborne illness.
Do not use raw or unprocessed foods such as meat, eggs or milk. If you choose to eat these foods raw, make sure your foods are fresh and buy them from a trusted source.

7. Eaten raw or cooked may depend on the food

It is not possible to have a complete diet of raw or cooked foods. Because both raw and cooked fruits and vegetables have many health benefits, including a reduced risk of chronic disease. The truth to healthy eating whether food should be eaten raw or cooked can depend on the food.
7.1 Healthy Raw Foods Broccoli: Raw broccoli contains three times more sulforaphane, a cancer-fighting plant compound, than cooked broccoli. Cabbage: Cooked cabbage destroys the enzyme tyrosinase, which plays a role in preventing cancer. If you cook cabbage using heat, try to reduce the heat exposure time of the cabbage to help retain the most nutrients. Onions: Raw onions are an anti-platelet agent, which contributes to the prevention of heart disease. When using heat, impact will reduce these substances in onions. Garlic: Raw garlic contains a lot of sulfur that has an anti-cancer role. When using heat, impact will reduce destruction of sulfur compounds. 7.2 Healthy Cooked Foods Asparagus: Cooking asparagus breaks down fibrous cell walls making folate and vitamins A, C and E available to be absorbed. Mushrooms: Using heat to cook mushrooms helps break down agaritine, a potential carcinogen found in mushrooms. At the same time, causes the release of ergothioneine in the antioxidant mushroom. Spinach: The nutrients in spinach such as iron, magnesium, calcium and zinc are absorbed more when the vegetables are cooked. Tomatoes: The antioxidant lycopene in tomatoes increases significantly when tomatoes are cooked. Carrots: Carrots are high in beta-carotene when cooked. Potatoes: Cooked potatoes will help digest starch in the digestive system better. Legumes: Raw or undercooked beans contain dangerous toxins called lectins. The process of soaking and cooking will help remove this toxin. Meat, fish and poultry: Raw meat, fish and poultry can contain bacteria that can cause food-borne illnesses. Cooking raw, animal-based foods kills harmful bacteria.
In short, some foods are more nutritious when eaten raw, while others are better when cooked. To follow a healthy diet, eat a variety of nutritious raw and cooked foods.

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Reference source: healthline.com