How to eat vegetables for people who are recovering from cancer

Vegetables are a source of vitamins and can provide adequate fiber for the body. Eating vegetables is highly recommended for anyone, especially for people who have recently recovered from cancer. However, what kind of way to eat vegetables is good for cancer survivors? Which has been cooked or eaten raw? Check it out below.

Eating vegetables is good for people who are recovering from cancer

Vegetables generally contain beneficial nutrients, namely phytochemicals and nutrients called nutraceuticals or phytonutrients. This substance is also beneficial for the body to fight cancer.

Research says eating more vegetables can lower the risk of lung, mouth, pharyngeal or laryngeal, esophageal and intestinal cancers. Also keep in mind that each vegetable has different phytochemicals and can act in different ways in reducing the risk of cancer.

Research also shows that survivor breast cancer who consumes a minimum of five servings of vegetables and fruit every day, and is diligent in exercising (30 minutes of walking, 5-6 times a week) has a lower risk of developing breast cancer for the second time.

Better to eat raw or cooked vegetables?

Raw or cooked vegetables are generally still equally nutritious. The less time it is cooked, the more nutrients will be preserved. However, it depends on what types of vegetables are consumed and processed.

Some vegetables are easier for the body to digest after going through the cooking process. Thus, cooked foods may be better than raw foods. Several studies have also shown that cooking vegetables can increase the levels of antioxidants they contain, such as beta-carotene and lutein.

Research published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry in 2002 showed that cooked carrots had higher levels of beta-carotene than raw carrots.

The antioxidant lycopene that many tomatoes contain is also easier for the body to absorb if the tomatoes are cooked first, not eating them raw. Yes, cooked tomatoes contain twice as much lycopene as raw tomatoes.

This is because heat can destroy the thick cell walls in tomatoes, making it easier for the body to absorb the nutrients that are bound to these cell walls. In addition, the total antioxidant content in tomatoes increased by more than 60 percent after the cooking process.

Although cooking food provides its own benefits to food, the nutritional value in food can also be reduced. This is what makes some raw vegetables better than cooked vegetables.

Vegetables are better eaten raw

Some vegetables that are better eaten raw are:

Broccoli. Heat can reduce the sulforaphane content in broccoli. In fact, these compounds can inhibit the growth of cancer cells.
Cabbage. Cooking destroys the enzyme myrosinase, which can also prevent cancer.
Garlic. Also contains sulfur compounds (namely allicin) which can prevent cancer growth. This allicin compound is susceptible to heat.
Onion. Eating raw onions can help you prevent heart disease because of their anti-platelet properties. Hot temperatures can reduce this content.

Vegetables are better cooked first

Before eating these vegetables, it is better to cook them first:

Tomato. Cooking tomatoes can increase the content of lycopene, which is linked to a reduced risk of cancer and heart attacks.
Carrot. Cooking can increase the beta-carotene it contains.
Spinach. The nutrients in spinach such as iron, magnesium, calcium, and zinc are more easily absorbed by the body when the spinach is cooked.
Asparagus. Ferulic acid, folate, vitamins A, C, and E, are more easily absorbed by the body when the asparagus is cooked.
Potato. Cooking can make it easier for the body to eat and digest the potatoes.
Mushroom. Cooking can reduce levels of agaritine (a dangerous substance in mushrooms) and ergothioneine (a powerful antioxidant in mushrooms).