These are the vegetables you can’t eat raw

Eating raw food is a bit of a trend at the moment. According to raw food fans, the microbes and vitamins are preserved better if you don’t heat the food. Heating the food is said to kill some of these microbes and vitamins. That’s why raw food is supposedly better for your digestion as well as for your overall health.

However, there are a couple of vegetables you shouldn’t eat raw. You should always cook these before eating them.

1. Broccoli

Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower and other members of the cabbage family can usually be eaten raw. Unfortunately, a lot of people can’t stomach most of these vegetables when they eat them raw. They end up feeling bloated and gassy because of it. That’s why it’s better to cook these vegetables before you eat them.

2. Aubergine/eggplant

Aubergines contain solanine, which can reduce the absorption of calcium and this, in turn, can irritate the gastrointestinal tract. You might experience stomach pain, but this can also lead to nausea, dizziness, headaches and even vomiting. When you cook the aubergine, you neutralise the solanine and this will prevent you from getting stomach pain.

3. Rhubarb

The fact you can’t eat rhubarb raw mostly has to do with the leaves, which are toxic when they’re eaten raw. Technically, you could eat the raw leaves in small amounts, but it’s best to just leave them aside altogether. On the other hand, raw rhubarb itself is super tasty and also very healthy.

Want to know which other two vegetables you should cook before consuming them? Keep reading on the next page!

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