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Conventional belief is that raw vegetables are always healthier than cooked, but this is not true depending on the plant foods eaten according to lab testing and anthropological evidence by experts in the field.
I stopped by one of my favorite healthfood stores today to pick up a large glass of fresh juice made from organic raw vegetables for an early lunch on the go. As usual, I asked for the a carrot, celery, beet, spinach and cucumber blend. But, hold the spinach. I definitely skipped the green smoothie too!
While this request is usually met with a simple nod by the juice bar attendant, this time the guy looks up and says, “Why no spinach? We have a lot of people that come in here and love the spinach in their juice.”
Ah! Great question!
The truth is that not everything should be eaten raw, especially vegetables!
Some raw vegetables must be cooked else you are actually harming yourself. Below is a rundown of what veggies should not be eaten raw either in whole or juiced form.
Cruciferous Raw Vegetables
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but cruciferous vegetables should be cooked before eating as they contain chemicals that BLOCK the production of thyroid hormone in your body! Considering that 2 out of every 3 Westerners are either overweight or obese and this is projected to jump to 75% by 2020, this is of particular importance as folks struggling with weight usually suffer from borderline to full-blown hypothyroidism.
Hypothyroidism is a condition where the thyroid gland does not make enough thyroid hormone, so someone suffering from this condition surely does not want to be eating foods that will block what little thyroid hormone is being produced in the first place!
Symptoms of hypothyroidism include cold hands and feet, thinning hair, fatigue, reduced or nonexistent libido, coarse dry hair, constipation, difficulty losing weight, and depression among many others.
Cooking crucifers reduces the goitrogenic substances by about 2/3. Fermentation does not reduce goitrogens in these veggies, but since fermented crucifers such as sauerkraut are typically eaten as a condiment and, hence, in small amounts, consumption is fine if the diet is rich in iodine.
Here is the list of common cruciferous vegetables that you do not want to be eating raw if you want to protect your thyroid gland!
Arugula, broccoli, kale, maca root, cauliflower, cabbage, turnip, collard greens, bok choy, brussels sprouts, radish, rutabaga, and watercress.
Notice that many of these vegetables are commonly included in fresh veggie juice blends or in salads. While an occasional arugula salad or cup of coleslaw is not going to do harm to most folks, it would be wise not to make a habit of eating/drinking any of these vegetables in raw form. Kale chips are a safe choice too.
Raw Vegetable Greens
Some veggie greens contain a chemical called oxalic acid. This substance is a very irritating to the mouth and intestinal tract. It also blocks iron and calcium absorption and may contribute to the formation of kidney stones.
The good news is that oxalic acid is reduced by a light steaming or cooking. Just be sure to discard the vegetable cooking water.
Veggies containing oxalic acid include spinach, chard, parsley, chives, purslane and beet greens.
Hmmmm. Spinach is known for being high in iron, yet eating it raw will not necessarily give you the iron you want because of the oxalic acid?
Yep, that’s right. Cook that spinach first if you are seeking an iron boost without the indigestion and don’t get hooked on the raw spinach salads!
Don’t stress about munching the parsley garnish on your next gourmet dinner, though. A little bit here and there is not going to cause a problem. Eat a big spinach salad everyday and it is virtually certain you will eventually succumb to kidney stones, according to Dr. William Shaw, Director of The Great Plains Laboratory for Health, Nutrition and Metabolism.
Other Raw Vegetable Cautions
Other vegetables that are best to avoid eating raw include:
- Raw potatoes contain hemagglutinins that disrupt red blood cell function.
- Raw sweet potatoes will give you gas.
- Raw, edible mushrooms such as the common white mushroom contain toxic substances such as agaritine, a suspected carcinogen. These substances are heat sensitive and are neutralized by cooking.
- Raw alfalfa sprouts are mildly toxic and inhibit the immune system. Eating large quantities regularly can make the skin overly sensitive to the sun or trigger autoimmune symptoms that mimic lupus.
Dr. Weston A. Price on Raw Vegetables
A good rule of thumb when considering the best way to consume your veggies is to remember the letter that Dr. Weston A. Price wrote to his nieces and nephews in 1934. In this letter, he strongly urged them to eat their vegetables cooked in butter. His research found that the bulkiness (fiber) of raw vegetables interfered with the human body’s ability to extract minerals from them via the digestive process.
So, should you drink your veggies raw? Of course. Raw vegetable juice made from veggies that are safe to consume uncooked is a wonderful way to get a fast infusion of easy to digest, colloidal minerals. It is also highly alkalizing to the body and a proven way to gently detox the gut.
The great thing about veggie juice is that the fiber is removed, which is the “bulkiness” that Dr. Price found interfered with the mineral absorption.
However, if you are going to eat the fibrous portion of the vegetable, it is best to cook them in butter as advised by Dr. Price to enhance the availability of the minerals. The fat in the butter permits greater absorption of the minerals, and besides, buttered veggies taste fantastic!
