Raw vs Cooked Vegetables — Which Is Healthier?

BOTH. Some nutrients increase with cooking, others decrease. Eat a mix of raw AND cooked vegetables for maximum benefit.

Cooking increases lycopene 35-165%. Lycopene is fat-soluble — cook with olive oil for best absorption. 30 min cooking → 2x bioavailable lycopene.

Cooking reduces oxalates (which bind calcium and iron). Cooked spinach = more available calcium, iron, magnesium. But vitamin C drops 50%. Balance: cook some, eat some raw.

Cooking breaks down cell walls → beta-carotene 6.5x more absorbable. Cook with fat (roast with olive oil) for fat-soluble vitamin A absorption.

Cooking breaks down fibrous cell walls → more antioxidants (ferulic acid, folate) become available.

Raw = maximum sulforaphane (anti-cancer compound). Myrosinase enzyme (needed for sulforaphane formation) destroyed by >60°C cooking. Light steam (2-3 min) is a compromise.

Vitamin C is heat-sensitive — 127mg raw → 60-80mg cooked. Eat raw for maximum vitamin C. Cooking still preserves other antioxidants.

Allicin (antimicrobial compound) forms when raw garlic is crushed. Heat destroys the enzyme. Let crushed garlic sit 10 min before cooking to maximize allicin formation.