What is a Raw Food Diet?
Like many alternative diets, the raw food diet is in fact grounded on a few good principles.
In the westernised world we are eating far too much junk food, so shifting our focus towards more of a plant-based diet would be a healthy move for most of the population.
But, what exactly is the raw food diet?
It is based on a diet of unprocessed (preferably organic), whole plant-based foods, at least 75 percent of which should be uncooked, consisting of:
- Fresh fruits and vegetables
- Freshly made fruit and vegetable juices
- Sun-dried fruits
- Fresh sprouted seeds
- Nuts and seeds
- Young coconuts
- Seaweeds – such as nori, dulse, Laver, sea lettuce, and kombu
However, one of the main problems with the raw food diet is that the philosophy behind it is scientifically flawed, and makes little sense biologically.
Here are some of the outlandish claims raw foodists make:
#1 Cooking food destroys its natural enzymes
While it is true to say that cooking can destroy some of the enzymes, most food enzymes are destroyed, or rendered inactive, by the acidity of the stomach anyway.
So, not cooking food doesn’t save it from this fate.
The simple fact is that plant enzymes are not needed for human digestion. Your digestive system is highly sophisticated at producing its own enzymes, which are specific to the food you eat.
In fact even if the plant enzymes did survive the digestive enzymes, your body will still produce it’s own enzymes.
#2 Cooked food is toxic
This is an idiotic theory – if cooked food was toxic, the majority of the population would have been wiped out a long time ago.
#3 White blood cells flood the stomach after eating cooked food
Apparently this is because they are trying to fight the poison that has just entered your body.
Under normal circumstances, a healthy body will not experience white blood cells entering the stomach – the stomach is simply not open to the vascular system.
This theory is not supported in any way, shape, or form by the medical literature.
#4 Cooked food is unrecognisable to the body
Again this is a complete misunderstanding of the digestive system – it assumes that the digestive system can distinguish between different foods, and their method of cooking.
It doesn’t matter whether you eat raw meat, or cooked meat, it is treated just the same. The digestive enzymes break it down, and the resulting molecules are absorbed. Whatever can’t be used will pass right through the body.
It is not dependent on whether the food was cooked, or not.
#5 Raw food is more ‘natural’
Raw foodists claim this is one of the most natural diets around, however you need to ask yourself why such a ‘natural’ diet runs the risks of being deficient in B12, zinc, iron, and omega-3 fatty acids, amongst other things?
So, what are the side effects of a raw food diet?
When Steve Pavlina went on his 30 day raw trial this is what he said about the side effects:
“The initial detox period seemed to last about two weeks. Symptoms included bad breath, chills, headaches, daytime drowsiness, mental fogginess, concentration problems, low libido, and an unstable yo-yoing of my alertness and emotional states. It wasn’t until day 14 that I began feeling consistently good on this diet.”
He also reported having severe problems with his skin:
“Perhaps the worst problem I experienced during the trial was dry skin. The problem appeared about 10 days into the trial and continued for the remainder of the trial. This left me feeling itchy all over my whole body at times, especially when I started to sweat.
The worst dry skin was on my hands. The skin on my fingers got so dry that it cracked and started to bleed in several places. Those cuts have been taking a long time to heal, although most of them are now fully recovered. I’d really like to know if this problem would correct itself over time, especially since the skin is one of the body’s major detox organs.”
I find this a very worrying indeed – dry skin, that is cracked and bleeding, and poor wound healing…sounds like a nutritional deficiency to me, and not something to be taken lightly.
Do you really want to be following a diet that can cause such severe side effects?
What are the pros of a raw food diet?
- Nutrient dense foods
- Low in saturated fats
- Low in sodium
- High in potassium
- Fibre-rich
What are the cons of a raw food diet?
- Limited variety
- Nutritional deficiencies – for example calcium, zinc, vitamin D and B12, iron, and protein
- Some of the phytochemicals are more easily absorbed when the vegetable is cooked, for example lycopene in tomatoes and carotenoids in carrots
- Higher incidence of amenorrhea in women
- Lower bone density in some cases
- Greater tooth enamel decay
If you are thinking of going on a raw diet, do make the effort to speak with a registered dietitian first to discuss your food plan.
They will be able to help you work on a sensible plan, and advise you on any nutritional supplements required.
So, can raw foods be incorporated into a healthy balanced diet?
Yes, without a doubt they can.
However, going 100 percent raw is dangerous, and excessive. As with all things, you should practise moderation.
To get the best from your diet try to include a combination of both raw and cooked foods.
Fresh vegetables, fruit, sprouts, nuts and seeds are good for you, but it isn’t necessary to exclude whole food groups, such as meat and dairy, or to avoid cooking your food to gain the benefit from what you’re eating.
How to safely include more raw foods in your diet:
- Go for sushi with raw vegetables and sheets of seaweed
- Eat whole nuts or seeds as a healthy snack
- Go for a breakfast smoothie of fresh fruit and spinach
- Make a salad with lots of crunchy raw veggies for lunch
- Choose foods that are as close to their natural form as possible
What are your thoughts on the raw food diet?