References
Nourishing Traditions
The Role of Oxalates in Chronic Disease, William Shaw PhD (Director of The Great Plains Laboratory for Health, Nutrition and Metabolism)
More Information
Best Green Juice for Congestion
Nightshade Vegetable Contraindications
Cleansing Myths
This info is frustrating. 1. Fiber is BAD?? 2. This contradicts the paleo diet info. That doctor who overcame MS (can’t remember her name) specifically recommends kale and cruciferous veggies to help mitochondria thrive. She just says you need to rotate your veggies rather than eating heavy amounts of a single one at a time and you’ll avoid the kidney stones. Ah i think her name is Dr. Wahls.
Thank you, there is a lot of contradicting info out there for anyone!
Sarah, I really enjoy your information, I am however having a very hard time with this article and am trying to understand. What are the chemicals in these vegetables that are harmful for the thyroid? Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge.
Um, Steve, If you want to swap movie suggestions, then I strongly urge you to watch “Fat Head.” Seriously. There is nothing wrong with butter. There is not one study that proves saturated fat is bad for you. The reason everyone believes it is is because we’ve been lied to.
I think its terrific that your health is so superior. But don’t come to blogs that follow a lifestyle that you don’t believe in and then bash on us. We don’t follow WAPF principles because we have nothing else to do. We do so because the proof we have seen is enough to convince us that this is THE way to live. We don’t come to Vegan websites and bag on your lifestyle, please show us the same respect.
for those knocking on the vegans…I’ve been one for years…6’2′ 210lbs, avid cyclist, workout 5-6 days a week, and I am never sick, my blood tests which I get yearly are in perfect ranges, not “pale” as some of you clowns think vegans are, and I am sure I am a lot healthier than some of you that takes this absurd advice of cooking your veggie’s in butter! BUTTER! I would love to see the inside of your arteries. For the ones that think a vegan diet is a good “short term” diet I wish you could meet my sis, who has been a vegan for 20 years, and has zero issues. Anyway, healthy vegans eat a balanced diet…which is key in any “diet” (and I use that term loosely as being a vegan is not a diet, its a lifestyle). I personally shoot for a 30-30-30 diet everyday…30% HEALTHY fats, 30% Protein, 30% HEALTHY carbs…well we will say 40% carbs since I am very active. Anyone wondering about how I get around the animal protein, since they have full chained amino acids you need for muscle repair, I use a plant based protein powder that has those essential amino acids added to it for proper uptake of protein into the muscle fibers. All you haters check out forks over knives on netflix…you may think about eliminating a lot of the crap you put in your body.
As far as the not eating raw broccoli/spinach I agree and disagree, but I do know the best way to cook it without losing nutrients is boiling a pot of water, throw the leaves in for just a minute, then remove, or throw the broccoli on a tray sprinkled with olive oil for 5 mins. If you consume your greens (raw) with olive oil the fats from the oil will allow the nutrients to be absorbed just fine, olive oil encourages your intestines to absorb more of the vitamins and minerals from the foods you eat, which makes it beneficial for individuals suffering from digestive disorders. There are many ways to combat the high levels of oxalic acid in some greens without saying that they have to be cooked….but for the love of god people if you do cook your veggies, use a healthy fat packed oil…not freaking butter!
Can u be more specific on what u eat daily (like ur typical bf, lunch, dinner, snacks)? It’s awesome to see a thriving vegan and giving out ur example may help some naysayers see how do able it is!
Celery is also high in oxalate. Cooking does not always decrease the oxalates — for example it increases it in collards. The right bacteria can break down oxalates. See
http://www.lowoxalate.info/
This article is RIDICULOUS! You are GROSSLY misinformed and spreading this news to people who are otherwise uninformed and looking to you for correct information. Shame on you for posting this.
You’re pretty much an idiot. Educate yourself. Look under any medical site and they will say that goitergen foods can cause or exasperate thyroid issues. I developed a goiter due to drinking raw broccoli, kale, spinach green juice daily for several weeks!! It’s idiots like you who had me thinking it was okay to drink raw broccoli juice and then getting a fucking goiter!!!!
http://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/endocrine_and_metabolic_disorders/thyroid_disorders/simple_nontoxic_goiter.html
Are dandelion’s okay for juicing? I see them alot at the health food store and wheat grass? Thanks,
Sara
Do not agree. I eat those veggies all the time raw and never had any problems with my body! I’m skinny and pretty! :)) Stop lying to people! Eat raw vegetables&fruits! More vitamins, more healthy nutrients! Cooked food=dead food
Not everyone can digest raw vegetables… and Sarah never mentioned fruits in the above article, either. Plus we’re only talking SOME veggies, not ALL of them…
Thank you! I have Hyperthyroidism and don’t get along with my medication. ~I will now be adding raw cruciferous vegetables to my diet….just not too much.