The Raw Food Diet | Top Best Diet Plans for Healthy Lifestyle

Basics, benefits, meal prep tips and more

The raw food diet is based on the belief that whole, unprocessed foods can help you achieve better health and prevent diseases like heart disease and cancer. Some proponents claim that cooking breaks down enzymes in uncooked or “live” foods that aid in digestion and nutrient absorption.

Typically, about 70 percent or more of the diet consists of raw foods.

Your staples on the raw food diet are fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and sprouted grains and beans. Gentle heating of food is considered acceptable as long as the temperature does not exceed 118 degrees Fahrenheit. While most people who follow a raw food diet plan are vegan, some eat unprocessed animal products, such as raw milk, cheese made from raw milk, or raw fish or meat.

Benefits
Proponents of the diet often claim that the raw food diet has certain health benefits, such as:

Energy boost
lighter skin
Weightloss
Lower risk of disease

The raw food diet is lower in calories, sodium, sugar, trans fat, and saturated fat than the standard American diet. It is also higher in potassium, magnesium, folic acid, fiber, vitamin A, and antioxidants.

Fiber in the diet can help you feel full and protect against constipation.

Some proponents of the diet say it can reduce inflammation due to the antioxidants in plant foods and fewer advanced glycation end products in uncooked foods.

Research on the raw food diet
Although there is very little research on the raw food diet, a study published in the Journal of Nutrition suggests that following a strict raw food diet may be associated with elevated risk factors for heart disease. The researchers examined the nutritional status of people who had followed a raw food diet (at least 70 percent raw food) for at least two years.

They found that only 14 percent had elevated LDL cholesterol levels and none had high triglycerides.

However, 38 percent of the participants were deficient in vitamin B12 and 51 percent had elevated homocysteine levels. Both low vitamin B12 concentration and high homocysteine levels are considered independent risk factors for cardiovascular disease.

A study published in the Annals of Nutrition & Metabolism examined the relationship between long-term raw food diets and body weight and found that body mass index (BMI) was below the normal weight range by 14.7 percent. percent of men and 25 percent of women. About 30 percent of women under the age of 45 had partial or complete amenorrhea (the absence of menstrual periods), particularly those who ate 90 percent or more raw food.

Allowed foods
To learn what foods are typically eaten on a raw food diet, read the list of foods to eat on a raw food diet.

Foods to avoid
Some beans can be eaten raw after they have been soaked and sprouted, but others, such as kidney, soybean and lima beans, are considered unsafe to eat.

Other foods to avoid on a raw food diet include: