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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
Sarah,
I seem to be quoting George Carlin lately…
“Never argue with idiots, they will only drag you down to their level, and beat you with experience”
To Geraldine, Jump, et al… get an education in nutritional science, human biochemistry, and reasoning, then come back and we might have an intelligent discussion… until then, continue buying into the government-sponsored CON AGRA/ BIG PHARMA bullshit.
MR PALEO
SPAM HAS MORE INFORMATIONAL VALUE THAN THE ORIGINAL POST.
“EAT SOME MEAT” Really??
Well, I must say, I’d choose a little gas over a coronary ANY DAY.
BTW raw foodies who dehydrate at low temps or blanch their veggies to expel toxins, increase digestibility and enhance nutrient content without killing valuable enzymes, still consider this raw because it is UNCOOKED.
You lost me at cook your vegetables in butter. What a joke. Ha! and yes I’ve read the comments
What if i use raw collard greens in my smoothies?
Ha! I love the amount of people on here, claiming what REAL science is. How many of you are actually scientists? Or even food scientists/nutritionists? The fact of the matter is that there are studies to support both sides of the fence when it comes to diets and what is good/bad for you. One study can show one food is great for you then another will come along and show it isn’t so great for you. Nothing is all that concrete in the world of nutrition unfortunately so none of you should be toting anything as fact, especially since I assume none of you commenters (or very few of you) are actual scientists or have actually read any actual scientific journal articles. At the end of the day people can survive and reproduce living on the crappiest rubbish junk food, smoking and drinking their whole lives. They may have health issues along the way, but they can still survive (I have numerous family members who fit this bill). It doesn’t mean those diet choices are good for health, or good for animal welfare or good for the planet overall.
Stacey,
Yes, what you say has some truth to it… however, some of us ARE professionals, and do care about saying current with the available science…
Arnold Wiseman (on LinkedIn)
Stacey, you sound pretty ignorant about everything. Why should we care about our health when we can survive eating whatever we want? Why should we care about animals? We are obviously superior to them. We might kill the planet but who cares we won’t like so long to know about it.
Every so called diet has a proof that it works right some fat doctor telling you this or that is good for you. Sorry but most of the people who are trying to help you are doing it for the money and don’t really care about your health.
This article saying that raw veggies are bad for you, but tells you eat meat and dip your veggies in butter they are more healthy this way … I have to laugh.
It’s like don’t eat too many bananas because of the potassium …. but do you know how many you would have to actually eat and how fast to be dangerous to you?
Eat your veggies raw or steamed if you like, but don’t eat the same stuff over and over. Have some variety in your eating habits. Cut the crap out from your diet! No processed foods and go vegan. There are so many health benefits in vegan lifestyle..if you do it the healthy way. If you live compassionate lifestyle and yes its better for you, for the animals and for the planet too. I’m healthy and my food doesn’t have to suffer or diet for me to eat it. Peace and love.
Thank you and well said! This article was a complete joke to me, starting from the part where she tells raw vegans to eat meat. Every green in the world has a toxin to some degree and it’s Nature’s intelligent way of getting you to rotate your foods and not eat the same thing all the time so that you can get you can get your complete nutrients from VARIETY. This is why it’s ideal to eat according to the season and what your local environment has available for that season.
Wow! This post sure stirred up the pot, didn’t it? There is an overload of information on the web and the search for the truth can easily get muddled and confusing. I’m not a doctor. I’m not a scientist. I just want to be healthy. It comes down to, IMHO, a matter of preference and what works best for my body. Not everyone can tolerate milk. Not everyone can tolerate gluten. Some are perfectly healthy no matter their diet. I eat mostly vegetables, I like dairy, and I enjoy a small piece of meat now and then. Some veggies are raw, some are baked, and some are blended raw. For me it’s finding the balance and listening to my body. Let’s try just to do the best we can for ourselves, whatever form that takes – and be kind to each other.
Hi Sarah, thanks for the informative article! I understand that cruciferous vegetables should be cooked first, but what about sauerkraut? Are cruciferous veggies OK if fermented? I hope they are, as I LOVE sauerkraut!
Unfortunately, fermenting does not reduce goitrogens in crucifers. If you have normal thyroid function and are eating an iodine rich diet, for example, including grassfed butter, then you should be fine with enjoying your sauerkraut 🙂
Thank you for this article! It’s nice to have clarity on this issue that I’ve been wondering about for a while, especially since the documentaries on Netflix like Foodmatters and Hungry for Change push a raw food diet. Thanks again!