Written by: Kelley R. Hill, MSN, RN-BC
In a Nutshell
This diet excludes foods that have been heated, pasteurized, refined, or otherwise processed or treated. It is a diet consisting of whole foods that are completely or mostly raw.
Foods Allowed:
*Note that sushi rolls containing rice would not be considered a raw food.
FoodsNotAllowed:
Rather than cooking, the raw food diet supports alternative preparation methods like juicing, blending, dehydrating, soaking, and sprouting. Soaking and sprouting are used to make raw grains and pulses edible by increasing bioavailability and breaking down toxic compounds.
Lifestyle Impact
Can significantly impact socializing and dining out, as many people do not know how to cater to raw food dieters other than offering raw fruits, and restaurants have just now made small, slow strides to accommodate vegetarians and vegans – raw foods accommodations are not even on the radar, save establishments that serve sashimi or steak tartare.
As there is no cooking, food preparation takes much more planning, time, and effort.
Because of the restrictive nature of this diet and the rather large nutritional learning curve for those making the switch, a lot of education, exploration, and possibly nutritional supplements are needed.
Some people also have difficulty digesting raw vegetables.
Scientific & Expert Support
While cooking foods does reduce some vitamins, it makes other nutrients such as antioxidants more bioavailable (easier for the body to absorb and use). And we don’t need the enzymes in the food we consume for digestion, as our own digestive enzymes work just fine for food breakdown.
There is great concern that the raw food diet lacks adequate calcium, vitamin D, and protein, and there is evidence that people following a raw diet over a long period of time have an increased risk of low bone density.
Fresh, raw foods are a valuable part of a healthy diet. It’s good to eat raw vegetables, though science has established that the greatest nutrition comes from eating a combination of raw and cooked vegetables.
Safety
There can be food safety issues with consuming raw foods because of dangerous germs like botulinum, salmonella, listeria, E. coli, cryptosporidium, brucella, and campylobacter that can result in not only “food poisoning” but severe acute or long-term illness, hospitalization, and even death.
You should always consult with your physician, and ideally a registered dietician (RD) or nutritionist, before radically changing your diet or eating habits. Especially if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, are taking prescription medications, or have existing health conditions.
Strength of Evidence: D
There is only one study conducted directly on a raw foods diet, the results of which showed only negative health impacts. There is no other evidence supporting the raw food diet. There is an abundance of quality, patient-centered evidence that supports eating more plant foods for many health reasons, but not raw only approaches.
Our Ruling:
Preferring your olive oil extra virgin and your honey raw, as well as enjoying occasional sushi and maybe even meat tartare, is one thing… But adopting a raw food diet is likely to be more harmful than healthful.
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