It is clear that cooking makes a difference in taste and texture (fresh
flour and bread; some beans) and a difference in pathogens (cooking
eliminates many nasties in meat and fish) and a difference in toxicity
(some legumes need to be cooked to make them safe to eat).

Does cooking also affect the nutritional quality of foods?

For example, is raw egg nutritionally equivalent to cooked egg?  Are raw
nuts nutritionally equivalent to roasted nuts?  I am thinking particularly
of the availability of protiens and the digestability of the foods.

There is also the question of whether cooking extends or reduces the shelf
life of certain foods.

Any advice or references you can pass on would be much appreciated.

Keith