An Introduction to the Raw Food Diet

The raw food diet is based on the belief that the healthiest food for the body is uncooked. Although most food is eaten raw, heating food is acceptable as long as the temperature stays below 104 to 118 degrees Fahrenheit. There are various variations on the raw food diet that followers (raw foodists) of this diet adhere to, but all stick to the fundamental guideline of consuming few, if any, cooked foods. Raw foodists believe that cooking destroys valuable nutrients and in particular enzymes in food. It is a vegetarian diet as it contains no animal proteins, although some raw foodists eat raw fish.

Raw diet followers believe that heating foods to higher temperatures, destroys the enzymes necessary for a multitude of chemical processes that keep your body healthy. According to raw foodists, enyzymes are the life force of the food, they help us digest it and absorb the nutrients contained within it. If we eat too much cooked food, our bodies are forced to work harder by producing more enzymes. Over time, a lack of enzymes from food is thought to lead to digestive problems, nutrient deficiency, accelerated ageing and weight gain. Raw food dieters also believe that a raw diet keeps the body more alkaline, which allows the blood to absorb more oxygen. Theory

Benefits and possible downsides to the Raw Diet

People who follow a raw food diet often do have low cholesterol and triglycerides  (blood fat) levels. Raw foodists also consume less sodium and fats and more vitamins and minerals such as potassium, magnesium and folate and the raw food diet also of course contains more fibre. It is true that cooking may destroy vitamins and minerals in foods, so eating a raw diet may increase vitamin and mineral intake. It is known for example, that the cancer-fighting compounds in broccoli, sulforaphanes, are greatly reduced when broccoli is cooked. In addition certain vitamins, such as vitamin C and folate, are indeed destroyed by heat. Other foods, however, become healthier after cooking, because the fibrous portion is broken down. For example, cooked tomatoes contain three to four times more lycopene (which has been shown to have significant cardio-vascular health benefits) than raw tomatoes.

There are a few concerns about this diet. For example, there is a danger from bacteria such as salmonella when food is not cooked above 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Sticking to a raw food diet alone may also lead to several nutritional deficiencies not least of all the fact that it is difficult to consume enough calories on the raw food diet. Consuming enough nutrients such as calcium, iron, zinc and B-12 is also difficult on a raw diet, since both these nutrients are most abundant in animal proteins and dairy products.