The Raw Truth: Should You Try a Raw Diet?

By Parker Lane, SLU Dietetic intern

Coming into a New Year you may be thinking “New Year New Me”. Many people took to diet and exercise for things to put on that resolution list. In fact, according to Study Finds a little over half (53%) of New Year’s resolutions revolved around these two categories¹.

Which may lead some of you scrolling through medical journals and peer reviewed data to find your next diet, right? No! It will probably lead many to social media or an influencer that praises a diet for their good looks. And hey, I too find myself looking into what they claim to be their secret. Last year it may have been keto diet but this year I’m seeing the raw diet left and right. But I’m telling you now, you may want to do a double take after I tell you what the research says about the raw diet.

What Is the Raw diet?

The raw diet, which is also known as raw foodism, has a couple different criteria depending on where you look. The broadest was eating raw fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, eggs, fish, meat, and dairy. It also allows minimally processed foods like fermented or dehydrated items (using temperatures below 118 degrees F)².  The raw diet is being described as a “anti-diet”, as it is not a diet but a lifestyle³. However, by definition according to the Mariam and Webster dictionary, a diet is “a special course of food to which one restricts oneself, either to lose weight or for medical reasons.”⁴_.  Therefore, it is a diet.

The raw diet isn’t new despite its newer popularity. It has been around since 1300 CE; however, its purpose through history was used for things like connecting back to nature, to anecdotal evidence of treating disease ^1,7. Present day popularity has come from celebrity followings⁷ but although it’s marketed as a lifestyle, it often seems to be used for weight loss. Looking at that from a nutritional standpoint it seems like a recipe for deficiencies as it is a restrictive diet on top of an energy deficit.

Figure 2:Karits E. Brown Monkey Eating Green Vegetable.; 2020.

Chewing on Science

Some of the arguments provided for the raw food diet is that it reduces your intake of processed foods, while increasing your intake of nuts, seeds, fruits, and vegetables. These items contain phytochemicals, fiber, vitamins, and minerals. It claims to have benefits like reducing blood pressure, triglycerides, and cholesterol⁴. There are also anecdotal claims that it will help with:

• Weight loss
• Lower inflammation
• Preventing cancer
• Give you more energy and more³.

All of these things make sense. More fruit and vegetable foods in the diet lead to less consumption of saturated fats, carcinogens, and processed foods which can in turn lead better health given that it is balanced with all the things our body needs.

However, it seems like with most restrictive diet there’s a catch. One study looking at long term adherence found that there was a significant amount of weight loss in both men and women⁵. However, it also had correlation with low BMI and amenorrhea in women⁵. And low BMI, just as high BMI, is associated with adverse health outcomes.

Additionally, many of the studies didn’t focus solely on eating raw fruits and vegetables. Rather most of the blogs in favor cited similar studies that focused on getting more fruits and vegetables in general, regardless of if they were cooked. 

This diet is highly restrictive and often does not condone eating out as most foods on the menu will have been processed in one way or another. However, with its celebrity following and popularity there are more restaurants now catering toward the raw food diet⁷. But for most this diet means eating at home. Well, that’s good because its less expensive right? Well yes, it’s probably less expensive than eating out; however, it is also likely more expensive than eating a nonrestrictive diet. There is specific focus on having fresh fruits and vegetables. Meaning those prices are going to fluctuate a lot throughout the seasons with availability.

Elephant in the Room

Figure 3:Rizkiyanto F. Elephant in the Room.; 2018. https://www.behance.net/gallery/66261629/Elephant-in-the-room

Don’t get me wrong when I say this, I love sushi and tartare, but eating raw meats, dairy, and fish all increase your risk of contracting a foodborne illness. Additionally, foodborne illness can come from raw plant sources too, and even the process of dehydrating can promote the growth of bacteria. Even if you’re not pregnant or immune compromised, foodborne illnesses can have serious and potentially fatal effects⁶. Cooking foods has evolved with humans and helps to kill harmful bacteria. In addition, cooking food helps increase bioavailability, meaning we can more readily absorb those nutrients⁸.

Now what about the enzymes in them that help break down food? Don’t those help with the bioavailability and digestion? The answer to that is they could if they made it to our small intestine. Which with the low pH of our acidic stomach they don’t. Lucky for us though, we have our digestive processes that start taking place from the moment that food enters our mouths which helps to break down our food to be absorbed⁷.

Finally, a lot of the evidence that they used did not focus only on raw foods and found that higher fruit and vegetable consumption and plant-based foods was likely to improve health outcomes⁹. So maybe the diet to try this year is trying not to diet at all. Instead, just trying to get a few more plants in our diet, maybe some raw and some cooked.

What’s Next?

To recap, the raw diet does show potential health benefits from its increased fruit and vegetables, nuts, seeds, increased fiber, and reduced consumption of processed foods. However, it does not come without potential detriments, like inadequate intake and nutrient deficiencies. Additionally, as many of their studies pointed out, similar benefits are achievable from eliminating processed foods and focusing on eating more plant based in general. So maybe this year instead of trying a new diet lets set a goal, one we think we can stick to all year. Let’s remember to fuel our bodies with a balanced diet, one that includes fruits and vegetables, but also other foods you enjoy as those can also be part of a balanced diet.  

Last, when setting a resolution, you want to be specific, have a way to measure your progress, make it reasonable to achieve, relevant to your goal, and set a time frame you want to achieve it by. You can have an overarching goal while having smaller milestones throughout the year to help you make it to that finish line. But also, it is important to keep in mind that change takes time and what ever your goal maybe, be sure you are patient with yourself and celebrate your smaller progress milestones.

*This blog is not meant to provide any medical nutrition therapy advice. Please follow/consult your health care physician or Registered Dietitian for advice on dietary changes. 

Bibliography

1. Anderer J. New year, same me: Most people give up on New Year’s resolutions within a month. Study Finds. Published April 1, 2021. Accessed January 19, 2022. https://www.studyfinds.org/give-up-on-new-years-resolutions/#:~:text=Over%20half%20of%20the%20resolutions%20described%20to%20researchers

2. Raw foodism. Wikipedia. Published September 11, 2021. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raw_foodism

3. Levy J. Raw Food Diet: Benefits, Risks and How to Follow. Dr. Axe. Published 2017. https://draxe.com/nutrition/raw-food-diet/

4. The Raw Food Diet | Diets & Weight Loss | Andrew Weil, M.D. DrWeil.com. Published February 15, 2019. https://www.drweil.com/diet-nutrition/diets-weight-loss/raw-food-diet/

5. Koebnick C, Strassner C, Hoffmann I, Leitzmann C. Consequences of a long-term raw food diet on body weight and menstruation: results of a questionnaire survey. Ann Nutr Metab. 1999;43(2):69-79. doi:10.1159/000012770

6. CDC. Foodborne Illnesses and Germs. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Published February 16, 2018. https://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/foodborne-germs.html

7. Cunningham E. What is a raw foods diet and are there any risks or benefits associated with it? Journal of the American Dietetic Association. 2004;104(10):1623. doi:10.1016/j.jada.2004.08.016

8. Platel K, Srinivasan K. Bioavailability of Micronutrients from Plant Foods: An Update. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2016;56(10):1608-1619. doi:10.1080/10408398.2013.781011

9. Block G, Patterson B, Subar A. Fruit, vegetables, and cancer prevention: a review of the epidemiological evidence. Nutr Cancer. 1992;18(1):1-29. doi:10.1080/01635589209514201