Science Matters Tuesday, February 28, 2023
Raw veggies are not healthier
Availability Bias
Availability bias is when a statement is repeated so often for so long, that because it is more “available” to the hearer; that it is more likely to be assumed true. “Raw veggies are healthier for you” may be one such example of availability bias for a statement that may not be true. We even have evidence that cooked veggies might make them more nutritious.
Harms of Cooking
Cooking decreases levels of vitamin C. Vitamin C is highly unstable; after 2 min of cooking, levels are decreased by 10%; after 30 min., levels decrease by 30%. Cooking, especially overcooking, may decrease levels of other unstable micronutrients.
Benefits of Cooking
- Softens food for chewing and digestion
- Makes food more bioavailable by breaking down cell walls—increases lycopene which is a more powerful antioxidant than vitamin C. (30 min of cooking increases lycopene by 35%)
- Increases levels of beta-carotene (may enhance bioavailability of other nutrients)
- Microwave may actually preserve higher concentrations of some vitamins
EDITORIAL
Comparing healthfulness of raw vs cooked foods is complicated. Unstable nutrients may be destabilized by cooking while other micronutrients are increased by cooking due to breaking down the cell walls of veggies. It can be stated that raw veggies are not intrinsically healthier than cooked vegetables, and the vitamin C that can be lost can be found in abundance in other foods. It can also be stated that comparing harms vs benefits of cooking vegetables, that a strong scientific argument can be made that cooked vegetables appear to be healthier.
REFERENCES
Subramanian, S. “Fact or Fiction: Raw Veggies are healthier than cooked ones.” Scientific American March 31, 2009.