Over the past few years, the raw vegan diet, which eliminates all animal products and cooked foods, has grown tremendously in popularity. Maybe you’ve even considered trying it out yourself. Here are some things you should know first.
What’s Considered Cooked?
By now, most people understand what animal product means, but what exactly does it mean for food to be cooked? Well, for raw vegans, cooked food is any food heated to over 104–118°F (40–48°C) or refined, pasteurized, treated with pesticides, or processed in any way.
What’s Allowed?
The types of food preparation that are allowed in the raw vegan diet include juicing, blending, dehydrating, soaking, and sprouting. The foods that make up the typical raw vegan diet include fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds.
Why?
Simply put, most raw vegans do it because they believe that this diet is the most healthful and natural way to eat. They believe that a raw vegan diet can provide all the nutrients they need. Cited benefits of the raw vegan diet include weight loss, better energy, healing diseases, and improving digestion.
Does It Work?
According to research, raw food is not any healthier than cooked food. While cooking can decrease some nutrients, it will also increase others, as well as destroying bacteria.
