Do you loose the beneficial nutrients of food by cooking it?
That’s a complex question. When you boil vegetables, you discard some of the vitamin content with the cooking water (this is why soups are so good for you). The same is true of people who cook rice this way. Rice should be cooked in double the amount of water so that all water is absorbed and nothing is discarded. Nutrients are best retained by steaming or by stir-frying. So are raw vegetables better for you? By and large, yes. On the other hand, some nutrients are not accessible to us until they are broken down by heat (i.e. cooking). Dry beans actually contain a toxin that is rendered harmless by cooking. And the value of tomatoes in preventing prostate cancer applies only to cooked tomatoes. As I said…good question but a complex one!
