How healthy is a raw food diet ? Are you being wise to to take more raw food vs cooked food?
Most raw food diets and raw vegan diets are based on uncooked or unprocessed plant foods, and often organic food represents a large portion of it. While this is believed to encourage weight loss, whether it is truly a healthier option is still a question.
See what Wikipedia says about taking raw food, and why it advises caution:
As the consumption of raw foods gains popularity, some unsafe foods have re-entered the diets of humans. The following should be consumed with caution:
* Buckwheat greens are toxic when raw, particularly if juiced or eaten in large quantities by fair skinned individuals. The chemical component fagopyrin is known to cause severe photosensitivity and other dermatological complaints.
* Kidney beans, including sprouts, are toxic when raw, due to the chemical phytohaemagglutinin.
* Alfalfa sprouts contain the toxin canavanine.
* Some types of raw cassava or cassava flour can be toxic.
* Raw eggs contain avidin, a vitamin B7 or biotin inhibitor, which can cause “egg white injury”. As many as 24 egg whites would have to be eaten to inactivate biotin. Avidin is denatured by heat .
* Raw seeds of the genus lathyrus (peas), can cause lathyrism.
* Raw brassica species can contain glucosinolate.
* Apricot kernels contain amygdalin, which contains the toxin cyanide.
* Raw parsnips contain furanocoumarin.
* Raw foods, particularly raw meat, may contain harmful bacteria and their associated bacterial toxins. Other parasites and viruses may also be present, such as toxoplasma, trichinella, or rotavirus, which may cause serious foodborne illnesses.
* Raw milk may contain Mycobacteria bovis (which can cause non-pulmonary tuberculosis).
Related information:
Dr Gina Shaw shares with us her views on Raw Food Diet at HealthTalk.info: When A Raw Food Diet Is Not A Healthier Option
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