Raw Food Diet

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Long-Term Consumption of a Raw Food Diet Is Associated with Favorable

Serum LDL Cholesterol and Triglycerides but Also with Elevated Plasma

Homocysteine and Low Serum HDL Cholesterol in Humans,2.

Koebnick C, AL, Dagnelie PC, Strassner C, Lindemans J, Katz N,

Leitzmann C, Hoffmann I.

Dietary Fibre and the Metabolic Syndrome Group, German Institute of

Human Nutrition, Potsdam-Rehbruecke, D-14558 Nuthetal, Germany;

High consumption of vegetables and fruits is associated with reduced

risk for cardiovascular disease. However, little information is

available about diets based predominantly on consumption of fruits and

their health consequences. We investigated the effects of an extremely

high dietary intake of raw vegetables and fruits (70-100% raw food) on

serum lipids and plasma vitamin B-12, folate, and total homocysteine

(tHcy). In a cross-sectional study, the lipid, folate, vitamin B-12,

and tHcy status of 201 adherents to a raw food diet (94 men and 107

women) were examined. The participants consumed approximately

1500-1800 g raw food of plant origin/d mainly as vegetables or fruits.

Of the participants, 14% had high serum LDL cholesterol

concentrations, 46% had low serum HDL cholesterol, and none had high

triglycerides. Of raw food consumers, 38% were vitamin B-12 deficient,

whereas 12% had an increased mean corpuscular volume (MCV). Plasma

tHcy concentrations were correlated with plasma vitamin B-12

concentrations (r = -0.450, P < 0.001), but not with plasma folate.

Plasma tHcy and MCV concentrations were higher in those in the lowest

quintile of consumption of food of animal origin (P(trend) < 0.001).

This study indicates that consumption of a strict raw food diet lowers

plasma total cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations, but also

lowers serum HDL cholesterol and increases tHcy concentrations due to

vitamin B-12 deficiency.