With the popularity of diets that provide some version of intermittent fasting, we have seen the appearance of a wide range of variations on this idea. Each version of these diets relies on one food or another to provide calories while still making it possible to create a significant calorie deficit. Rather than fasting, an alternative to these kinds of diets is the raw food diet.  

The raw food diet is predicated on the simple idea that raw food can provide all the basic nutrition your body needs while eliminating food additives and other things that cause weight gain and potential health problems. 

Proponents of the raw food diet maintain that our bodies are predisposed to living primarily off raw food, that cooking and other forms of processing of foods came later and are the source of some health issues. 

The science of the raw food diet is mixed, but there does appear to be evidence that it can be a healthy way of eating. 

What is the raw food diet? What are the benefits of the raw food diet? And how do you adhere to the raw food diet? This guide will give you the basic information on the raw food diet. 

What is the Raw Food Diet?

The raw food diet is sometimes called raw foodism or raw veganism. It means exactly what it sounds like. The raw food diet consists of a diet comprised mostly or entirely of raw, unprocessed foods. 

Food is considered raw if has never been heated beyond 118 degrees F. Raw food also means unrefined, non-pasteurized, and free of pesticides or other chemical additives. To attain the goals of the raw food diet, adherents offer different food preparation methods such as juicing, blending, dehydrating, soaking, and sprouting. 

The raw food diet is similar to the vegan diet in that it relies mostly on plant-based foods. However, it does allow for some dairy products and even eggs, which can present problems that we will address below. 

The raw food diet usually consists almost entirely of raw fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds. Many people take nutrition supplements while they are on the raw food diet to ensure that they are meeting all their nutritional needs. 

People believe there are many benefits to the raw food diet. Beyond weight loss, adherents claim the raw food diet help improve vitality and energy levels, can help reduce the risk of chronic diseases, and has the added benefit of having a reduced environmental impact. 

Benefits of the Raw Food Diet

People who have tried the raw food diet attest to its many benefits. Some take on the raw food diet to lose weight while others are primarily interested in minimizing their environmental impact. Some of the benefits of the raw food diet include:

Weight loss

The raw food diet will help you lose weight. Scientific studies have confirmed that raw food diets can help with significant weight loss, and people who adhere primarily to raw food diets and vegan diets tend to have much lower amounts of body fat. 

A study that tracked people over a period of more than three years discovered that raw food diets can reduce weight by as much as 2-26 pounds. Researchers found that participants who relied entirely on raw food (as opposed to allowing some cooked foods) lost the most weight and significantly lower body mass indexes (BMIs). 

Further studies showed that people who adhere to a raw food diet have BMIs that are as much as nine percent lower than people who live off a typical American diet. Multiple studies have all confirmed that raw food diets help people lose weight and keep the weight off.

Improved heart health

Because the raw food diet relies on fresh raw fruits and vegetables, it has now been consistently linked with lower blood pressure and a reduced risk of heart disease and stroke. 

The raw food diet also depends on eating large amounts of nuts, seeds, sprouted who grains, and legumes. All of these foods are known to contribute to a healthy heart. Studies have shown that including these varieties of foods in your diet can lower both cholesterol levels and reduce your risk of heart disease. Some of these studies have documented the ways a raw food diet can reduce your risk of developing high blood pressure by 75 percent and your risk of dying from a heart attack by as much as 42 percent. 

Still, further, research that is considered to be of the highest quality and importance has demonstrated that raw food diets can drastically reduce your levels of LDL or the so-called bad cholesterol. 

Can reduce the risk of diabetes

A raw food diet can reduce your risk of developing diabetes. This is again largely due to the reliance on fresh fruits and vegetables. These are both linked to a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The fact that the foods that make up the bulk of the raw food diet are extremely high in fiber also contributes to this benefit. 

One study found that people who adhere to raw food diets and vegan diets have a 12 percent lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The nuts, seeds, sprouted grains, and legumes that fill out the raw food diet also contribute to the reduced risk of diabetes and help reduce overall blood sugar levels. 

Improve digestion

The high fiber content that naturally attends the raw food diet is a great way of improving digestion. Raw foods contain high quantities of both soluble and insoluble fibers. The presence of these kinds of fiber in your diet on a regular basis can greatly improve the functioning of your intestines. The presence of these fibers also helps feed the natural intestinal flora that makes for healthy digestion. The combined effects of this level of high fiber in your diet can reduce the presence of short-chain fats in your intestines that cause inflammation, and it can reduce the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, ulcerative colitis, and Crohn’s disease. 

What should you eat on the Raw Food Diet?

