Factcheck this: carrots are more nutritious cooked

Question

Someone told me that they read in consumer reports that carrots are healthier when cooked. Is it true?

Comments

Carrots, one of the most popular vegetables, have many health benefits. This vegetable is most recognizable in orange, but can even come in other colors like purple and yellow. Carrots are very good for the human body for many reasons. First, they help our eyes. Second, they can help prevent cancer and other serious diseases. As an antioxidant, carrots fight off harmful free radicals. Third, they can help our hearts and blood pressure, as they contain many vitamins and minerals, in specific, potassium, which helps maintain blood pressure. Lastly, carrots are good for us as they contain fiber, fiber helps one stay at a healthy weight, lowering chances of disease. As carrots have many benefits, many debate, how should they be cooked? Many enjoy eating carrots raw while others enjoy eating carrots cooked. But, the healthiest way to eat carrots is by cooking them. Consumer reports state, the human body has an easier time absorbing the carotenoids in carrots if you eat them cooked rather than raw (WebMd). According to Live In Home Care, “Researchers found that boiling carrots until tender increased the concentration of carotenoids by 14 percent.” Cooking breaks down the vegetable’s cell walls, making its nutrients more available. While carrots are more nutritious cooked, it is important to be mindful of how you cook them. Boiling vegetables can leach out nutrients, and what you cook them in can add calories. While some prefer raw carrots, if one is looking to eat a type of carrot with the most health benefits, they will choose a cooked carrot.


https://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/benefits-carrots

https://www.liveinhomecare.com/vegetables-that-are-healthier-for-you-cooked-than-raw/gardening/#:~:text=Carrots%20provide%20more%20antioxidants%20when,of%20carotenoids%20by%2014%20percent.

Answer 1

Typically, when cooking vegetables, losing nutrients is a concern because many methods can cause nutrients loss either through the water or through the excessive time or temperature that the vegetables are cooked at. The best methods to retain nutrients is typically steaming; for example, boiling would cause the nutrients to go to the water. However, certain vegetables can fare better under other conditions such as roasting or sauteing. According to an article by CNN Health, carrots that have been boiled or steamed had increased levels of beta carotene (LaMotte). However, carrots, along with other vegetables, should be cooked whole to best preserve nutrients. Studies showed that cutting carrots could cause a decrease in nutrients by 25% (LeMotte).

The healthiest ways to cook veggies and boost nutrition | CNN

Answer 2

This is true. Carrots are healthy and give a lot of nutrients raw or cooked but cooked is shown to be more nutritious. "A 2008 study in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry found that boiling carrots until tender boosted their concentration of carotenoids by 14 percent." According to this if cooked the carrots are more nutritious. However, carrots are still healthy if eaten raw, but more nutritious if boiled or steamed since with a frying pan the cartenoid levels dip by about 13%.

https://www.consumerreports.org/fruits-vegetables/vegetables-that-are-healthier-cooked/ 

Comments

When conducting a fact-check, it's best to avoid using the same source as the claim and find something else that supports your stance. Re: Use a legitimate source besides Consumer Reports since it was used for the claim already in order bolster your position on the claim.

Answer 3

Carrots are more nutritious when cooked! I found an article from FCP Live-In confirming this statement. The article states, "Carrots provide more antioxidants when boiled or steamed than when eaten raw, according to a January 2008 report in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry." The article discusses other vegetables that are healthier cooked with reasons why as well. Cooking some vegetables indeed make them more nutritious than when eaten raw! Not misinformation!

Comments

Don't forget to add the hyperlink of your source to your fact-check.

---

https://www.liveinhomecare.com/vegetables-that-are-healthier-for-you-cooked-than-raw/gardening/

Answer 4

Carrots are a great option to eat, cooked or raw. According to the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry in January 2008, cooked carrots provide more antioxidants.

https://www.liveinhomecare.com/vegetables-that-are-healthier-for-you-cooked-than-raw/gardening/

Everyone has heard that carrots are great for eyesight. Beta-carotene is the compound from carrots that helps your eyesight. researchers in 2002 discovered that cooked carrots release more beta-carotene. 

https://www.prevention.com/food-nutrition/g20514153/5-veggies-that-are-healthier-cooked-than-raw/

Answer 5

This claim is partly true. This article is accurate and explains the benefits of some ways of cooking carrots. However, the claim that "carrots are more nutritious cooked" is a generalization because it depends how they are cooked. This article refers to a 2008 Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry study that researched the effects of boiling carrots on the beta-carotenes contained within. The study showed that boiling them increased their bioavailability and amount contained, making them healthier for humans to eat. However, it was very specific in that they should be boiled for less than 15 min or just eaten raw. The Consumer Reports article included that certain methods of cooking, like frying, actually makes them less healthy than if just eaten raw, so the way they're cooked certainly has an impact.

https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/jf904279j

Answer 6

The claim that carrots are healthier when cooked is true. As stated by Jesse Hirsch in the article "Are Carrots Good for You," "Your body has an easier time absorbing the carotenoids in carrots if you eat them cooked rather than raw. Cooking breaks down the vegetable's cell walls, making its nutrients more available." It is also important how you cook your carrots. As boiling can take out the nutrients from the carrot, it is better to steam or roast them.

Answer 7

Carrots provide more antioxidants when boiled or steamed than when eaten raw, according to a January 2008 report in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

https://www.liveinhomecare.com/vegetables-that-are-healthier-for-you-cooked-than-raw/gardening/ 

Answer 8

This is true when carrots are cooked, specifically roasted, sauted or steamed it breaks down the cell walls making the nutrients easier to absorb. An article from consumer reports says "Your body has an easier time absorbing the carotenoids in carrots if you eat them cooked rather than raw." When you boil carrots it can take away nutrients. 

https://www.consumerreports.org/fruits-vegetables/are-carrots-good-for-you-a8868966758/#:~:text=Your%20body%20has%20an%20easier,steam%2C%20saut%C3%A9%2C%20or%20roast.

Answer 9

This claim is true. According to LiveinHomeCare.com, "Carrots provide more antioxidants when boiled or steamed than when eaten raw, according to a January 2008 report in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. In fact, researchers found that boiling carrots until tender increased the concentration of carotenoids by 14 percent."

https://www.liveinhomecare.com/vegetables-that-are-healthier-for-you-cooked-than-raw/gardening/ 

Answer 10

This statement is true. As explained by an online magazine called Inverse, "Cooked carrots contain more beta-carotene than raw carrots, which is a substance called a carotenoid that the body converts into Vitamin A. This fat-soluble vitamin supports bone growth, vision, and immune system." The article by Inverse explains that cooking carrots with the skin will also double the antioxidant power that our body will receive from consuming them. There are also many other vegetables that are more nutritious when they are cooked such as bell peppers, tomatoes, and spinach.

Source: inverse.com/innovation/vegetables-healthier-when-cooked