Raw vegetables vs steamed vegetables

The politics surrounding the ‘”raw vs. cooked” food debate can be confusing, as it draws in broader issues of environmentalism, veganism, celebrity endorsed rawism and the eternal question “is it organic”?  The fact is the scientific jury is still out.

The key recommendation really being that you should eat a diverse combination of both steamed and raw vegetables and according to the World Health Organisation enjoy a “minimum of 400g of fruit and vegetables per day (excluding potatoes) for the prevention of chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes and obesity”. The more specific question of raw vegetables vs. steamed is a good opportunity to look at the varied effects of steaming on a few vegetables – as results are mixed.

First of all though, steaming does not mean torturing spinach for half an hour until grey – as this does significantly reduce nutrients. Similarly, you should not steam using a microwave if you are looking to retain maximum nutritional value. A study in Spain found, after mircowaving a piece of broccoli, that there was a loss of flavonoides (a kind of antioxidant) of 97%.

When you steam carrots and other vegetables such as spinach, asparagus, cabbage and peppers they supply more of the anti-oxidant beta-carotene, which your body converts to the “miracle” vitamin A. However this needs to be traded off against the fact that steaming for example carrots – breaks down the vitamin C.

Cooking broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables like cauliflower and kale forms the compound indole, a phytonutrient that fights precancerous cells before they cause damage and turn malignant. While this is a benefit, cooking these vegetable also damages an enzyme called myrosinase that breaks down into sulforaphane, a compound thought to help prevent cancer and stomach ulcers.

So while you need to keep both the benefits and disadvantages in mind, either way – raw or steamed vegetables are low in fat, high in fibre and a good source of energy.

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We all need to eat more vegetables

Written by Vanessa Mazza