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Conventional belief is that raw vegetables are always healthier than cooked, but this is not true depending on the plant foods eaten according to lab testing and anthropological evidence by experts in the field.
I stopped by one of my favorite healthfood stores today to pick up a large glass of fresh juice made from organic raw vegetables for an early lunch on the go. As usual, I asked for the a carrot, celery, beet, spinach and cucumber blend. But, hold the spinach. I definitely skipped the green smoothie too!
While this request is usually met with a simple nod by the juice bar attendant, this time the guy looks up and says, “Why no spinach? We have a lot of people that come in here and love the spinach in their juice.”
Ah! Great question!
The truth is that not everything should be eaten raw, especially vegetables!
Some raw vegetables must be cooked else you are actually harming yourself. Below is a rundown of what veggies should not be eaten raw either in whole or juiced form.
Cruciferous Raw Vegetables
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but cruciferous vegetables should be cooked before eating as they contain chemicals that BLOCK the production of thyroid hormone in your body! Considering that 2 out of every 3 Westerners are either overweight or obese and this is projected to jump to 75% by 2020, this is of particular importance as folks struggling with weight usually suffer from borderline to full-blown hypothyroidism.
Hypothyroidism is a condition where the thyroid gland does not make enough thyroid hormone, so someone suffering from this condition surely does not want to be eating foods that will block what little thyroid hormone is being produced in the first place!
Symptoms of hypothyroidism include cold hands and feet, thinning hair, fatigue, reduced or nonexistent libido, coarse dry hair, constipation, difficulty losing weight, and depression among many others.
Cooking crucifers reduces the goitrogenic substances by about 2/3. Fermentation does not reduce goitrogens in these veggies, but since fermented crucifers such as sauerkraut are typically eaten as a condiment and, hence, in small amounts, consumption is fine if the diet is rich in iodine.
Here is the list of common cruciferous vegetables that you do not want to be eating raw if you want to protect your thyroid gland!
Arugula, broccoli, kale, maca root, cauliflower, cabbage, turnip, collard greens, bok choy, brussels sprouts, radish, rutabaga, and watercress.
Notice that many of these vegetables are commonly included in fresh veggie juice blends or in salads. While an occasional arugula salad or cup of coleslaw is not going to do harm to most folks, it would be wise not to make a habit of eating/drinking any of these vegetables in raw form. Kale chips are a safe choice too.
Raw Vegetable Greens
Some veggie greens contain a chemical called oxalic acid. This substance is a very irritating to the mouth and intestinal tract. It also blocks iron and calcium absorption and may contribute to the formation of kidney stones.
The good news is that oxalic acid is reduced by a light steaming or cooking. Just be sure to discard the vegetable cooking water.
Veggies containing oxalic acid include spinach, chard, parsley, chives, purslane and beet greens.
Hmmmm. Spinach is known for being high in iron, yet eating it raw will not necessarily give you the iron you want because of the oxalic acid?
Yep, that’s right. Cook that spinach first if you are seeking an iron boost without the indigestion and don’t get hooked on the raw spinach salads!
Don’t stress about munching the parsley garnish on your next gourmet dinner, though. A little bit here and there is not going to cause a problem. Eat a big spinach salad everyday and it is virtually certain you will eventually succumb to kidney stones, according to Dr. William Shaw, Director of The Great Plains Laboratory for Health, Nutrition and Metabolism.
Other Raw Vegetable Cautions
Other vegetables that are best to avoid eating raw include:
- Raw potatoes contain hemagglutinins that disrupt red blood cell function.
- Raw sweet potatoes will give you gas.
- Raw, edible mushrooms such as the common white mushroom contain toxic substances such as agaritine, a suspected carcinogen. These substances are heat sensitive and are neutralized by cooking.
- Raw alfalfa sprouts are mildly toxic and inhibit the immune system. Eating large quantities regularly can make the skin overly sensitive to the sun or trigger autoimmune symptoms that mimic lupus.
Dr. Weston A. Price on Raw Vegetables
A good rule of thumb when considering the best way to consume your veggies is to remember the letter that Dr. Weston A. Price wrote to his nieces and nephews in 1934. In this letter, he strongly urged them to eat their vegetables cooked in butter. His research found that the bulkiness (fiber) of raw vegetables interfered with the human body’s ability to extract minerals from them via the digestive process.
So, should you drink your veggies raw? Of course. Raw vegetable juice made from veggies that are safe to consume uncooked is a wonderful way to get a fast infusion of easy to digest, colloidal minerals. It is also highly alkalizing to the body and a proven way to gently detox the gut.
The great thing about veggie juice is that the fiber is removed, which is the “bulkiness” that Dr. Price found interfered with the mineral absorption.
However, if you are going to eat the fibrous portion of the vegetable, it is best to cook them in butter as advised by Dr. Price to enhance the availability of the minerals. The fat in the butter permits greater absorption of the minerals, and besides, buttered veggies taste fantastic!
