Raw food is definitely a rising trend these days, and for some good reasons.

But is raw food always better?

I have long been a big believer in the powers of Chinese medicine, and for that reason I am at times skeptical of raw food. Chinese medicine recommends that most food be cooked, since it is easier to digest. In fact, cooking is possibly one of the reasons humans were able to develop our large brains. Cooking meant much less energy was spent on digestion, and made nutrients more available in certain foods.

This little infographic (although by no means comprehensive) gives a helpful guide to which foods are better for us raw and which might be better for us cooked. And of course, some foods are good either way, but certain nutrients will be more available in the raw form and others in the cooked form.

So, which is better? Raw or cooked? The answer really is a balance between both.

Source: Fix.com

Author: Kathryn Muyskens

Editor: Renée Picard

Photo: Lablascovegmenu at Flickr