The main thing to keep in mind with the raw food diet is that at least 75 percent of what you eat should be raw unprocessed foods. Most raw food diets rely primarily on fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts, seeds, grains, and legumes. You can do things like soak and sprout some of these seeds and legumes. Foods to eat on a raw food diet: 

• All fresh fruits
• All raw vegetables
• Raw nuts and seeds
• Raw grains and legumes, sprouted or soaked
• Dried fruits and meats
• Nut milks
• Raw nut butters
• Cold-pressed olive and coconut oils
• Fermented foods like kimchi and sauerkraut
• Seaweed
• Sprouts
• Raw eggs or dairy, if desired
• Raw meat or fish, if desired

Keep in mind that consuming raw meat or fish can be dangerous. This is not recommended by healthcare professionals. 

Foods to be avoided on a raw food diet:

• Cooked fruits, vegetables, meats, and grains
• Baked items
• Roasted nuts and seeds
• Refined oils
• Table salt
• Refined sugars and flour
• Pasteurized juices and dairy
• Coffee and tea
• Alcohol
• Pasta
• Pastries
• Chips
• Other processed foods and snacks

Is the Raw Food Diet Healthy?

Proponents of the raw food diet emphatically believe that it is the healthiest way of eating, and it is ideal for your health. Dietary experts and medical professionals, on the other hand, caution that our health is best served by a diet that consists of both raw and cooked foods. 

One of the main reasons people believe the raw food diet is the healthiest way of eating is that cooking foods destroy natural enzymes in food that are vital to our health. By eating food raw, we get all the nutrition and the natural enzymes these foods contain, and this provides the best boost to our health. 

It is a fact that heat does denature foods and changes the chemical composition of these foods. This includes reducing the nutritional content of these foods. While cooking makes things easier to digest, it remains true that cooked foods have been fundamentally altered from their natural state. 

The consensus of the medical community is that the raw food diet can be healthy for a limited period of time. But to remain physically fit, the human body requires more than raw foods. It is also unsafe to consume raw meat under any circumstances. 

Does the Raw Diet help you lose weight?

The raw food diet can help you lose weight. Multiple studies have shown that living on the raw food diet, even for a limited amount of time, can result in significant weight loss. You can expect to see clear results from the raw food diet in as little as 14 weeks. 

Not only will you lose weight on the raw food diet, but the same mechanisms that lead to weight loss also help improve things like insulin resistance and may help alleviate things like diabetes. Many people have also claimed that the raw food diet can increase your metabolism as your body is cleansed of the toxicity of processed foods. This can help you maintain the weight loss over the long term. 

Raw Food diet risks and side effects

The main risk of the raw food diet is not getting proper nutrition. To live in a healthy way on the raw food diet requires some planning to make sure you are getting all the nutrients your body needs. Some people have experienced certain nutritional deficiencies while on a raw foods diet. These kinds of deficiencies can be ameliorated with the help of dietary supplements. 

Some women have experienced interruptions in their menstrual cycles while on the raw foods diet. This is usually caused by improper nutrition. 

Intermittent Fasting vs. the Raw Food Diet

Intermittent fasting and the raw food diet are two entirely different things. While it is true that some versions of intermittent fasting allow for some raw foods during the fasting period, intermittent fasting is built on the premise that planned calorie deficits can help you lose significant weight. The primary purpose of intermittent fasting is short-term weight loss. 

The raw foods diet, on the other hand, is not premised on short-term weight loss. The premise of the raw foods diet is that it is a healthy alternative to conventional diets. Weight loss is an added benefit of the raw food diet. 

Raw Food Diet FAQs

What is the Raw Food Diet? 

The raw food diet is sometimes called raw foodism or raw veganism. It means exactly what it sounds like. The raw food diet consists of a diet comprised mostly or entirely of raw, unprocessed foods. 

Does the raw diet help you lose weight? 

The raw food diet can help you lose weight. Multiple studies have shown that living on the raw food diet, even for a limited amount of time, can result in significant weight loss. You can expect to see clear results from the raw food diet in as little as 14 weeks. 

What are some of the other benefits of the raw food diet? 

The raw food diet can help you cut cholesterol, reduce blood sugar, lower blood pressure, and reduce your risk of heart disease. 

Wrapping things up

Fad diets come and go. Some of these diets disappear because researchers find that they are actually dangerous. Others simply turn out to be more trend than reality. The raw food diet appears to have some real scientific basis. A diet that consists mostly of raw unprocessed foods is quite healthy and can help you lose weight. 

People who advocate for the raw food diet point out the fact that raw foods contain all the nutrients and the natural enzymes that help keep us healthy and fit. Cooking and processing foods tend to either remove or destroy many of the nutrients and natural enzymes contained in these foods. 

What we know is that the raw food diet can help you lose weight and keep it off. It can help you reduce blood sugar levels which reduces your risk of type 2 diabetes. And the raw food diet can help improve the health of your heart by cutting down on things like bad cholesterol. Overall, the raw food diet appears to be a healthy and safe way of eating.