How Eating Raw Foods Can Improve Health in 12 Remarkable Ways
There are many advocates of the raw food diet, but a lot of people are against it, too. However, although it has cons, it is believed to be a generally beneficial lifestyle that contributes to our overall well-being and the environment.
Raw food is nutrient-rich because intense heat has not yet broken down its minerals and enzymes. This means it retains essential vitamins and antioxidants that can support our immune system, cardiovascular health, and more.
Though not everyone believes in this diet, one thing remains incontestable: embracing raw food can nourish your body with vital nutrients you can’t get from cooked food. Whether eaten on its own or mixed in smoothies or salads, integrating raw food into your everyday life can pave the way to a healthier diet and lifestyle. If you’re curious about the benefits of eating raw foods, check out this list.
The Raw Food Diet Is Nutrient-dense
Cooking has long been a part of our daily lives. In fact, almost no one on this planet today could survive by simply living off raw food.
However, cooking can cause the loss of some vitamins and minerals in our food. For example, water-soluble vitamins B and C are some of the first nutrients lost when something is boiled or cooked at high temperatures.
Other minerals our bodies need, like calcium, zinc, iron, potassium, and more, can also be reduced by up to 70%. If you can’t fully commit to a raw food diet, an alternative is choosing a cooking method that reduces the time food, such as vegetables, is exposed to heat. An example of this could be steaming or microwaving.
The Raw Food Diet Keeps Food Enzymes Intact
Advocates of the raw food diet believe that raw food is more nutritious than the cooked alternative. This is because enzymes in food, along with nutrients and vitamins, are destroyed during the cooking process.
You have digestive enzymes that help you break down the food you consume. However, food also contains enzymes that aid in that same process. These enzymes are heat-sensitive and can deactivate when exposed to high temperatures.
The Raw Food Diet Can Shield You From Acute Illnesses
While some people consume raw protein, like meat and fish, believers in the raw food diet are typically vegetarians or vegans. This means their diet is composed mainly of fruits, vegetables, and grains.
Fruits and vegetables are naturally rich in antioxidants, which, when consumed, can help us fight certain conditions or diseases. Aside from helping with digestion and inflammation, eating raw food has also been linked to the reversal of acute illnesses, such as diabetes and high cholesterol levels.
The Raw Food Diet Can Boost Your Cardiovascular Health
Food, in general, is good for our bodies. However, we must also consider the kind of food we choose for our overall health; after all, if you choose those high in fat, sugar, and salt, you may be risking your cardiovascular condition.
Sugar, salt, and fat aren’t things you should eliminate from your diet. The best thing you can do is balance and offset with nutrients and heart-healthy food, such as fruits, vegetables, lean protein, and whole grains.
A 2022 Frontiers study reveals that people who ate raw vegetables had a lower risk of developing cardiovascular disease. Their findings show that participants with the highest raw vegetable intake had an 11% lower risk of cardiovascular disease compared to those with the lowest consumption.
The Raw Food Diet Can Lower Your Risk Of Diabetes
The raw food diet is also suitable for those diagnosed with diabetes.
The enzymes in raw are believed to help with diabetes management and reversal. In addition, they help you lose weight, which, in turn, can prevent diabetes.
The raw food diet has long been believed to be especially helpful to patients with Type 2 diabetes. This is because raw food contains high levels of fiber that can balance blood sugar levels and slow the absorption of sugar in our bodies. Raw food, especially vegetables, generally contain less sugar and fat than others.
The Raw Food Diet Combats Inflammation
Though inflammation sounds bad, it’s a necessary part of wound healing. Without inflammation, injuries would not heal completely.
Even so, chronic inflammation is a different story, and it could indicate a more serious underlying condition. If left untreated, it could lead to diabetes, heart disease, arthritis or even some forms of cancer. Thankfully, certain types of food can help rid our bodies of chronic inflammation.
One of the best ways to do so is to increase our vegetable intake. Vegetables, especially those served and eaten raw, can significantly help manage inflammation and alleviate the pain it causes. Some examples of vegetables you can eat raw, specifically for inflammation, include cauliflower, broccoli, and cabbage.
The Raw Food Diet Can Neutralize Body Acidity
Acid reflux or heartburn is a common condition you may have experienced, too. It might feel like indigestion or heartburn; though uncomfortable, it’s not life-threatening.
However, if you have chronic acid reflux, it may be an indication that you have GERD or gastroesophageal reflux disease. The most common culprits that trigger GERD include fried food, pizza, potato chips, chili powder, fatty meats, cheese, carbonated beverages and more. So, to avoid flare-ups, pay attention to the kind of food you eat.
If you’re unsure what you should consume, the best thing you can do is go for raw greens. Raw greens are considered to be highly alkalizing, which neutralizes acid in your body. Arugula, white cabbage, spinach, cucumber and kale are the most alkalizing raw vegetables you can consume.
The Raw Food Diet May Help With Weight Loss
Though we need food to survive, we must also pay attention to the kind of food we put into our bodies. If we eat too much of something, especially if they’re high in fat, calories, salt, and added sugar, then we’re pushing our bodies to gain weight unhealthily.
The best way to ensure you get the proper nutrition you need, especially if you need to lose weight, is to go for a raw food diet. Raw food is low in calories while being high in fiber, so it balances everything out. In addition, the raw food diet is based primarily on whole-plant foods, so it’s a healthy yet effective option if you want to shed a couple of pounds.
However, those undertaking this restrictive diet regimen should also study the cons. After all, aside from being very limiting, it could also expose you to certain diseases that stem from food poisoning.
The Raw Food Diet Is More Flavorful
Cooking helps us add seasonings to our food. However, if you want to really taste the natural flavors of the food you’re eating, then it’s best to go for the raw alternative.
Aside from the enzymes and nutrients that don’t get broken down in raw food, phytochemicals are also something you should watch out for. They contribute to food’s color, smell and taste and are believed to be found in higher concentrations in raw food.
The Raw Food Diet Requires Minimal Preparation
For busy people, one of the most tempting reasons to switch to the raw food diet may be that it requires minimal preparation. After all, cooking involves many steps, and you even have to clean up afterward.
Conversely, in a raw food diet, the most preparation you’d have to do is stock up on supplies and wash them. After that, you can simply eat them and enjoy all the benefits they have to offer!
The Raw Food Diet Is Cost-effective
Aside from being easy to prepare, the raw food diet is also very affordable. You’ll no longer need to buy tons of other ingredients to season or cook your food.
Electricity and other bills would also be cheaper, as you would no longer need to use your stove or oven whenever you prepare a meal. Gone are the days when you’d need to use almost every appliance in your kitchen to cook.
The Raw Food Diet Is A Sustainable Choice For The Environment
Cooking, albeit a normal part of daily life, can actually contribute to the build-up of greenhouse gas emissions. So, if you’ve committed to eating primarily raw foods, you’re decreasing your carbon footprint, making the raw food diet a greener option.
There have also been some reports that show that low-meat diets had half the impact of high-meat diets on greenhouse gas emissions, land use, water pollution and the like. Prof. Richard Tiffin from the University of Reading was quoted by The Guardian, saying, “Encouraging high-meat-eaters to reduce meat consumption and encouraging vegetarians to become vegans should result in lower emissions.”
However, some also believe that saying that the raw food diet is good for the environment is not as straightforward as it sounds. After all, this kind of diet requires a much larger amount of fresh produce, which can affect the agriculture industry, water supply and more.
