Is a Raw Food Diet Riddled with Deficiencies?
Raw reader Anne recently sent me this:
Here is something I read and this is the type of thing that makes me scared of the raw food world:
Don’t be scared, Anne! The claims in the link you provided—It’s a WebMd article titled “Is the Raw Food Diet Healthy?”—are easily debunked.
Here, I’ll show you…
Vitamin B12 Deficiency
Researchers who studied the impact of a raw food diet found that participants had low cholesterol and triglycerides. They also had a vitamin B12 deficiency. This finding is consistent with another study of raw foodists in Finland.
B12 is found naturally only in animal products. It is critical to nerve and red blood cell development. Deficiencies can lead to anemia and neurological impairment.
Obviously low cholesterol and triglycerides is a good thing. But low B12? Not so good.
The thing is, vitamin B12 isn’t just associated with raw food vegans.
In one study analyzing the blood tests of 3,000 men and women, it was found that 39% of participants had low B12. And according to the researchers, most of these participants were meat-eaters.
For more vitamin B12 myths, click here.
Low Lycopene Levels
A German study of long-term raw foodists showed that they had healthy levels of vitamin A and dietary carotenoids, which comes from vegetables, fruits and nuts and protect against chronic disease. Yet the study participants had lower than average plasma lycopene levels, which are thought to play a role in disease prevention.
They are found in deep-red fruits like tomatoes. Lycopene content is highest, however, when tomatoes are cooked.
Healthy levels of vitamin A and dietary carotenoids, another great thing. But what about low plasma lycopene levels?
From the American Cancer Society:
Since tomatoes also contain vitamins, potassium, and other carotenoids and antioxidants, it may be that other compounds in tomatoes may account for some of the protective effects first thought to be due to lycopene.
These compounds may act alone or along with lycopene. When researchers look at large population groups with different lifestyles and habits, it is also possible that their findings can be explained by other factors that were not examined.
And despite what you hear on the news, science does not point conclusively to lycopene alone as a cancer-fighting substance. Several studies have been done on lycopene and cancer with mixed results.
If you’re worried about your lycopene levels, stop worrying. Eating fresh fruits and veggies as your mainstay will provide plenty of lycopene, along with all the other cancer-fighting phytonutrients your body needs.
If you’re still worried, eat some tomatoes. Watermelon, pink guava, grapefruit and gac (if you can get it) are also good sources.
Low Bone Mass
Low bone mass in the lumbar spine and hip may be another risk for raw foodists, who tend to be slim. Researchers concluded, however, that the raw foodists studied had “good bone quality.”
That’s because rapid weight loss at the beginning of the diet may have caused the decrease in bone mass.
As with many things in life, less (or lower) is more. We want lower cholesterol, lower triglycerides, lower blood pressure, lower body fat. All of these have been associated with vegan and raw vegan diets.
It seems that low bone mass is no exception. It’s all about quality, not quantity.
Menstruation
Finally, another study showed that a raw food diet can interrupt the menstrual cycle, again because of drastic weight loss.
Female menstruation is a touchy subject within the raw vegan movement. Some believe that blood loss is unnatural, while others believe that bleeding is natural.
What is unanimous, though, is that periods should not be painful, should not be heavy, and should not last for more than a few days.
If you’ve lost your period on a raw vegan diet and it’s keeping you up at nights, visit your doctor and get some blood work done.
Deficiencies
The raw food diet is rich in nutrients. It’s full of fiber and it’s low in fat and sugars.
But raw foodists, along with vegans, need to make sure they’re getting enough vitamin B12, calcium, iron, and omega-3 fatty acids, most of which are found naturally in animal products.
Everyone needs to make sure they’re getting enough B12, calcium, iron, and omega 3s. Not just raw vegans.
And the truth is, it’s very easy to meet your nutritional needs on raw foods. As long as you eat a healthy raw food diet based on fresh fruits and greens, you will receive plenty of nutrients, including calcium, iron, and omega 3s.
Vitamin B12 is another story, but it is still very easy to obtain enough on a vegan diet.
