Tag: Cooking food

Earliest archaeological evidence from Ethiopia indicates our ancestors were butchering animals with stone tools as far back as 2.6 million years ago. This initial foray into carnivory marks the beginning of the long evolutionary journey to understand when did eating meat become common.

While the fundamental caloric value of food doesn't change when cooked in a lab, your body's ability to extract energy from it often does. The real question isn't about the food's total potential energy, but rather the net energy your body can absorb during digestion, which cooking significantly influences.

Over 48 million people in the U.S. fall ill from foodborne diseases each year, and consuming raw meat is a significant contributing factor. While our ancient ancestors ate raw meat, modern dietary and food production factors have profoundly altered the safety equation for humans today.

Raw potatoes contain naturally occurring toxic compounds called glycoalkaloids, which are more concentrated in green or sprouted potatoes. So, what will happen if you eat a raw potato? While a small, fresh piece may cause no harm, consuming a larger quantity can lead to unpleasant digestive and neurological symptoms.

According to nutrition experts, raw weight is the most consistent and accurate method for tracking macronutrients. When it comes to determining how to measure protein intake, raw or cooked, the key difference lies in the food's water content, which changes significantly during the cooking process.

In a 2005 study on long-term raw food dieters, participants showed favorable cholesterol levels but also elevated plasma homocysteine, indicating the need for careful consideration. This and other research delves into the question: Can humans thrive on a raw food diet?

According to a study conducted by the Free University of Bozen, some cooking methods can actually increase the antioxidant content in apples, challenging the common belief that cooking always diminishes nutrition.

According to the CDC, approximately 48 million people get sick from a foodborne illness each year in the United States alone. Cooking food makes it safer to eat primarily by using heat to kill harmful bacteria, viruses, and parasites that can cause serious illness.

According to a study in the *Journal of Human Evolution*, cooking food helped our ancestors extract more energy, fuelling the evolution of our large brains. So, how does cooking food affect the body today, and what are the surprising benefits and potential drawbacks?

While the average American eats less than 10% of the recommended daily vegetables, some enthusiasts advocate for an all-raw diet. However, experts caution that while eating more fresh produce is beneficial, it is possible to eat too much raw food, potentially causing a range of health issues from nutrient deficiencies to serious infections.