Which vegetables cannot be eaten raw

Gastroenterologist and nutritionist Anastasia Chizhikova explained to Health Mail.ru when raw vegetables and fruits are prohibited for certain conditions.

Raw vegetables contain large amounts of fiber, water, vitamins, and minerals. However, raw vegetables are contraindicated for some people with chronic gastrointestinal diseases, during post-operative periods, or when a doctor has prescribed a gentle diet.

People with peptic ulcers, gastritis, colitis, pancreatitis, irritable bowel syndrome, and biliary tract diseases during acute phases are recommended to limit or completely exclude rough fiber from their diet. Also, the acute period of intestinal infections requires complete avoidance of fresh vegetables and fruits.

For example, white cabbage is a rich source of fiber and vitamin C. But when consuming this thermally unprocessed vegetable, the risk of flatulence is very high, which can lead to pain and spasms.

Boiled or stewed cabbage significantly less irritates the gastrointestinal tract while maintaining its main beneficial properties, although it loses some vitamin C. Beetroot, however, fully retains its entire vitamin and mineral composition after thermal processing.

And some beneficial substances become available only after cooking.

Carrots and tomatoes can serve as examples of this. When boiled or stewed, the amount of antioxidants (including lycopene) increases in them, which reduces the risk of cardiovascular and oncological diseases.