Should You Eat Raw Food In Evening? Here's The Answer

The trend of eating raw is one of the latest trends that seem to have taken the fancy of several health enthusiasts around the world. To your surprise, the "newest" trend is not even new, and is heavily borrowed from our ancestors who did not do, or know of so much cooking and used to enjoy most of their foods raw. The food circuit has time and again stated studies that claim raw food as more nutrient dense, since its rich enzymes, vitamins and minerals are not lost in the process of cooking or mixed up with other unhealthy ingredient it is cooked with. In addition to its healthful properties, raw salads, fruits and veggies are also seen as the best health foods to shed the extra kilos. However, according to a wide belief, one should avoid eating raw fruits and veggies in the evening. Here's what the expert say.
 
Consultant Nutritionist Dr. Rupali Datta, says, "There is such a belief in Ayurveda that all raw fruits and vegetables should be eaten during lunch time and no later than 4-5 p.m, as the digestive capacity is the maximum. But in allopathy, we have no such restriction. As a practitioner of allopathy I would not recommend people from refraining from eating raw." Macrobiotic Nutritionist and Health Practitioner Shilpa Arora says, "Raw food is extremely healthy and bursting with nutrients. However, people with weak digestive systems may not be able to digest the fibre effectively leading to gas and flatulence. Post 6 p.m, the digestive fire is anyway weak, which will further add to health issues. However, summer is a great time to introduce lots of raw food in your diet, it is easier to eat and immensely healing for the gut. Try cucumbers and lots of leafy salads." (Also Read: 5 Foods You Are Better off Eating Raw​)
 
Ayurveda expert Dr. Dhanvantri Tyagi agrees and says while there is nothing wrong in eating raw, one can try to limit it before evening. "There is nothing wrong in eating raw foods in the evening. If your digestive capacity is good, you can go ahead with your usual eating habits. Raw foods are full of nutrients since they are close to nature. But according to Ayurveda, raw foods are simply difficult to digest. By cooking food, one makes it easier to breakdown and digest once it enters the system. It is also said that warm food is beneficial for gut health as more nutrients are bioavailable. I have seen some nutritionists also advising diabetics not to take in raw foods in evening as the fibre in the salads is difficult to digest."(Also Read: Turn Off the Heat: Explore the Exciting Side of Raw Foods)The opinion is divided, but if you are already facing trouble with your digestion, you may want to give raw foods a skip in the evening. You can cook them in a healthy way. You can steam, boil, saute, or even poach them. Use ghee instead of butter as ghee increases the digestibility of food by increasing the digestive fire.