Debunking raw food myths II

[Guest guest]

From

<http://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2002issue4/rawfoodsdiet.htm>:

 

 

Raw Foods

Diets

 

REVIEW OF THE

LITERATURE

 

by Suzanne

Havala Hobbs, DrPH, RD

 

It is well

established that vegetarian lifestyles are associated with health

advantages. The American Dietetic Association states that " Š

appropriately planned vegetarian diets are healthful, are

nutritionally adequate, and provide health benefits in the treatment

and prevention of certain diseases. " (16)

 

Much of what is known about vegetarian diets and related health

effects is based on research on lacto ovo vegetarian diets. Relatively

little information is available about the health and nutrition aspects

of vegan diets, however, as well as variants such as raw foods or

living foods diets. A review of the literature was conducted to

determine the extent to which there is scientific documentation of the

health and nutrition aspects of raw foods diets as a first step toward

further study of this dietary practice.

 

Worldwide, little research data is available on the subject of raw

foods diets. The majority of published research has been conducted in

Finland at the University of Kuopio. Of the 24 papers included in this

review, 15 originated in Finland. The remainder of the research was

conducted in the U.S., the Netherlands, and Germany.

 

Raw foods diets are variously described as uncooked vegan diets,

uncooked vegetable diets, and " living foods " diets. In one

case, a raw foods diet included raw liver (8). All other studies reviewed here referred to

vegetarian diets, most of which excluded all animal products and

derived the majority of calories from uncooked plant matter. In one

study, up to 95 percent of food was consumed in raw form (7). One study group derived 55 percent of

calories from uncooked fruits, carrot juice, salads and raw

vegetables, and grain products, though 58 percent of subjects also

consumed some animal product during the recorded week of food

intake

(4). In other

studies, a " living foods " diet was defined as an uncooked

vegan diet that included germinated seeds, sprouts, cereals,

vegetables, fruits, berries, and nuts (9,

11).

 

The scientific literature contains relatively little information about

the rationale for a raw foods or living foods diet. One paper by

Kenton (1985) provides philosophical discussion examining food energy

and its role in sustaining optimal health. Other papers focus on

specific health effects on adult subjects following a raw foods or

living foods diet for a period of time ranging from as little as one

week

(10) to as long as

3.7 years

(14). Study groups

ranged in size from as small as 13 subjects (2) to as many as 513 subjects (14). Findings include dietary effects on weight, serum

lipid levels, symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia, rates

of dental erosion, fecal microflora, cancer treatment, vitamin

B12 status, and antioxidant and

other nutrient intakes.

 

Four studies found uncooked vegan ( " living foods " ) diets to

be associated with substantial loss of weight (5,12,

14, 20). In one case, weight loss was associated

with reduction of diastolic blood pressure (5), in one case reduction of fibromyalgia

symptoms

(12), and with

amenorrhea in another case (14). Other studies found subjective improvement of

fibromyalgia and rheumatoid arthritis symptoms with adoption of an

uncooked vegan diet (9,

11, 17).

 

An uncooked vegan diet was associated with decreased serum total and

LDL-cholesterol levels (2). Another study found that long term uncooked vegan

diets resulted in decreased levels of n-3 fatty acids due to high

intakes of linoleic and oleic acids (1). Two studies found significant reductions of serum

vitamin B12concentrations in subjects following a raw foods

( " living foods " ) diet, suggesting that long-term adherents

to a raw vegan diet should include a reliable source of vitamin

B12 in their diets (3, 22).

 

Other studies focused on favorable effects of an uncooked vegan diet

on fecal microflora and other potential chemopreventive factors for

cancer risk

(6, 15, 18,

25). One study

found overall favorable changes in biochemical and metabolic health

indicators including serum protein, urea, and total cholesterol in

subjects eating a raw foods diet for one week but concluded

observation over a longer period was needed (10). One study found increased risk of dental erosion in

subjects following an uncooked vegan diet (7). Another study examined coumarin 7-hydroxylation in

subjects consuming a raw foods vegan diet matched with omnivorous

controls and concluded that plant substances had little effect on

coumarin hydroxylase activity in subjects consuming a raw foods

diet

(23).

