I help people achieve and maintain health through nutrition for gut health. So, my verdict is going to come from a gut health perspective. What’s better for your gut microbiome? Read on.
Why do we cook FOOD in general? A few reasons. Cooking food breaks down fibre, denatures proteins and makes it easier to digest, flavours are released improving taste, increased bioavailability of nutrients and better absorption), safety reasons, texture. It’s also true that some nutrients are heat sensitive and cooking will cause loss of those nutrients.
To understand what’s better for 'my gut', let’s consider what’s happening in the human gut microbiome. I am specific when saying 'human gut microbiome' because we actually have microbes all over us and in us!!! We are constantly interacting with the microbes in our environment. In fact, you might be shocked to learn, for every 1 human cell we have TEN bacterial cells! We are outnumbered.
If we feed them right, gut microbes WORK FOR US! How? Well, they thrive on fibre. When we consume foods which contain fibre, we feed our microbes. They eat the fibre and produce beneficial chemicals called short chain fatty acids (SCFA). These SCFA travel throughout our body and keep us happy and healthy. Our gut microbes work for us, if we feed them fibre!
Fibre is found in all plant based foods including grains, fruit, vegetables, beans, legumes, nuts and seeds. So, what happens if we don't feed our gut microbes fibre and how does this answer the questions of raw vs cooked veggies? I’m getting there.
When we cook vegetables fibre is broken down which makes them easier to digest. Think about this: eating a bowl full of fresh celery, carrot, capsicum sticks and spinach vs. eating a bowl full of the same vegetables but cooked. The cooked vegetables are going to shrink and be much easier to consume! You also might not feel as stuffed or bloated afterwards.
When we eat cooked vegetables the microbes in the ascending colon will be fed well. The microbes in the transverse colon will be fighting for survival and the microbes in the descending colon will be starving. So, what feeds the microbes in the descending colon? I’ll give you a clue. Raw vegetables. Yes, that was the answer. Raw vegetables are a bit harder to digest as the fibres haven't been broken down through the cooking process. As a result, fibre will make its way to the descending colon and feed the microbes!
Remember, keeping our microbes fed makes sure they work for us by producing SCFA, which keep us happy and healthy. Take home message: Eat a variety of cooked and raw vegetables for optimal health benefits.
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