Best Body nutrition
Cell out
The other major plus? Increased
digestibility from cooking also
renders some veg more nutritious.
“Often, nutrients are bound to the
cell walls,” says Melanie Waxman,
author of macrobiotic cookbook, Eat
Me Now!. “Heat breaks down these
structures, so those nutrients are
more easily absorbed. Fat-soluble
vitamins in particular, such as A,
D, E and K, are more bio-available
in this way.” What’s more, in some
veg, such as spinach, nutritional
benefits aren’t released at all unless
it’s cooked. “Raw spinach contains
oxalic acid, which prevents the body
from absorbing the vegetable’s rich
iron content. However, heat breaks
down this oxalic acid, making iron
available to the body,” Waxman says.
The nutritional benefits can
be much greater in some cooked
veg and this can have an effect
on long-term health. “Adding heat
to tomatoes boosts the antioxidantlycopene, raising the total
antioxidant capacity by up
to 60 per cent,” says Soutter.
Indeed, a study in the British
Journal of Nutrition found those
who followed a strict raw-food diet
tended to be deficient in lycopene,
which is linked to a lower risk of
cancer and heart attacks.
Cruciferous veg such as cauliflower,
brussels sprouts, asparagus, kale
and cabbage also become healthier
with heat. “When eaten raw, they
can suppress the thyroid gland’s
production of metabolism-
regulating hormones,” explains
Waxman. So what? Well, without
sufficient thyroid hormones, you
may find yourself gaining weight
due to a slowing metabolic rate,
plus you’ll feel tired and constipated.
Cooking cruciferous veg helps those
with irritable bowel syndrome too.
“It breaks down the compound
raffinose, which can cause bloating
and gas,” says Soutter. Double win!Raw fitness
On the other hand, there’s evidence
that suggests eating raw lets you
ingest more of some nutrients,
because heat can deplete or
destroy them. “Cooked veg is lower
in water-soluble vitamins, which
have unstable structures, such as
B vitamins and vitamin C,” says
Soutter. “Boiling can actually lead to
an overall vitamin loss of as much as
60 per cent.” The longer you cook
veg, the more nutrients will be lost,
she adds. A study in the Journal of
Agriculture and Food Chemistry
found that tomatoes cooked for two
minutes contained 10 per cent less31
The most common vegetable
eaten by Australians? Potatoes,
which account for 31 per cent
of our intake. Mash anyone?
Source: Australian Bureau of StatisticsCrunch
time
For those who struggle
to eat raw, try fermenting –
allowing natural bacteria to feed on
the sugar and starch in food over
several weeks. It introduces beneficial
bacteria to your digestive system, which
helps break down the fibres so your
s t o m a c h h a s v e r y l i t t l e w o r k t o d o.
“Fermented foods increase the number
of digestive enzymes in your gut,
helping you absorb more nutrients.
Some, such as sauerkraut, have
p a r t i c u l a r l y h i g h l e v e l s o f
vitamin C, too,” says
Waxman.
GET PEELSEPTEMBER 2017 womenshealth.com.au 35