The Health Benefits of Raw Vegetables and Nuts
March 21, 2009 by Tisha Tolar
Filed under Nutrition
“Eat your vegetables!” How many times were you told this as a kid – or if you’re a parent, how many times have you reminded your 
children to eat their veggies? We’re all aware of the need to eat vegetables but most of us don’t eat nearly enough. When we do eat vegetables, chances are they’re cooked, which means we’ve removed most of the natural nutrients the body needs.
It doesn’t matter whether you consume your raw vegetables via vegetable juice or through eating them. In some cases, vegetable juice may be absorbed into the body instantly because it requires less internal work from your body to digest.
What’s So Great About Raw Veggies?
When vegetables are in their natural, raw state, they are extremely rich in vitamins and minerals, trace elements, natural sugars and enzymes. Our body requires all of these to normalize the bodily functions properly. The enzymes found in raw vegetables help our bodies digest food, and work as a natural laxative.
Scientific studies have shown that vitamins, minerals and enzymes are reduced when vegetables are cooked. Of all cooking methods though, steaming is the most beneficial as it helps the vegetables retain their largest vitamin content when compared to baking or boiling vegetables; but even steaming them will reduce the nutritional value of vegetables.
Grow Your Own Veggies
Vegetables begin to lose some of their nutritional benefit as soon as they are pulled out of the ground, plucked or picked from their plants. When you grow your own vegetables, you can harvest and cook them on the same day, therefore losing less nutrients than store bought vegetables that have been sitting in baskets for several days before you buy them.
In addition, many studies have shown that when vegetables are grown commercially, they are not as rich in nutrients as the vegetables were 50 years ago due to the methods of making crops grow faster. The vegetables aren’t able to provide the nutritional benefits of naturally matured vegetables as farmers have increased the speed of growth.
Lower Your Risk of Heart Disease
Eating a diet that includes nuts (peanuts, walnuts, and almonds) daily has been shown to lower the risk of heart attacks up to 60%, as compared to people who eat nuts less than once each month. Additional studies have shown that nuts also reduce the risks of having a stroke, developing type 2 diabetes, gallstones and reduced risk of developing dementia.
The more often nuts are eaten the greater the benefits. Studies have suggested that 30 to 60 grams of nuts should be consumed daily in order to get the most health benefits from them. While nuts are considered a “fatty food”, most people participating in studies for health benefits did not gain weight when eating almonds or peanuts daily for a period of six months.