11771
2073
853
24 Comments
Armen
02.17.2009
Sweetheart, this is an awesome post. We were talking about the raw food thing recently, but I didn’t realise you were going to write about it.
I wish I had the ability to get this sent around all the web…many people need to read this.
curiousjessica
02.18.2009
Hi Mel,
I couldn’t agree more. This cult mentality about raw foodism is just silly. I got suckered in when I first read about steve pavlina’s raw food diet and then again when jonathon mead of illuminated mind went down the raw path. However, the fact that steve’s wife tried the raw diet and decided it wasn’t for her makes me think it isnt the holy grail of nutrition we are promised. Tomatoes and carrots are or course the first things that sprang to my mind, also. It has made me want to include more raw vegies in my diet though, which is a good thing. I am too much of a carboholic.
curiousjessica’s last blog post..What Personal Development has done for me…
Tanya
02.18.2009
Totally agree – great post – really informative.
Tanya’s last blog post..Food Company Websites Show Peanut Butter Recall Information Front and Center
Maggie
02.18.2009
Great post! I would never do this diet – way too dangerous, and based on some really stupid ideas.
Maggie’s last blog post..A day in the life (macrobiotic-ish) & 7 loves
Melanie
02.18.2009
Armen,
After reading that post on Zen Habits again the other day, I decided it was time to write on this topic, hopefully some people who want to know the truth will find this post.
Thank you!
Hi Jessica,
I can see how easily you could get swept up with it all, they make very compelling arguments, but when you dig a little deeper you realise that their ideas are based on complete nonsense!
But, as with all diets, this seems to be the type of info people want to hear about, never mind the boring old message of ‘healthy eating!!!’
Hey Tanya,
Thank you!
Maggie,
I’m glad to know there is a least one sane person in the world..it really is a very dangerous diet, and annoying that it’s portrayed as if based on scientific fact!
Tom Parker - Free Fitness Tips
02.18.2009
Fantastic post Mel. I’ve heard of the Raw Food diet before but never fully researched it. Whilst the diet looks to have some good principles the first thing that screamed out to me when reading your post was ‘Where is the Protein?’. Unless you go for lots of raw meat and fish your going to be losing a whole lot of the stuff on this diet.
Tom Parker – Free Fitness Tips’s last blog post..9 Top Tips for Maximising your Metabolism
Christopher Laney
02.18.2009
Thanks for this post, Melanie. My wife and I were curious about this diet. I’m glad you separated the fact from fiction for us.
Christopher Laney’s last blog post..Unexpected Turbulence: Navigating Life’s Jolts
Vincci
02.18.2009
I think it’s funny how there are such strong believers in the raw diet here in the west, while in Chinese culture, some believe that cold/raw foods are bad for you! I know some people who won’t even drink cold water. That to me is enough to show that these “raw only” and “cooked only” theories are wrong.
Vincci’s last blog post..Pulcinella
Christy
02.18.2009
I had a friend go raw for a month or two. She lost a lot of weight this way. But it seemed like she was dropping muscle tone. She was mushy to the touch kind of like a marshmellow.
I don’t think this is healthy at all. Currently in my weight loss journey I have problems with dry skin too. I find that I absolutely have to make sure to consume healthy fats in my diet…otherwise I have very flaky skin.
Christy’s last blog post..31 Blogs and a Movie Review
Kelly
02.19.2009
I was directed to your post by another site. Thanks for posting this. It was very interesting and informative. I’ve been reading a lot of books on the raw food diet but have been struck by how few of the claims are backed up by scientific information and how much is validated only by personal accounts. I appreciated hearing this side of the story.
Kelly’s last blog post..Langoustine and Angel Hair
Justin (GymJunkies.com)
02.19.2009
Good post Mel
I dont know much about raw foods, but this was interesting to hear your feedback about it.
-Justin
Justin (GymJunkies.com)’s last blog post..How To Build Mental Toughness In The Gym
Melanie
02.19.2009
Hey Tom,
Yeah, totally agree with you, it’s just dangerous to exclude whole food groups like that. I simply cannot understand the fasination people have with fad diets!!
Hi Christopher,
I’m glad the post was useful, it certainly isn’t a diet to be taken lightly.
Hi Vincci,
I hadn’t heard about that tradition, how interesting! As you correctly said, it’s a “theory.” Personally I prefer to stick with the scientific facts, although they can get it wrong too at times, there’s less chance I’ll get terribly ill by following a more sensible approach!
Hi Christy,
Your friends experience sounds worrying! I hope she is better now. There’s really no getting away from the benefits of healthy oils in the diet – had you been cutting out a lot of fat prior to noticing the effects on your skin?
Hi Kelly,
I’m glad you found my post. I too am shocked by how so many people are willing to put their lot in with a diet that is so loosely supported by science, in my view if a diet relys heavly on personal testimonials it’s worth being wary of.
Hey Justin,
Thank you
Christy
02.19.2009
Melanie – I have been following Weight Watchers and trying to stick to my daily points. I would eat fat on occasion but for the most part I would try to get the most out of my points. Now that has changed since my skin gets so dry. I eat my healthy fats/oils and stick to the healthy guidelines WW’s preaches.
