Cooked Food Or Raw Food? Ayurveda Insight

Is cooked food better than raw food? This is a topic for debate as to which diet is healthier diet for an individual to consume, a raw food diet or the cooked food diet. Generally we have the notion that raw foods are rich in natural nutrients and enzymes and more beneficial for human body. Yet the Ayurvedic literatures including the Charaka Samhita mainly recommend the cooked food diet which is assumed to be easily digestible as well as it enhances the Prana or the vital life energy which is essential for suitably working of body systems.

Why Cooked Food Is Considered Healthier

According to ancient Ayurveda, cooking is believed to enhance the agni, or the digestive fire (watch video) which is supreme important in the digestive process within the body and for the further formation of the body tissues viz. rasa, rakta, mansa, medha, asthi, majja and shukra (juice, blood, muscle, fat, bone, bone marrow and semen).

Ayurveda believes that within the environment and peripheral to our bodies there are three qualities of Prana –

• Soma (the cooling lunar influence)

• Agni (the heating Solar influence)

• Maruta (the subtle vibrational influence of the Air element)

It is understood that these three qualities exist within the food we eat. Chiefly Ayurveda recommends well cooked food which is adaptable and nourishing for almost all individuals. Also, there is emphasis on certain basic points in consideration before recommending diet to an individual. This includes state of an individual’s digestive fire, period of life, the seasonal & climatic influences, individual constitution (prakruti) and their current nature of imbalance (vikruti), occupation etc.

Ayurveda recommends slow cooking procedure with fire (wood or on cooking gas) which increases the assimilation of nutrients in our foods and allows the transformation of these nutrients into healthy tissue. Although there are a few considerations needed in cooking food-

• It is believed that over cooking diminishes the Soma Prana due to the high agni.

• Also, cooking in a microwave oven, where the food molecules are rapidly and violently exploding into one another, creating friction, heat and a number of damaging free radicals, and thus this needs to be avoided.

• Ayurveda also forbids incompatible foods or the Virudha Aahara, wherein the raw and uncooked foods, as well as over cooked and burnt food are forbidden.

Why Raw Food is Discouraged

However the raw juices extracted form both fruits and vegetables provide the best of what raw food has to offer. And we know that raw food is enormously rich in nutrients like proteins, carbohydrates, essential fatty acids, minerals, vitamins etc. and especially raw juices have benefits as for increased energy, clarity of mind, radiant complexion, and weight loss etc. But even a complete raw food diet can be problematic some of the symptoms like –

• Lack of vitality

• Weak digestive system

• Food cravings

• Low body temperature

• Hair loss & nail problems

• Diarrhoea

• Infertility

• Dental Issues

• Insomnia & neurological Issues

Mention in Ayurveda Text –

Reference in Charaka Samhita

Acharya Charaka has mentioned that the vegetables are generally heavy, sweet, drying, obstructive, difficult to digest and cold in potency. Therefore these need to be cooked or steamed prior to intake. There is also indication that as the vegetables or food stuffs are naturally drying in nature, they need to be cooked in oily medium like using ghee (clarified butter) and until the water is parched. Although the foods particularly the vegetables need to be cooked, steamed, boiled and cooked in some unctuous medium, some of the green leafy seasonal vegetables can be also taken raw.

Reference in Sushruta Samhita

When talking about food intake, Acharya Sushruta mainly mentions about how different types of foods may be served. There is no citing of raw foods except he says that fruits need to be taken in the beginning.

Ayurveda Guidelines for Food Intake

• Ayurveda acclaims that the food that is to be taken should be cooked freshly just prior to the time of having the same.

• It is further beneficial that the food is cooked with cleansing spices like fennel, turmeric, black pepper, cumin, coriander in correct ratio to suit each individual’s constitution.

• Diet must be regulated and there must be less of raw and refrigerated foods which are difficult to digest.

• Food must be cooked and taken same time every day as this strengthens the agni or the digestive fire.

• Certain raw food choices in the form of fruits, vegetables, herbs and spices are helpful in detoxifying process. For example Apple, Papaya, Berries, Pears, pineapple, Basil etc.

• Cooking of some of the fibrous Vegetables like green leafy vegetables and cabbage along with certain spices such as turmeric, ginger, coriander, fenugreek, fennel helps in the detoxification process.

• Well cooked food which is light to digest in the form of porridge, stew or soup preparation is believed to be more suitable if you have digestion issues.

• Largely, the food should be freshly cooked, pleasing, tasty, and taken in agreeable ambiance.

• Intake of raw foods, spicy, fried foods, cold drinks, caffeine rich foods and drinks and alcohol should be minimized.

Cooked or Raw Food – Let us Decide

Every individual is different and hence diet must also be individualized. Some people will do best on raw, others on cooked food diets. Ayurvedic practitioner believes that the practice of yoga increases our digestive abilities to the extent that yogis can digest raw food no problem, while normal sedentary people cannot do so easily. When it comes to deciding what foods to eat it would be best to use common sense, eat according to your constitution, eat mostly cooked foods especially when the weather is cold, when it is foggy or during the evenings. Salads are best eaten at lunchtime (when the digestive fire is strongest), in summer, or when the weather is hot.