Paleo Diet and Paleolithic Diet Questions & Answers

Question

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I was reading:

http://www.radiancenutrition.com/2011/08/19/put-down-that-kale-smoothie-why-you-should-cook-your-food/

And it made the point that cooking veggies makes them more bio available because: "Destruction of cell walls in vegetables improves the bioavailability of compounds such as carotenoids and polyphenols."

It got me wondering: when I put raw spinach in my vitamix and pulverize it at 37,000 RPM, does that accomplish the same thing as cooking?

I do realize I would not get the other benefit of cooking which is: "destroys unwanted compounds and micro-organisms. Pathogenic bacteria are killed when exposed to heat. Cooking also inactivates anti-nutritional factors such as protease inhibitors and other natural toxins."

So, should I cook my spinach before adding it to my vitamix green smoothie?

Thanks, Mike

flag	asked Jun 3 at 14:47 CaveMan_Mike 4,633●13●51

I'd go with the raw on taste alone after having tried both ways. – Karen Jun 3 at 17:12

Meatymichael · Answer 1 · 2012-06-03 14:52:50Z UTC

NO I wouldn't. I think a raw leafy greens AND cooked greens are both essential and should be included in our diet. Honestly I wouldn't worry about it. Just eat both raw and cooked. I drink a green smoothie every day. I do agree that Kale is very tough and should be cooked in a fat like butter or coconut oil. Spinach, and baby spinach are fine to eat raw though. It's not going to kill or harm you.

Tree · Answer 2 · 2012-06-03 22:37:04Z UTC

To effectively neutralize the anti-nutrients in raw kale, hand massage it before adding it to the blender...so says my friend the nutritional chef. The stem must be removed and the leaves roughly chopped. It takes a minute or two to reach the wilted stage. Spinach doesn't need the same treatment as the leaf is not as dense and the intense blending acts as a form of cooking. You may want to try varying the leafy greens instead of only using one kind. Variety seems to help the body function better.

sandy A · Answer 3 · 2012-06-03 21:33:07Z UTC

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I have put raw kale and raw spinach in my smoothie but let it run for a while so the bits are very fine. I agree with the above poster--both raw and cooked greens are important

answered Jun 3 at 21:33

sandy A
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FGG · Answer 4 · 2012-06-15 01:57:28Z UTC

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Kale rocks!!!......but so does spinach!!!

answered Jun 15 at 1:57

FGG
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Raw vs. cooked spinach for Vitamix Green Smoothie?

4 Answers