1) Why are certain foods cooked ?
Answers
Answer:
The process of cooking food breaks down some of its fibers and plant cell walls, making it easier for the body to digest and absorb the nutrients ( 17 ). Cooking also generally improves the taste and aroma of food, which makes it much more enjoyable to eat.
Cooked Food May Be Easier to Chew and Digest
Chewing is an important first step in the digestive process. The act of chewing breaks down large pieces of food into small particles that can be digested.
Improperly chewed food is much more difficult for the body to digest and can lead to gas and bloating. Additionally, it requires significantly more energy and effort to properly chew raw foods than cooked ones (16Trusted Source).
The process of cooking food breaks down some of its fibers and plant cell walls, making it easier for the body to digest and absorb the nutrients (17Trusted Source).
Cooking also generally improves the taste and aroma of food, which makes it much more enjoyable to eat.
Although the number of raw foodists who consume raw meat is small, meat is easier to chew and digest when it’s cooked (18Trusted Source).
Properly cooking grains and legumes not only improves their digestibility, but it also reduces the number of anti-nutrients they contain. Anti-nutrients are compounds that inhibit the body’s ability to absorb nutrients in plant foods.
The digestibility of a food is important because your body can only receive a food’s health benefits if it’s able to absorb the nutrients.
Some cooked foods may provide the body with more nutrients than their raw counterparts