 

Finally, one study of 141 American long-term (mean time 28 months)

adherents to a raw foods diet found self-reported improvements in

health and quality of life after adoption of the diet (4). Measurement was based on survey results of

subjects' current health and retrospectively for health prior to

dietary changes. The study found that salads, fruits, carrot juice,

and cooked grain products provided 60-88 percent of most of the

nutrients found in the diet. Dehydrated barley grass juice, nuts and

seeds, potatoes and squash provided the remaining 12-40% of nutrients

in the diet. The diet provided a mean calorie intake of 1460 kcal/day

for women and 1830 kcal/day for men. Fat provided 24% of calories, and

mean protein intake was 0.66g/kg body weight. Mean calcium intakes

were 580 mg/day for women and 690 mg/day for men. As compared to mean

nutrient intakes of people in the United States, as reported in the

National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III), intakes

of several nutrients were significantly higher in subjects eating a

raw foods diet, and intakes of several nutrients were lower. Intakes

of fiber, vitamins A, B6, C, and E, folate, copper, and potassium were

significantly higher in subjects eating a raw foods diet as compared

with those reported in NHANES III, and intakes of protein, total and

saturated fat, cholesterol, vitamin B12, phosphorus, sodium, and zinc were significantly

lower.

 

Overall, the body of scientific literature describing health and

nutrition aspects of raw foods or living foods diets is limited. Only

one survey of American individuals consuming a raw foods diet has been

reported. Little or no information is available describing the

rationale for a raw foods diet, nor has the range of practices among

individuals consuming raw or living foods diets been documented. The

majority of available research findings related to raw foods diet is

confined to studies of European populations.

 

1. Agren, J. J., Tormala, M. L., Nenonen, M. T., Hanninen, O. (1995).

Fatty acid composition of erythrocyte, platelet, and serum lipids in

strict vegans. Lipids, 30, 365-369.

 

2. Agren, J. J., Tvrzicka, E., Nenonen, M. T., Helve, T., Hanninen, O.

(2001). Divergent changes in serum sterols during a strict uncooked

vegan diet in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. British Journal

of Nutrition, 85, 137-139.

 

3. Donaldson, M. S. (2000). Metabolic vitamin B12 status on a mostly raw vegan diet with

follow-up using tablets, nutritional yeast, or probiotic

supplements. Annals of Nutrition & Metabolism, 44,

229-234.

 

4. Donaldson, M. S. (in press). Food and nutrient intake of Hallelujah

vegetarians. Nutrition & Food Science.

 

5. Douglass, J. M., Rasgon, I. M., Fleiss, P. M., Schmidt, R. D.,

Peters, S. N., Abelmann, E. A. (1985). Effects of a raw food diet on

hypertension and obesity. Southern Medical Journal, 78(7),

841-844.

 

6. Gaisbauer, M., Langosch, A. (1990). Raw food and immunity (article

in German). Fortschr Med, 108(17), 338-340.

 

7. Ganss, C., Schlechtriemen, M., Klimek, J. (1999). Dental erosions

in subjects living on a raw foods diet.Caries Research, 33,

74-80.

 

8. Gerson, M. (1978). The cure of advanced cancer by diet therapy: a

summary of 30 years of clinical experimentation. Physiol Chem Phys,

10(5), 449-464.

 

9. Hanninen, O., Kaartinen, K., Rauma, A. L., Nenonen, M., Torronen,

R., Hakkinen, A. S., et al. (2000). Antioxidants in vegan diet and

rheumatic disorders. Toxicology, 155, 45-53.

 

10. Hanninen, O., Nenonen, M., Ling, W. H., Li, D. S., et al. (1992).

Effects of eating an uncooked vegetable diet for 1 week. Appetite,

19, 243-254.

 

11. Hanninen, O., Rauma, A. L., Kaartinen, K., Nenonen, M. (1999).

Vegan diet in physiological health promotion. Acta Physiologica

Hungarica, 86, 171-180.

 

12. Kaartinen, K., Lammi, K., Hypen, M., Nenonen, M., Hanninen, O.,

Rauma, A. L. (2000). Vegan diet alleviates fibromyalgia symptoms.

