Eating raw: is the raw food diet good for your health?

November 26, 2022November 30, 2022 Stephen PaulHealth & Diseases

Among the multitude of food diets, raw food is certainly one of the most original. However, eating raw is an age-old practice that fell into oblivion until it was rehabilitated during the 20th ^century by the Hippocrates Institute. The defenders of raw food then raised this diet to the rank of healthy food, guaranteeing all its followers unparalleled longevity and quality of life. Small survey on raw food and its alleged health benefits.

Index

What is raw foodism?

1- Definition

Raw foodism, also known as living food, raw food diet or raw foodism, is a diet that consists of eating foods exclusively in their raw form . Thus the raw food diet consists mainly of fruits, vegetables , berries, nuts and seeds. Of course, it can also include raw eggs , raw milk dairy products and raw animal flesh (fish, meat). Nevertheless, and for obvious reasons of possible bacterial contamination, foods of animal origin are rarely consumed. Raw food is therefore similar to a vegan diet, except that foods are eaten in their most “natural” state.

2- Basic rules of raw food

But what do we mean by raw? The raw food diet sticks to strict rules of consumption:

Any food that has been subjected to a temperature above 47.8 ^o C is not considered raw.
Any pasteurized or refined food is excluded from the diet.
Any food that has undergone chemical, industrial or pesticide treatment should not be eaten.
Preparation methods such as juicing, blending, sprouting, fermentation, soaking or drying are the only ones accepted.
Favorable food combinations are to be preferred: canceling the acidifying effect of certain foods thanks to alkaline foods, combining proteins with carbohydrates, etc.

3- Founding principles of the raw food diet

What about the motivations for raw foodism? Proponents of the raw food diet claim that cooking destroys enzymes naturally present in food. The digestive organs must then compensate for the enzyme loss by producing enzymes themselves. A job that requires, according to the followers of raw food, a boost of energy. In the long term, the digestive organs would be weakened, and the risk of adverse reactions would increase. People would thus develop allergies, diseases, dermatological and ophthalmological disorders…

In addition, the raw food diet would help combat a phenomenon: digestive leukocytosis. The postulate is as follows: cooked food would be, for the body, like so many “foreign bodies” that would have to be eliminated. To defend itself, the body would have its white blood cells (leukocytes) to process these foods, instead of using them to defend itself against possible viruses or bacteria. Also, the body would be more prone to infections when fed with cooked foods.

Thus, by adopting raw food, we would promote the elimination of waste and toxins accumulated in our body. But we could also prevent, cure or alleviate the symptoms of many diseases such as cancer, diabetes , cardiovascular disease, allergies or acne. Live food would lead to a longer, healthier life.

3- Live food categories

Finally, there are subcategories in raw food:

Granivores, which mainly eat dried or sprouted seeds
Frugivores, who base their diet on an almost exclusive consumption of fruit
Instinctos, who consume all categories of food, but avoid mixing them (food based on “instinct”)
Liquidarians, who consume food in the form of juice
Food ecology, which involves eating everything, including insects, as long as the food is raw

What do the studies say about the raw food diet?

The raw food diet has been and still is controversial. Few studies have examined the effects of raw food consumption over the long term. Nevertheless, there are positive results of raw food consumption:

On weight : 4 studies have found that raw and vegan diets contribute to substantial weight loss. Logical results, given the diet low in calories and high in fiber .
On certain diseases : lowering blood pressure ⁽¹⁾ , reducing symptoms of fibromyalgia ⁽²⁾ , improving the quality of life of people with rheumatoid arthritis ⁽³⁾ , reducing blood triglyceride levels ⁽⁴⁾ , prevention cancer risk factors ⁽⁵⁾ .

However, there are also elements less favorable to raw food:

Eating raw would cause, in the medium term, a disturbance of the menstrual cycle of the woman ⁽⁶⁾ .
Two studies demonstrate vitamin B12 deficiencies directly caused by the raw food diet ⁽⁷⁾ .
Raw food would lead to osteoporosis , which would be directly observed on the dental condition of the subjects studied ⁽⁸⁾ .
A study ⁽⁹⁾ finds a lowering of bad cholesterol , but also good cholesterol, as well as an increase in homocysteine (an amino acid directly involved in cardiovascular disease).

What are the benefits and dangers of the raw food diet?

1- Benefits of raw food

Based on the various studies mentioned above, it is possible to identify some benefits associated with the raw food diet, which would essentially be:

weight loss
Reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes
General improvement in quality of life

2- Dangers of raw food

We can nevertheless see that raw food is not without risk. Among the dangers are:

The risk of deficiencies in vitamins (D, B12), minerals (iron, calcium , zinc) and essential nutrients (proteins, carbohydrates) for the proper functioning of the body (osteoporosis, anemia, amenorrhea and difficulties in procreating)
The risk of food poisoning
Detrimental consequences on digestion, with production of gas and bloating and irritation of the intestinal wall
The raw food diet is strictly not recommended for children, adolescents and pregnant women

3- Fallacious arguments around raw foodism

Also, how to draw a convincing conclusion on the raw food diet? This diet undoubtedly has health benefits, but it is also based on false beliefs, for example:

Cooking does not always destroy nutrients. This is the case for lycopene in tomatoes (which gives them their red color), which doubles after 30 minutes of cooking.
Cooking also destroys certain micro-organisms responsible for food infections, as well as certain allergens.
Raw foods do not contain all the enzymes needed for proper digestion. In addition, enzymes in raw fruits and vegetables are destroyed during passage through the stomach by digestive juices.
Digestive leukocytosis as described by the followers of raw food is a caricature.

Raw food diet: some recipes

1- Date-banana smoothie

This recipe is a breakfast full of energy and totally raw! To make the smoothie, you will need:

A banana
A few dates
Almond milk (made with water and almonds)
Almond butter (100% from fresh crushed almonds)
A few seeds of your choice – hemp, sesame, sunflower

Cut the banana into pieces, which you will place in a blender. Remove the pits from the dates and place the fruit with the banana. Add the almond milk, then a tablespoon of almond butter to the blender. Mix the whole until you obtain a silky and homogeneous mixture. Serve in a glass and sprinkle with a few seeds.

2- Cauliflower Tabbouleh

A refreshing salad, perfect for a lunch box. To prepare this tabbouleh, you will need:

½ cauliflower
Olive oil
1 red pepper
1 yellow bell pepper
You lemon
A few mint leaves
Salt and pepper

Cut and wash the cauliflower florets. Grate them with a fine grater and sprinkle the vegetable semolina with lemon. Clean the peppers and cut them into small cubes. Add them to the cauliflower. Drizzle with olive oil. Salt, pepper, and add a few chopped mint leaves. Serve well chilled. Note that you can add other ingredients to this recipe, depending on the season: cherry tomatoes, cucumber, raisins, various seeds.

3- Chia, coconut and mango pudding

To make this delicious recipe, you will need:

8 c. at s. chia seeds
½ liter of coconut milk (extracted without cooking)
½ liter of water
1 mango
Of honey

Pour the coconut milk and water into a bowl. Add a little honey, chia seeds and mix. Pour some mixture into glasses. Cut the mango into small cubes, then place some of the cubes in the verrines. Cover with chia mixture. Reserve for a few hours in the refrigerator. Before serving, add the remaining mango cubes to each verrine. It’s ready !

Stephen Paul

Website | + posts

Stephen Paul is the lead author and founder of My Health Sponsor. Holder of a diploma in health and well-being coaching with more than 200 articles in the field of health, he makes it a point of honor to offer advice based on reliable information, based on scientific research, and verified by health professionals.