Family Encyclopedia >> Food

Raw or cooked, what difference does it make?

Fruits and vegetables

Crus. We take full advantage of their nutrients. Indeed, vitamins – in particular C, B1, B5, B9, B12 – and, to a lesser extent, certain minerals and lipids (omega 3) are sensitive to heat and soluble in water and/or fat. Thus, 90 % of vitamin C can disappear during cooking. For example, the vitamin C content of raw cauliflower is 50mg and is only 28mg after 20 min of cooking. What's more, raw vegetables are more satisfying, since you have to chew more and their fibers swell in the stomach.

Cooked. Cooking softens them and makes them easier to digest, because the fibers they contain can irritate the intestines and promote bloating. In terms of micronutrients, only the tomato is more interesting cooked, since it produces a powerful antioxidant. Moreover, the longer you cook, the more the slow sugars, which satiate, are transformed into fast sugars, which make you fat.

Meat and fish

Crus. When raw, these foods contain enzymes that facilitate their assimilation, but we will favor organic and hygiene in the kitchen must be irreproachable. For homemade sushi, the fish is frozen first, to kill any parasites.

Cooked. Heat (thus cooking) destroys microbes,
salmonella and other staphylococci. Cooked meat and fish are also easier to digest.

Thanks to Gilles Dreux, dietician at the Carnac thalassotherapy center (www.thalasso-carnac.com).