Nutritional Intake and Biomarker Status in Strict Raw Food Eaters

Following a strict raw food diet (primarily based on fresh fruit and raw vegetables, waiving any consumption of heated or processed food) has the risk of undersupply of energy and certain macro- and micronutrients. In this cross-sectional study, we compared 16 non-smoking strict raw food eaters (5 women and 11 men, age 44.6 +/- 12.3 years, duration of following the diet 11.6 +/- 10.8 years) with the non-smoking participants (32 vegans, 27 omnivores) of the Risk and Benefits of a Vegan Diet (RBVD) study. We investigated body composition, dietary intake from 3-day weighed food records, and relevant fasting blood and serum parameters. Food choice and dietary behavior were very heterogenic in raw food eaters. They had lower mean values of BMI and percentage of body fat than the respective RBVD participants. The same holds true for energy supply and intakes of protein, carbohydrate, calcium and iodine. Serum levels revealed lower levels of HDL cholesterol, triglycerides, zinc, and vitamin D3. The raw food eaters with (n = 9) and without (n = 7) supplementation of vitamin B12 had median vitamin B12 levels of 399 and 152 ng/L, respectively. Accordingly, eight raw food eaters (50%) had homocysteine levels above 12 mu mol/L. The study allows a close look at strict raw food eaters with respect to possible dietary deficiencies, but also provides insights into motivations and daily life.

Automated summary

Following a strict raw food diet may lead to undersupply of energy and essential nutrients. In this study, strict raw food eaters had lower body fat percentage and lower intake of certain nutrients compared to non-raw food eaters. They also had lower levels of HDL cholesterol, triglycerides, zinc, and vitamin D3.