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In humans' never-ending attempt to achieve optimum health, one of the latest fads is the raw food diet. This is precisely what the name proposes - a diet in which one eats only raw food.
The diet has some health benefits but has its fair share of risks. If you are on the fence speculating about the diet's role in your life, the following section dives into everything you need to know.
Unpacking the raw food diet
A raw food diet consists of wholly uncooked and unprocessed ingredients. The objective is to consume food in its original state, without processing or heating. Advocates claim that the alternation to the food structure is not good.
Dietitians define raw foods as those that have never been heated over 104–118°F (40–48°C). Additionally, it should not be refined, pasteurized, treated with pesticides, or processed in any other way.
Instead, the diet permits a variety of alternative preparation techniques, including juicing, blending, dehydrating, soaking, and sprouting. The raw food diet is believed to aid weight loss, improve vitality, have higher energy, and improve overall general health.
Is raw food healthier than cooked food?
Advocates of the raw food diet believe that eating raw foods is highly beneficial to human health, but there is little to no scientific evidence to back this up. Studies demonstrate that cooked and raw foods equally benefit one's health. The raw food diet prohibits cooking since it is believed that heating kills the natural enzymes in foods.
Advocates of the diet claim that these enzymes are essential for human health and digestion. When exposed to high temperatures, most enzymes denature— unravel or alter the structure. However, many enzymes denature in the stomach's acidic environment. In truth, the body already creates enzymes to help with chemical activities such as digestion and energy synthesis.
Another fundamental assumption underlying the diet is that cooking reduces food's nutrient content. While cooking does reduce the number of certain nutrients in food, particularly water-soluble nutrients like vitamin B and C, it also enhances the availability of antioxidants like lycopene and beta-carotene.
Cooking also aids in the inactivation or destruction of several toxic chemicals in food. Cooking grains and legumes, for example, decreases lectins and phytic acid, which can prevent the body from absorbing minerals. Furthermore, cooking destroys dangerous microorganisms. Hence, consuming a range of raw and cooked foods is critical.
What can I eat on a raw food diet?
People usually follow their interpretations of the diet. While some prefer to eat fine, cooked food, others strictly eat raw, uncooked food. You can eat the following things while on a raw food diet:
- Raw fruits and vegetables
- Dry fruits and nuts
- Various kinds of juices
- Nut butter and nut milk
- Cold-pressed olive and coconut oil
- Seaweed
- Fermented foods like kimchi and sauerkraut
- Organic, natural, or unprocessed foods
- Sun cured olives
Some people also include raw dairy products, eggs, fish, and meat. However, it is not advisable to eat these foods raw.
Benefits of the raw food diet
This diet is speculated to provide numerous benefits, including increased health and weight loss. Check out some of the benefits of the diet below.
Raw food diets are high in fruits, vegetables, nuts, and legumes, all of which are essential components of a healthy diet. Consuming various foods will supply an abundance of vitamins, minerals, healthy fats, and protein. It is also low in carbs since most grains need to be cooked to be eaten. Since raw foods are also low in fat, it is believed that this diet can help in weight loss.
Proponents of this diet believe that eating raw food makes the skin clearer, the gut healthier, and increases energy levels. Since the diet is free of processed food, it can also reduce inflammation, which can have many more health benefits.
Risks of the raw food diet
Some foods are dangerous when eaten raw and should be avoided. Cooking helps break down toxic compounds in certain foods that otherwise pose a risk of food poisoning.
Uncooked animal products are the most likely to cause food poisoning. This includes the following:
- uncooked and undercooked meat, including raw or lightly cooked chicken, raw or lightly cooked eggs
- raw (unpasteurized) milk and its derivatives
- shellfish, raw
Raw fruits and vegetables can potentially cause food illness. Because cooking kills bacteria, this is less likely with cooked fruits and vegetables. If you follow a raw food diet, then be sure to clean the produce properly before eating it.
