Is spinach better raw or cooked

Is spinach better raw or cooked

Raw food versus cooked spinach offers a compromise. The Vegetarian Times writes that folic acid, vitamin C, niacin, riboflavin, and potassium are more readily available in raw spinach when eaten raw. Cooking increases vitamins A and E, protein, fiber, zinc, thiamine, calcium and iron, important carotene. Like beta-carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin, it becomes easier to digest when cooking spinach.

Cooked! Cooking vegetables can actually increase your antioxidant content. When heating vegetables, antioxidants are released by destroying cell walls. Research has shown that eating cooked spinach and carrots compared to raw spinach produces a much higher content of beta-carotene, an antioxidant designed to protect against heart disease and lung cancer.

You also get more lutein, an herbal remedy that helps prevent cataracts and macular degeneration when you eat spinach that is cooked raw instead of raw.
Is spinach better raw or cooked

And for certain minerals it's better to eat cooked spinach. Green vegetables such as spinach, green beets, and Swiss mandate are rich in calcium, but their high oxalic acid content binds calcium and reduces their absorption. During cooking, part of the calcium bound to oxalic acid is released. For example, three cups of raw spinach contain 90 milligrams of calcium, while one cup of ripe contains almost three times the amount (259 milligrams). Cooking vegetables also increases the amount of magnesium and iron available to the body.

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But water is your enemy when it comes to cooking vegetables. When cooking vegetables, large amounts of water-soluble nutrients - vitamin C, folic acid, and thiamine (vitamin B1) - dissolve. Burning is more energy efficient because vegetables do not come in contact with boiling water. Dry cooking methods such as grilling, roasting, roasting and microwaves without water also save more nutrients than cooking or fast cooking.

That is, some vegetables are healthier when consumed raw. Cruciferous vegetables such as cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, bok choy and kale contain glucosinolates, which are converted into anticancer agents called isothiocyanates.

The enzymes in cruciferous vegetables convert glucosinolate to isothiocyanate when they are chopped or chewed. However, this enzyme is easily destroyed by heat. This means that heating cruciferous vegetables reduces the conversion of glucosinolate to active isothiocyanates, which can reduce the potential for cancer. You will store more phytochemicals in these vegetables if you cook them instead of cooking them or heating them in the microwave.

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