Protein
Raw foodists typically get the same amount of protein as nonvegetarians through plant foods eaten throughout the day. But because plant protein is less digestible, the ADA also recommends eating plenty of soy and bean products.
Ah, the dreaded protein issue.
The funny thing is, protein really isn’t an issue at all. As I show here, it’s so incredibly easy to get plenty of protein (and even EXCEED the RDA) on a raw vegan diet.
Calcium
Nutritionists at the ADA also recommend that raw foods and vegans increase their calcium intake. That’s because their diets are high in sulfur-containing amino acids – nuts and grains, for example — which can increase bone calcium loss.
First, this article is assuming that all raw vegans consume lots of nuts and grains.
This couldn’t be further from the truth. Those consuming a HEALTHY raw food diet actually consume little to no grains at all and very small amounts (like 1 ounce a day) of nuts.
Second, vegans do not need more calcium.
As I spoke about here, healthy vegans actually need LESS. And it’s possible that raw vegans who consume little to no grains and legumes and small amounts of nuts and seeds need even less than that.
Zinc
Zinc is better absorbed by the body through meat. The ADA recommends soaking and sprouting beans, grains, and seeds. Doing this may help the body better absorb the nutrients from these foods.
According to the World Health Organization, the average adult male needs between 4-14 mg of zinc everyday, while the average adult female needs 3-10 mg/day (depending upon the bioavailability of the zinc being consumed).
It is very easy to meet this requirement on a diet of fruits, veggies, and limited amounts of nuts and seeds, as I show below…
- Breakfast: 5 medium bananas
- Lunch: 4 mangoes
- Mid-Afternoon: 8 peaches
- Dinner: Salad of 1 bunch spinach, 1 cucumber, 4 med. tomatoes, and 1 ounce brazil nuts
This made-up meal plan contains only 1995 calories, yet provides 8.2 mg of zinc. For someone eating a healthy raw vegan diet devoid of high-phytate foods like grains, this is plenty.
As far as soaking is concerned, read my article here.
Vitamin D
Finally, people who do not eat meat or dairy products should be vigilant about their vitamin D intake — especially for people who live in northern climates. Low levels of vitamin D can lead to weaker bones.
The ADA recommends vitamin-D fortified foods, including some brands of soy milk and rice milk, some breakfast cereals and margarines. You also may want to take a vitamin D supplement.
It’s estimated that 40-60% of the entire United States population is deficient in vitamin D. Is 40-60% of the US population vegan or even vegetarian? Of course not!
My point is that vitamin D deficiency is not just a vegan or vegetarian issue. Unless you live close to the equator and get plenty of sunshine, you’re at risk no matter what you eat.
Don’t Fear the Raw!
There’s no need to fear adopting a raw vegan diet. You just need to be smart about it.
Contrary to what most raw gurus will tell you, you can’t just eat whatever you want that’s raw and expect to meet all your nutritional needs, lose all your excess weight, have tons of energy, and be perfectly healthy.
There is a right way to go raw and a wrong way to go raw. Luckily the right way is pretty simple: eat fresh fruit, get in your greens, and limit your fat intake.
What Do You Think?
What do you think about a raw vegan diet? Think it’s the bee’s knees? Worried that it’s nutritionally lacking, unsustainable, or even dangerous?
Leave your comment below! 
Go raw and be fit,
Swayze
P.S. Want to go raw, but have no idea how to do the diet correctly? Know how to do it, but can’t stick with it because of crazy cravings?
That’s why I created this:
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10 comments
The expression, “bee’s knees”, I never heard of?
What does it mean?
[Reply]
Swayze Reply:
December 9th, 2011 at 7:34 PM
It means great or excellent.
