Question:

Are raw vegetables healthier than cooked vegetables?

Answer:

It depends on the vegetable and how you cook it, but no, raw vegetables are not always healthier than cooked vegetables. Unfortunately, the pros and cons of eating cooked versus raw vegetables are not clear cut.

Take carrots, for example. Carrots supply the antioxidant beta-carotene, which your body converts to the vitamin A you need for vision, reproduction, bone growth, and a healthy immune system. Studies show that cooked carrots supply more beta-carotene than raw carrots. The same holds true for spinach, asparagus, cabbage, peppers, and many other vegetables, according to these researchers.

On the other hand, boiling carrots leads to a total loss of polyphenols, a group of chemicals that have antioxidant properties and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer. In addition, cooking can destroy some of the vitamin C in carrots and other vegetables because vitamin C is highly unstable and easily degrades when exposed to heat and water. Luckily, so many fruits have vitamin C, it's relatively easy to eat enough fruit to satisfy your daily requirement (75 mg for women and 90 mg for men).

Broccoli may be healthier when eaten raw say researchers who found that heat damages an enzyme called myrosinase You want myrosinase in your broccoli because it breaks down the vegetable's compounds into sulforaphane, which may block and kill precancerous cells. It may also fight Helicobacter pylori, the bacterium that causes ulcers and increases the risk of stomach cancer.

However, cooked broccoli has indole, a phytonutrient in cruciferous vegetables such as cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli, brussels sprouts, and kale. Indole helps kill precancerous cells before they turn malignant, according to one study.

The answer is easier when it come to tomatoes, the best source of lycopene, which is linked to lower risk of heart attack and cancer, particularly prostate cancer. In a 1995 Harvard University study of 47,894 men, researchers found that eating 10 or more servings a week of tomato products was associated with a reduced risk (as much as 34 percent) of prostate cancer.

In a recently published study, men who had the highest amount of lycopene in their body fat were half as likely to suffer a heart attack as those with the least amount of lycopene in their body fat. Researchers have determined that the level of lycopene in body fat is an indicator of lycopene content in the diet.

Tomato products, such as spaghetti sauce, tomato juice, ketchup, and pizza sauce are the major sources of lycopene in the average US diet. Other fruits and vegetables such as watermelon and pink grapefruit also provide lycopene but in smaller amounts. Cooking seems to boost the amount of lycopene in tomatoes, according to this study. Lycopene is better absorbed by the body when it is consumed in processed tomato products, rather than fresh tomatoes.

Cooking fresh tomatoes with a little oil greatly increases lycopene absorption.

Also consider the method you use to cook your vegetables because that affects the nutrients they contain. Researchers who studied various cooking methods found that boiling and steaming preserved antioxidants better than frying. Frying vegetables not only destroyed some of their antioxidant properties but also caused formation of free radicals http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antioxidant that can injure cells in the body. Not to mention that eating fried food also can increase your waistline.

How many servings of vegetables should you eat in a day?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Produce for Better Health Foundation (PBH), have partnered with many other organizations to launch a new public health initiative called Fruits & Veggies - More Matters. The new site offers a calculator to find out how many fruits and vegetables you need each day, based on your daily calories needs. It also has tips on how to include fruits and vegetables in your daily diet and recipes.

The bottom line is that it is healthy to eat about 5 servings of vegetables a day, whether cooked or raw, so prepare them how you like them. Just don't deep fry them or drown them in butter or cheese.

Clean Your Produce

Whether you choose raw or cooked vegetables, be sure to wash them carefully. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reminds consumers that harmful bacteria may be in the soil or water in which produce is grown and can contaminate fruits and vegetables. Fresh produce may become contaminated during cultivation, preparation, or storage, and that can lead to serious illness or infection, so protect yourself and your family by following safe handling tips.

A few highlights:

• Select only fresh-cut produce that is refrigerated or surrounded by ice.
• Purchase produce that is not bruised or damaged.
• Keep perishable produce in a clean refrigerator kept at a temperature of 40 degrees or below.
• Thoroughly wash produce by holding under running water before eating or preparing, whether local or not, organic or conventionally grown.
• Scrub firm produces, such as melons and cucumbers, with a clean produce brush.
• Do not eat raw alfalfa sprouts because of the risk of contamination with salmonella or other bacteria. People at high risk for complications of bacterial infections, such as the elderly, young children, and people with compromised immune systems, should not eat any raw sprouts.

For more tips, visit the FDA's Web site.