Health Benefits of Eating Heated Food

Recent diet trends have made eating raw foods appear like the best or only way to consume fruits, vegetables, and even meats. Some research has indicated that cooking foods may actually break down some of the enzymes that make it easy to digest food, as well as removing some of the nutritional content from foods.

However, cooking foods actually have many benefits as well. For thousands of years, humans have cooked food. It is our natural instinct to cook foods, and new research is starting to show many of the benefits of cooking food. Take a look at some of the many benefits that cooking food can bring:

Cooking kills germs and toxins

Obviously cooking kills toxins in food, whether it is from bacteria, living organisms, or other unwanted compounds in food. During the cooking process, protease inhibitors are also negated. When food is cooked, becomes easier to digest and break down in the body. Cooking also makes the remaining nutrients in food easier to harvest and use. For example, when you cook vegetables, compounds like polyphenols and carotenoids are easier to digest and use. Some foods, like grain and nuts, even have anti-nutrients when they are raw. Cooking these foods makes them possible to digest properly and also eliminates the anti-nutrients.

Cooking makes it possible to eat more foods

Some foods, like kale, can actually disrupt thyroid hormone production. These foods are called crucifers and include broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, mustard, turnips, and Brussels sprouts. These vegetables block thyroid peroxidase, which slows the function of the thyroid. When these foods are cooked, their thyroid-blocking powers are reduced.

Cooking foods increase energy

When a person consumes raw food, it takes more energy to break it down. When you eat cooked food, it is easier to use the energy inside the food, and a net gain of energy is seen. In one study, 50 percent of women who ate a completely raw diet did not menstruate. The study concluded that women did not have a regular cycle due to low energy in the body.

Cooking makes food easier to digest

No matter what foods you are eating, when cooked, the food is easier to eat and digest. This is especially true of meat. Tenderizing meat, curing meat, and drying meat all break down the walls of the cells and make it easier to process and digest in the body. When the meat is easier to process in the body, it means we can eat more of it, which leads to a higher concentration of protein in the body, which is necessary for the growth and overall health of the body. Slow-cooked foods often are the easiest to digest and absorb into the body.

There are many benefits to cooking food. While it is a good idea to eat a balanced diet of raw and cooked foods, the kinds of foods that you choose to eat raw or cooked matter. Microwave cooking is one way to cook a variety of foods quickly. You can look at microwave reviews online to determine the best microwave to suit your cooking needs.