Pros and Cons of a Raw Food Diet

May 13, 2011, By Nayab Naseer 0 comments

Raw food diet fans claim that eating only uncooked and unprocessed fruit, nuts, veggies and legumes boost the body's energy levels, contribute to better health and immunity, and aid in weight loss. So what's the evidence that supports these claims? And what are the drawbacks to consider?

Advantages of a Raw Food Diet

• Energy: The proponents of these diets hold that raw food contains essential enzymes that aid digestion. Cooking food above 118 degrees Fahrenheit (48 degrees Celsius) destroys or alters these enzymes. This not only deprives the body of this natural benefit, but also causes work for the body to produce digestive enzymes. Raw food that "digests itself" thereby preserves energy and cooked food depletes energy.
• Health: Cooked food takes longer to digest and clogs up the digestive system and arteries with partially digested fats, proteins and carbohydrates. This increases the risk of a variety of ailments ranging from heart attacks to cancer. Advocates of raw foodism cite as evidence the widely accepted practice of recommending a raw food diet during recovery from chronic illnesses.
• Immunity: Compared to cooked food, raw foods contain higher quantities of fibers that cleanse the body from impurities, and glycosides or complex sugars that boost immunity. Cooking food means most of these benefits go down the drain with the cooking water.
• Weight Loss: The high fiber and water content of raw foods makes you feel full and decreases appetite. In addition, raw foods tend to be a more efficient form of calories that give the body the required nutrients for cell growth, regeneration, healing and metabolism, without having to eat more. Put another way: People on a raw food diet tend to lose weight.

Plenty of critics contest the benefits of a raw food diet and claim that some of the so-called advantages are overstated. Also, there are some factors that could even be considered outright disadvantages.

NEXT: Disadvantages