What Is The Raw Food Diet? What Are The Benefits Of The Raw Food Diet?

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What Is The Raw Food Diet? What Are The Benefits Of The Raw Food Diet?

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The thrust of the raw food diet is the consumption of unprocessed, whole

plant-based, ideally organic foods. A minimum of three-quarters of the person's

diet should consist of uncooked food. A Raw Foodist - somebody who follows the

raw food diet - believes that the higher the proportion of raw foods in our

diet, the healthier we will be.

A significant proportion of raw foodists are also vegans - no foods of animal

origin are consumed. Some raw foodists consume raw meat and raw animal products.

There are four broad branches of raw foodism:

Raw vegetarians - only animal products consumed are eggs and dairy; most foods

consumed are raw

Raw vegans - no animal products consumed at all; most foods consumed are raw

Raw omnivores - both plant-based and animal based foods are mainly consumed raw

Raw carnivores - meat products are eaten only raw

The Raw Food Diet generally includes:

Beans

Dried fruits

Fresh fruits and vegetables

Freshly made fruit and vegetable juices

Grains

Legumes

Milk from a young coconut

Nuts

Other organic or natural foods which have not been processed

Purified water (not tap)

Seaweeds

Seeds

Sun-dried fruits

Depending on the lifestyle, the following may also be included:

Eggs

Fish (sushi, sashimi)

Meat

Milk and dairy products (non-pasteurized/non-homogenized)

Raw foodists say that if you consume mainly uncooked foods you will achieve

significant desirable weight loss and weight stability - you will not put the

weight back on. They also believe that a raw food diet enhances your body's

ability to prevent and fight diseases, especially chronic diseases. Raw foodism

says that raw and living foods contain essential food enzymes that are destroyed

if the food is heated to above 116 Fahrenheit (47 Celsius/Centigrade).

Foods are prepared in a special way. Sprouting grain seeds and bean seeds are

consumed, as opposed to the whole uncooked grain or bean. Nuts are soaked, some

fruits are dried. Many fruits and vegetables are juiced. The only heating that

is allowed is with a dehydrator - this blows hot air through the food, never

above 116 Fahrenheit. Raw foodists also may also blend and chop up their foods.

What are the benefits of a Raw Food Diet?

Raw foodists say that enzymes are the life force of a food. Nature has given

each food its unique perfect mix. These vital enzymes allow us to fully digest

our foods without having to rely on our own digestive enzymes. They say that the

cooking process destroys or alters these enzymes, as well as essential vitamins

and minerals. Raw foodists believe that cooked foods take longer to digest and

clog up our digestive system and arteries with partially digested fats, proteins

and carbohydrates.

The following health benefits are highlighted by followers of a raw food diet:

You will have more energy

Your skin will have a much better appearance

Your digestion will improve

You will lose weight

Your risk of developing heart and cardiovascular diseases will significantly

drop

Beware of some potentially unsafe foods

Nutritionists and dietitians say the following foods should be consumed with

caution:

Buckwheat - greens are toxic when raw. If juiced or eaten in large amounts they

can be toxic for people with fair skin. Buckwheat has 'fagopyrin' which triggers

photosensitivity, as well as some other skin problems.

Kidney beans - have a chemical called phytohaemagglutinin. Raw kidney beans and

sprouts may be toxic.

Alfalfa sprouts - the toxin canavanine is present.

Cassava - some types may be toxic, this may include cassava flour.

Raw eggs - Avadin, which is present in raw eggs but inactive in cooked eggs, is

a vitamin B7 inhibitor. The consumption of 24 egg whites may inactivate the

vitamin B7. In addition, salmonella bacteria is present in some eggs, which can

cause serious illness if they are not cooked.

Peas - raw seeds of the genus lathyrus (Grass pea, Kesari Dhal, Khesari Dhal or

Almorta) may cause a neurological weakness of the lower limb (lathyrism).

Apricot kernels - contain amygdalin which contains cyanide

Parsnips - contain furanocoumarin, a chemical produced by plants as a defense

mechanism against predators. Many furanocoumarins are toxic.

Meat - when raw may contain harmful bacteria, parasites and viruses.

Milk - when raw may contain Mycobacteria bovis, which can cause non-pulmonary TB

(tuberculosis).

Pros and Cons of the Raw Food Diet

At Medical News Today we have received many comments by people who have been

following or continue following raw foodism. Below is a list of the Pros and

Cons they have sent us:

Pros

Much better skin

More energy

Weight loss

Sustained weight loss

Better blood test results (for example, cholesterol and lipid levels)

Cons

Requires a lot of organization

Motivation - Hard to keep it up, especially when going out to eat

Requires a lot of preparation

Digestive problems, such as irritable bowel. Some commented that this improved

after a while.

Raw food vegetarians have low bone mass, but may be healthy