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29 March 2024

Raw food diet – good or bad?

Raw food diet followers say it clears up headaches and allergies, boosts immunity. (File)

Published
By Amal Al Jabry

Raw food diet – is it good or bad?  The topic is much discussed today. On this diet, your cooker and oven gets a rest. 

Raw foodism involves eating uncooked, unprocessed, and often organic foods as a large percentage of your daily diet. It’s mostly raw fruits, vegetables, nuts and grains.

Speaking to ‘Emirates24|7’, nutritionist Kristina Bazane said, “Raw food diet is not a weight loss diet, it’s more of a lifestyle choice.”
It has grown in popularity as followers say it clears up headaches and allergies, boosts immunity, leads to a leaner body, cleaner skin and increases energy.

There are also still a lot of folks who aren’t too sure about this diet, which explains the debate.

“In short, when you cook it, you kill it. Raw foodists believe the idea that heating food destroys its nutrients and natural enzymes, which are bad because enzymes boost digestion and fight chronic disease, “explained Kristina.

She added, “But those challenging this statement explain that our bodies alone produces the essential enzymes required for digestion.”

And how about cooking vegetables?

Studies have shown that it does destroy important nutrients, but the cooking also gets rid of harmful bacteria that may occur in food such as salmonella.

Incidentally, there are also studies showing that consuming uncooked vegetables reduces the risk of various cancers.

Kristina said, “One notable advantage of this diet is that you get your daily nutrition.  The raw food diet is rich in nutrients, full of fiber and low in fat.”

But although the raw diet can be low in fat and calories it can also be low in calcium, vitamin D, iron, zinc and protein and omega-3 fatty acids, most of which are found naturally in animal products.

Gabriel K, a raw foodist, says he’s tried many other diets before he made his decision.

He said, “Everybody is different and can react to different things and raw food or any other diet is not an exception. So far raw food works the best for me.”

Serial dieter, Reem AH, labelled it all as an information overload.

“I don't know who to listen to anymore,” said Reem, “I would say the best thing to do is eat healthy, listen to your body and see how it reacts to certain foods.”

Kristina said, “This type of diet has its pros and cons, but nothing stops us from taking the good out of it and combining them with our daily healthy nutrition.”