Tag: Raw food vs cooked

Did you know a cucumber is 95% water? This high water content makes it a hydrating and refreshing food, but when considering if cucumber is healthier, cooked or raw, the answer depends on which nutrients you want to maximize.

While some proponents of raw food diets argue that cooking is detrimental, a 2017 study found that eating home cooked meals frequently was associated with better dietary quality, lower adiposity, and markers of improved cardio-metabolic health. So, are cooked foods healthy? The science reveals a nuanced answer, where the method matters as much as the ingredients.

According to evolutionary biology research, cooking significantly increased the amount of energy our ancestors could absorb from food, an adaptation linked to larger brains. So, does cooking food reduce the number of calories? The answer is nuanced, depending entirely on the food and preparation method.