Scandanavian Journal of Rheumatology, 29, 308-313.

 

13. Kenton, L. (1985). Raw energy - nutrition of the future?

Nutrition and Health, 4, 37-50.

 

14. Koebnick, C., Strassner, C., Hoffmann, I., Leitzmann, C. (1999).

Consequences of a long-term raw food diet on body weight and

menstruation: results of a questionnaire survey. Annals of

Nutrition & Metabolism, 43(2), 69-79.

 

15. Ling, W. H., Hanninen, O. (1992). Shifting from a conventional

diet to an uncooked vegan diet reversibly alters fecal hydrolytic

activities in humans. Journal of Nutrition, 122, 924-930.

Messina, V. and Burke, K. (1997). Position of the American Dietetic

Association: Vegetarian diets. Journal of the American Dietetic

Association, 97(11), 1317-1321.

 

16. Nenonen, M. T., Helve, T. A., Rauma, A. L., Hanninen, O. O.

(1998). Uncooked, lactobacilli-rich, vegan food and rheumatoid

arthritis. British Journal of Rheumatology, 37, 274-281.

 

17. Peltonen, R., Ling, W. H., Hanninen, O., Eerola, E. (1992). An

uncooked vegan diet shifts the profile of human fecal microflora:

computerized analysis of direct stool sample gas-liquid chromatography

profiles of bacterial cellular fatty acids. Applied Environmental

Microbiology, 58, 3660-3666.

 

18. Peltonen, R., Nenonen, M., Helve, T., Hanninen, O., Toivanen, P.,

Eerola, E. (1997). Faecal microbial flora and disease activity in

rheumatoid arthritis during a vegan diet. British Journal of

Rheumatology, 36, 64-68.

 

19. Rauma, A. L., Nenonen, M., Helve, T., Hanninen, O. (1993). Effect

of a strict vegan diet on energy and nutrient intakes by Finnish

rheumatoid patients. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition,

47, 747-749.

 

20. Rauma, A. L., Torronen, R., Hanninen, O., Verhagen, H., Mykkanen,

H. (1995). Antioxidant status in long-term adherents to a strict

uncooked vegan diet. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition,

62, 1221-1227.

 

21. Rauma, A. L., Torronen, R., Hanninen, O., Mykkanen, H. (1995).

Vitamin B-12 status of long-term adherents of a strict uncooked vegan

diet ( " living food diet " ) is compromised. Journal of

Nutrition, 125, 2511-2315.

 

22. Rauma, A. L., Rautio, A., Pasanen, M., Pelkonen, O., Torronen, R.,

Mykkanen, H. (1996). Coumarin 7-hydroxylation in long-term adherents

of a strict, Uncooked vegan diet. European Journal of Clinical

Pharmacology, 50, 133-137.

 

23. Rauma, A. L., Mykkanen, H. (2000). Antioxidant status in

vegetarians versus omnivores. Nutrition, 16, 111-119.

 

24. Verhagen, H., Rauma, A. L., Torronen, R., de Vogel, N.,

Bruijntjes-Rosier, G. C., Drevo, M. A., et al. (1996). Effect of a

vegan diet on biomarkers of females. Human Experimental Toxicology,

15, 821-825.

--

[Guest guest]

This one was practically illegible owing to the formatting....=(

 

I do agree that many raw foodists talk UTTER twaddle and use similar

sorts of emotional blackmail to the type of stuff the animal product

industry comes out with to win converts. A few of the books I've

read hint very strongly, if they don't just come out and say it, that

you're plain stupid if you don't see things their way and, in my

book, that's no way to convince anybody of anything. At least not

anybody with an ounce of commonsense and self respect.

 

Having said that, there is a lot of sense in the thing as a whole as

long as you can see past the obviously un-scientific hype and see

things for what they are. I don't agree with everything they say,

not by a LONG shot, but I do think they are in the right general

direction. It's one of those things that we are not liekly to find

out conclusive answers to in a hurry. Very interesting though....

 

Hugs,

 

Elisabeth=)

 

PS If you want to re-post that article in plain old courier font, i'd

like to read it!=)