References
Nourishing Traditions
The Role of Oxalates in Chronic Disease, William Shaw PhD (Director of The Great Plains Laboratory for Health, Nutrition and Metabolism)
More Information
Best Green Juice for Congestion
Nightshade Vegetable Contraindications
Cleansing Myths
Since when did we evolve to eat cooked anything? Cooking is choice, not nature. All foods have natural toxins and all animals that eat vegetation have natural antitoxins to deal with them. Eat plenty of raw food and never listen to those who tell you to cook everything! Pasta, yes. Potatoes, maybe. But not cabbage of broccoli or even spinach. If you must, steam. Don’t boil, don’t fry. Thanks.
I’m actually glad I found this article, although as some others have said, it is just absolutely exhausting trying to keep up with what is healthy and what is not.
I am 32 years old and have been a vegetarian since I was 12. I don’t crave meat – ever. (And that is completely honest – I do stop and think about whether or not I want it on a regular basis). I was vegan on and off, but that did not work for me. High-raw made me feel absolutely miserable and I now think I know why. Lately I’ve been eating more and more organic, pastured butter, cheese, and eggs. I really like the way I feel when I eat those things. I do think I’ll start cooking my kale and other cruciferous vegetables, though. I do eat a lot of raw cabbage – maybe that’s not such a good thing. And I had a green smoothie with spinach for breakfast. Maybe that’s not such a good thing, either.
Thanks for the food for thought. It’s just so, so frustrating always getting new and contradicting information, though.
the truth about man (??) is that like the other species, we should only be eating a few things. We have, over time, forgotten what those things were. If something is not agreeable to you that is a sign to leave it alone. keep leaving things alone til you have those few things and water that work for you. Every single plant can provide pretty much every nutrient you need.
He’s right – some things must be cooked. However cooking, while making things easier to digest and can kill harmful toxins, it also destroy nutrients. You can’t have it both ways. For nutrients, raw is the only way to get them. If it means searching for those few plants that are harmless then so be it. Many mammals exist on few vegetations and water.
This is an excellent article. I just wanted to point out one thing, though. Sally Fallon (author of Nourishing Traditions) does not recommend juicing. It’s not something that traditional societies practiced anyway. It’s OK to do it occasionally, but juicing really should not be a regular part of one’s diet.
I’m quite happy someone wrote this so thank you for this blog post. You see, I was having thyroid issues, Hashimoto’s which is autoimmune (and common), when I’d heard that people were ridding themselves of autoimmune conditions by juicing, namely the writer of the documentary “Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead.” If you have 1 autoimmune condition, you are likely to have or develop others and that was true in my case, I developed autoimmune issues affecting my skin and it seemed every few years another autoimmune issue would pop up. I’d had enough and decided to try juicing.
The number one thing they say is to juice fresh leafy greens, such as kale and spinach, so I ran to my local health food store and stocked up on organic fruit and veg for juicing. I would drink about 32 ounces of fresh juice daily, using the “mean green” recipe which is celery, cucumbers, apples, spinach and kale with lemon and ginger for flavor enhancing. The drink tasted delicious and I thought wow, I’m on my way to radiant health.
WRONG! Within a few weeks I developed tightness and pain in my throat and upon thyroid palpitation felt multiple nodules and an enlargement of the right side of my thyroid. I palpate my thyroid quite often so I know these nodules weren’t there prior to juicing. So I did some research and found out that if you have thyroid issues, you should not eat raw cruciferous vegetables or drink juice from raw cruciferous vegetables.
I wish I’d known that before-hand because it made my thyroid issues worse not better. I find people completely irresponsible, i.e Joe Cross. I know he meant well but he should have done HIS research so that he could tell viewers of the documentary that if you have thyroid issues you should NEVER drink juice from raw cruciferous vegetables. Why does everyone think everything is best raw? WRONG!
If you think raw broccoli is going to cause people to gain weight, you’re an idiot.
Youre the idiot because she NEVER said raw broccoli was going to cause weight gain. She said that people with thyroid issues (which is common in overweight people) should NOT ear or drink raw cruciferous vegetables because it could exasperate their condition. AND THIS IS TRUE AS I HAD TO FIND OUT FIRST HAND!!! I have a thyroid disorder and it was exasperated after I drank 32 ounces of raw green juice daily for several weeks. I developed a multinodular goiter.And if you look up Multinodular goiter on medical sites, such as MayoClinic.com under causes of Multinodular goiters, crucifereous vegetables are CLEARLY listed. You can look on ANY medical site you dumb ass. Educate yourself!
She’s aiming this at everyone though. Sure, if you have a thyroid issue then so be it. You know what works and what doesn’t. Generally saying it’s bad for everyone is clearly wrong.
It does seem to me, Adam, that you know nothing about detox whatsoever. Any body tissues can be assisted in the elimination of wastes, which may accumulate due to tension, lack of movement, poor circulation, and a diet which does not offer a variety of fibers and fluids. If you would “love” to see proof of tissue cleansing, I suggest you take the time to read books on the subject, and to study natural healing with living teachers who practice this healing tool.
The simple process of increased elimination of accumulated matter in the gut, facilitated by increased liver/gallbladder function (release of bile, for example) is an example of detoxfication at work. Removal of accumulated fecal matter, parasites, and other more abstract tissue accumulations can be observed and measured, and felt within the body as increased vitality, clearing of skin, and improved systems function.
I ate too many raw green’s is there anyway to help stop the stomach pain its killing me 🙁