[Reply]
Hi swayze, Reply:
December 10th, 2011 at 2:05 PM
Hi Swayze,
I have been raw,now for over a year on raw diet while detoxing heavy metals. The red blood cell all went away and the B-12 went was really low. They just put back all my blood, but the recent blood test says the counts are low again. If any one can tell me why my red blood cells and my B-12 counts keep going down on a raw diet. I need to keep it a liquid diet for the kidney and liver to work. Thanks
[Reply]
Hi Swayze,
So as I found out about the raw food diet and was pumped to try it I was also handed a macrobiotic diet book and my world came crashing down around me in confusion and hunger due to not knowing what to eat. I’ve read a lot of the science behind the raw diet and it all seems pretty straightforward and believable. The macrobiotic diet though seems to have the same mantra, “No Processed Foods, Low Fat, Best Quality Produce.” But the macrobiotic diet is saying to eat more local and seasonal. I was wondering what your thoughts are on eating a large amount of fruits and vegetables that are coming half way across the globe from different temperate zones. What if we couldn’t get our bananas? I don’t think I could sustain a raw food diet without bananas! And is it possible that our body will react adversely to a tropical fruit during a cold winter season?
On a personal note I have been doing pretty well eating just fruits for breakfast, some days I do pretty well with that for lunch as well. I’m 28 and have always been a healthier eater, staying away from fast foods, junk foods, and a lot of processed sugar but realized I was still pretty reliant on processed and cooked foods none the less. I’m not really getting much support because I’m not overweight and people think I’m just being weird and I’m going to get sick. I don’t know if I’ll ever be a pure raw foodist but I have come to the conclusion that I no longer want to have to rely on anything processed or unnatural. I’m also raising my two little girls and want them to grow up eating right so they don’t have to break bad habits after 28 years like me.
I’m sorry this is such a long comment. I know you are very busy and I thank you for all the great information you put on your blog for everyone to read and better themselves.
Sean
[Reply]
Swayze Reply:
December 10th, 2011 at 2:34 PM
Eating seasonally is pretty easy for most people and many foods can be grown locally (depending upon where you live. I went the entire summer without a single banana. I bought almost 100% of my produce from farmer’s markets (lots of melon, peaches, blueberries, tomatoes, and cucumbers). I’ve never had an adverse reaction to any tropical fruit, no matter the season.
[Reply]
I went raw for 11months a few years ago after taking a raw food course at the Ann Wigmore Institute in P.R. On so many levels it was the most beautiful thing I ever did for myself. But there was a very intense down side to it. I became super hyper sensitive to people,sounds,smells,emotions,lights etc… There were actual days in which I was not comfortable with going outside. The world was too noisy,dirty,violent,loud and everyone was just talking and walking to fast . I felt less dense and very much desiring to stay very quiet,loving&calm. I started to eat cooked lentils after the 11months simply so that I would feel grounded again and could deal with living in New York. I know inside my spirit that being raw was the best way for me to eat. But,I also know that I would have to live on an island or in the country in order for me to stay raw in peace.I need the availability of fresh tree ripen fruits all the time. And I can assure you that living in brooklyn,new york is not the place!
[Reply]
this has nothing to do with the other comments, but some one told me that all we realy need to do is brush our teeth with water often and floss? thanks
[Reply]
Swayze Reply:
December 11th, 2011 at 5:34 PM
Here’s an article I wrote on dental hygiene:
http://www.fitonraw.com/?p=223
For purely aesthetic reasons, I prefer to brush with tooth powders. My teeth get too yellow for my liking on water alone.
[Reply]
Really glad to have found your blog! I’ve been raw for ten years in different stages. I’m absolutely in my best moment right now, almost 6 months on low fat raw,
Before, I ate way too much fat, although no one else thought so including all of the raw foodists I knew. I didn’t use oils, never did recipes, combined my food, spent most of the day on fruit. But one or two avocados a day, and maybe an ounce or two of nuts is easily 70% fat. I began to get the same aging, health problems and weight gain as everyone else. People were surprised to hear I was a raw foodist – I sure didn’t look like one.
Well, in my 48th year I’m having daily adventures eating low fat raw! My body has never looked like this – in my entire life, Now while folks around me go to doctors and deal w/ health problems, I go hiking. When I look in the mirror I’m still surprised!
And a health issue I had for years which would have sent any normal person to the doctor’s vanished in the first two weeks
The only problem w/ raw? The high cost of buying pounds of fruit and greens every day.
[Reply]
Swayze Reply:
December 15th, 2011 at 8:31 AM
That’s wonderful, Julia!
[Reply]
Leave a comment, beautiful.