The process of cooking makes it much easier for the digestive system, hence its far better to eat cooked vegetables if you’re someone with poor digestion.
Cooking methods such as boiling and steaming are found to have a different effect on vegetables. Steaming retains more vitamins, as vitamins B and C are heat sensitive. Minerals can also be similar, especially potassium and calcium. The water used to cook vegetables can absorb some of the vitamins such as B and some minerals, so think twice before you drain as it may be useful as stock for your next soup recipe.
Raw vegetables are hard to digest, but have the benefit of containing more vitamins, which otherwise would be lost during the process of cooking. Ayurveda’s outlook to digestion and assimilation is based on the power of digestion in upper and lower digestive tract and more deeper at tissue level. A person with weak digestion should always consider cooking vegetables, as the contact with the heat makes it easier for systemic digestion.
The parts of plants, the nature of plants, the season of collection and the stage of plant collection all are decisive in heaviness or lightness effect they have on the digestive system. Roots are heavy for digestion and fruits and flowers are lighter. Cooked food is lighter than juices and raw vegetables. Seasonal fruits are lighter than the expressed vegetable juices and cooked roots.
A well balanced outlook to diet, which includes fruits and other food groups can make sure that your preferences will not compromise nutrition. Studies have shown that there is a mild positive difference to the levels of BP with people on a raw vegetable diet, though the important factor is the overall benefits of vegetables.
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