Raw Food Paleo Diet: Is it Possible?

Raw food diet…raw foodism…raw fooders. These are terms used when talking about a diet composed only of food that has not been cooked. This way of eating has become increasingly popular thanks to the claims that followers will lose weight, increase energy, and decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease.

What is a Raw Food Diet?

First, it’s important to note that dietary practices within this way of eating will vary greatly depending on the person. That being said, there is a plant-based emphasis on eating food that has been uncooked and unprocessed. A raw food diet could include fruits, vegetables, grains, meats, nuts/seeds, legumes, dairy, honey, or sprouted/dehydrated foods. Food can be heated on a raw foods diet; exact temperature definitions vary, but on average, foods must be heated below 104-118?℉.

Different Types of Raw Food Diets

There are different categories of a raw food diet. A person could be raw vegan, raw vegetarian (some dairy or honey may be incorporated), raw omnivore (eating both plant and animal products), or raw carnivore. Raw animal food based diets include things such as aged dairy and fermented animal foods.

Advocates of a raw food diet say that raw food is more digestible due to enzyme availability. They also say that there is a higher nutrient content in raw food and that the diet lowers LDL (the bad cholesterol) and triglycerides (1). Avoiding cooked food also eliminates advanced glycation end products and trans-fats from the diet.

There are some considerations when thinking about the raw food diet. First off, some nutrients are actually rendered more bioavailable by cooking. For example, cooking a tomato increases the bioaccessibility of lycopene content (2) and antioxidant activity (3) in the fruit. There’s also the risk for dental erosion because of the increased fruit consumption – especially citrus fruits. Access to and seasonality of fresh raw food ingredients could be an issue for certain populations. Also, a person has to eat A LOT on a raw food diet. Prep time and total cost could be high for a person following this diet.

Can you be Paleo on a Raw Food Diet?

Yes, there’s actually a community of Paleo raw foodists. A typical raw food Paleo diet would include everything that’s encompassed in a Paleo diet, but the food is eaten raw. There is an emphasis on including raw green juices on this diet. Depending on the person, a paleo raw foodist might include raw dairy. As with a Paleo diet, grains and legumes are not consumed. Because this diet includes eating raw meat, it is recommended that only the highest quality meat (grass-finished, organic, pastured-raised) be consumed.

As with any diet, it’s important to find what works for you and your lifestyle. Doing your research is important, and always remember to consider both the pros and cons. What do you think of a Paleo raw food diet? Would you give it a try? Let me hear your thoughts!

Sources

1. Koebnick C, Garcia AL, Dagnelie PC, et al. Long-term consumption of a raw food diet is associated with favorable serum LDL cholesterol and triglycerides but also with elevated plasma homocysteine and low serum HDL cholesterol in humans. J Nutr. 2005;135(10):2372-8.
2. Unlu NZ, Bohn T, Francis DM, Nagaraja HN, Clinton SK, Schwartz SJ. Lycopene from heat-induced cis-isomer-rich tomato sauce is more bioavailable than from all-trans-rich tomato sauce in human subjects. Br J Nutr. 2007;98(1):140-6.
3. Dewanto V, Wu X, Adom KK, Liu RH. Thermal processing enhances the nutritional value of tomatoes by increasing total antioxidant activity. J Agric Food Chem. 2002;50(10):3010-4.