Can You Eat Raw Asparagus?

Asparagus, one of the nutritional vegetables, is used for multiple culinary purposes. If you wonder, can you eat raw asparagus, here’s all that you need to know about it. 

Asparagus is known as one of the most nutritionally complete veggies. It is fat and cholesterol-free, low in sodium, and high in essential nutrients and bioactive compounds (1). 

Therefore, whether you eat it cooked or raw, it will provide a dose of nutrients to the body. To answer, can you eat raw asparagus, yes, definitely you can!

Is It Safe To Eat Raw Asparagus?

Contrary to popular belief, asparagus must not be cooked before eating. In fact, it can be a nutrient-dense supplement to your diet when eaten without cooking. However, the stiff plant fibers in asparagus get softer when boiled, facilitating simpler chewing and digestion. 

Raw asparagus may be as flavorful and easy to eat as cooked when prepared correctly. 

How To Eat Raw Asparagus?

First, trim the spears of their woody ends, just like you would if preparing to cook them. You could bite right into them now, but it wouldn’t be enjoyable. So, chop or shred the spears into small pieces using a vegetable peeler, grater, or sharp knife.

Once smaller pieces are made, asparagus becomes easy to eat raw. It can be added in salads to bring to the platter. 

However, if you are feeling raw asparagus too tight to chew and consume, boiling them is the next best choice for their consumption. Boiling makes the texture of asparagus soft and chewable. 

According to one study, boiling green asparagus resulted in a 16% increase in its overall antioxidant activity (2). In particular, it increased the amount of quercetin and beta carotene, two potent antioxidants, by 98% and 24%, respectively (3).

Another study shows cooked white asparagus has almost three times the antioxidant activity of raw asparagus (4).

Impact On Nutritional Value After Cooking 

While cooking asparagus may increase the availability of some chemicals, it may also lessen the amount of other nutrients.

For instance, one study discovered that cooking green asparagus resulted in a 52% reduction in the vitamin C concentration, which is highly susceptible to heat (5). A few things that can influence the nutrients in any vegetable include the following-

• the kind of nutrient
• cooking method
• length of heat exposure

Generally speaking, it’s best to use cooking techniques like steaming, sautéing, quick-blanching, and microwaving that minimize water and heat exposure. In addition, try to get a crisp-tender texture for your veggies rather than overcooking them.

Nutrition Facts Of Asparagus

Asparagus is rich in-

• Folate: Vitamin B, which is needed to create DNA. 
• Vitamin K: Essential for healthy bones and blood clotting.
• Potassium: Maintains healthy neuron and muscle function.
• Antioxidant and Vitamin C: Supports healthy skin, strong bones, and connective tissues. It is also necessary for the body to absorb iron.
• Vitamin A: Vital to bone growth, vision, reproduction, cell functions, and the immune system.

One cup of asparagus offers:

1. 27 calories
2. 13 grams of protein
3. 0 grams of fat
4. 5 grams of carbohydrates
5. 2 grams of fiber
6. 271 milligrams of potassium
7. 5 milligrams of vitamin C
8. 7 micrograms folate
9. 9 international units of vitamin A
10. 7 micrograms of vitamin K

Health Benefits of Asparagus

1. Lowers blood pressure: Potassium and flavonoids like quercetin, isorhamnetin, and kaempferol in asparagus are known to reduce blood pressure. 
2. Helps fight cancer: Asparagus is rich in antioxidants that fight off free radicals in the body and protect from oxidative stress. Thus contributing to anticancer effects.
3. Acts as brain booster: The presence of anti-inflammatory nutrients and folate in asparagus helps in proper brain functioning, which is vital for mental and emotional health.
4. Acts as a natural diuretic: Amino acid asparagine is present in trace amounts in asparagus. It helps the body get rid of excess water and salt, thus again contributing to low blood pressure. 
5. Improves digestive health: Enriched in fiber, asparagus keeps the digestive system up-to-date. 

Is There Risk In Eating Asparagus?

It is usually safe to eat asparagus. After swallowing asparagus, you may detect that your pee has a weird shade and smell, although this is not dangerous. 

Asparagus retains a chemical called, asparagusic acid (6), a sulfur-containing chemical that delivers a pungent odor when broken down by the body.

You may need to alter your asparagus intake if you use warfarin, an anticoagulant (blood thinner). Since asparagus is rich in vitamin K, which can interact with warfarin and lower its significance.

Conclusion

Asparagus is an often-overlooked nutrient-dense food that may supply multiple health advantages. Make this low-fat, low-calorie vegetable a fixture in your diet to enhance gut health, mood, and weight loss.

Whether you can eat raw asparagus or not depends upon your eating preferences; however, there is no harm in eating them in either cooked or uncooked form. 

References

1. National Library Of Medicine – Nutritional composition of green asparagus (Asparagus officinalis L.), edible part and by-products, and assessment of their effect on the growth of human gut-associated bacteria
2. ScienceDirect – Effects of cooking on rutin and glutathione concentrations and antioxidant activity of green asparagus (Asparagus officinalis) spears
3. Research Gate – Antioxidant activity and quality of asparagus affected by microwave
4. Research Gate – Antioxidant properties of raw and cooked spears of green asparagus cultivars
5. ScienceDirect – Elucidating the flavour of cooked white asparagus by combining metabolomics and taste panel analysis
6. National Library Of Medicine – Asparagusic acid