Christy’s last blog post..Mindless Munching
Kath
02.22.2009
I love what you said about the human population being wiped out – very true. And iron deficiency is a very important concern, as plant iron isn’t absorbed nearly as well as heme-iron from meat. Clearly we are a species that evolved eating meat and cooked foods. That doesn’t mean that they are the healthiest choices all the time or that raw foods aren’t a very healthy way to eat, but it is an argument that meat and cooked foods have a time and place in the human diet if the person so chooses to eat them morally.
Kath’s last blog post..Pecan Party
Melanie
02.24.2009
Hey Christy,
That’s good news, I’m glad you’ve found the balance that works for you.
Hi Kath,
Yes, I agree with you, everything has a time and a place, both raw and cooked. We don’t want to be excessive in anything. But, the fact that iron is more easily absorbed from meat, demonstrates to me that a little in the diet is a good thing.
Ryan
12.11.2010
while i am not raw i will be by the Lords grace soon. it is the way we were made to eat plants not dead flesh. the biggest animals on earth are vegan or “raw foodist” plants have all the protein we nedd as well as nuts and seeds and the best “sprouts” studies have been done most of the world including meat or cooked food eaters are low in b12 it comes from the soil how do you think the animal gets it . so i respect your opinion i have to see that you are just not informed properly may your eyes be opened and your life blessed with truth take care
Melanie
12.16.2010
Thank you for your comments Ryan. Do you not believe, then, that God gave us the animals to eat?
Bette
01.04.2011
Hi Melanie
I have a question an your statement concerning enzymes. In your article, “What is a Raw Food Diet.”, you said the body produces it’s own enzymes. However, the raw foodists’ sites say those enzymes are for the body’s own use to break down a nutrient atom into it’s elements for use by the body and the raw food enzymes help to break down the food in the stomach. Their point is that when we cook foods, we destroy that food’s enzymes which then must be replaced by the body’s limited enzymes. So, does this mean that I am harming my body when I cook my vegetables.
Social Weight Loss
01.16.2011
I agree.. this post was great thanks for sharing this
raw foodism
02.25.2011
Hi..,
The information which you had given about the raw foodism was very nice.
Thanks for sharing your experience.
TrickyKiD
05.12.2011
These are only your thoughts, man. How could this be a good article if it is not based on facts? You did a research? Just can’t agree with it…
Let’s see only one of your points: ” White blood cells flood the stomach after eating cooked food” who, ever said that? Actually it is: “Dr. Kouchakoff’s discovery concerned leukocytes (the white blood cells). It was found that after a person eats cooked food, his/her blood responds immediately by increasing the number of these cells.” from http://www.rawfoodinfo.com/articles/art_leukocytosisandcooked.html
So what now? twisting the info just to prove your point? Well done!
George
06.23.2011
This article is too unstructured and unsourced to be useful. The points you should be answering are the following
Does cooking food significantly reduce its nutrition? You don’t answer this. You just give a nonsense wishy-washy half answer.
Does a raw food diet give you more energy? This is what I’m actually curious about.
Plus your tone is awful. Very angry and sarcastic. I can’t believe you got so many positive comments.
Andy
09.08.2011
I feel that people should jump in and google to look for some truths here. To get you started here is a link on humans eating meat…yes its a vegetarian site, but if you dont beleive it keep digging, and not the governments food triangle, its purpose is not to keep you healthy, but to support things such as the meat industry.
http://michaelbluejay.com/veg/natural.html
I am on a raw food diet and OMG I feel better than ever. I’ve gone from a tired grumpy sluggish person to feeling alive, mind body and spirit. Yes I had the dry skin during the first few weeks when my body was releasing toxic waste, and had my days that I felt like crap. If you do your research and eat responsibly on a raw food diet then you will have more nutrition than your body ever has had, including protien. I suggest putting all your raw foods in a blender and blend away, that way you are sure to consume the right amount to keep your body balanced and healthy. I am sure this article was done with good intention, but always look deeper when you really want the truth, not just the truth you want to hear!
Melanie
09.14.2011
Hi Andy,
I appreciate you sharing your thoughts.
She Says: Bulgur For Breakfast & Raw Opinions | Hangry Pants
02.19.2009
[...] to prepare for our challenge of eating some raw foods this month. A couple people sent me a link to this article about raw foods. Thanks so much for thinking of me and sending it to [...]
Guest Post: Gena’s Raw Response | Hangry Pants
02.20.2009
[...] raw for one day and made me want to try a raw foods challenge here on Hangry Pants. Gena read the article I posted yesterday about raw foods diets. Below is her response. Thank you [...]
My Response to a Raw Foodist - Healthy Eating, Diets, and Weight Loss Ideas - Dietriffic.com
02.20.2009
[...] It’s so easy, so do it now, and welcome to Dietriffic!As you know, a few days ago I discussed the raw food diet. I’d like to thank you all for your support and comments surrounding this post, I really do [...]
There are no trackbacks to display at this time.