Raw food diet
No trial has tested a raw food diet for weight or heart outcomes. Surveys of long-term raw food eaters found large weight loss and lower cholesterol and triglycerides, with frequent underweight, missed periods, low HDL, vitamin B12 deficiency, low bone mass and dental erosion. In one small arthritis trial, half the raw vegan group stopped early with nausea or diarrhea.
- Status
- A dietary pattern, not a regulated product.
- Also called
- raw vegan diet, raw vegetarian diet, raw foodism, rawism, living foods diet, uncooked vegan diet, Hallelujah diet
- Followed for
- weight loss, cholesterol, arthritis, energy, detox
Strong several reviews agree · Moderate one review or consistent trials · Limited one or a few small studies · Untested no study in people, listed with what it rests on
Shown to help3
- LimitedLinked to average weight loss of 9.9 kg in men and 12 kg in women since starting, in a survey of long-term raw food eaters.
- LimitedLinked to lower total cholesterol and triglycerides in a survey of raw food eaters, with low HDL in 46%.
- LimitedOne uncontrolled study in fibromyalgia found 7 of 8 health survey scores improved on a mostly raw vegetarian diet, all but bodily pain. No study in healthy people.
Reported risks6
- LimitedLimited evidence: 38% of raw food eaters in one survey and 47% in another had signs of vitamin B12 deficiency.
- LimitedLinked to underweight in 15% of men and 25% of women, and to partial or complete loss of periods in about 30% of women under 45.
- LimitedLimited evidence: one small study found lower bone density at the spine and hip in raw vegetarians than in matched controls.
- LimitedLimited evidence: 46% of raw food eaters in one survey had low HDL, and homocysteine rose with vitamin B12 deficiency.
- LimitedLimited evidence: 60.5% of raw food eaters had at least one severely eroded tooth, against 31.6% of matched clinic patients.
- LimitedOne small trial: half the patients on an uncooked vegan diet had nausea or diarrhea and stopped early.
What people follow it for, and what was found
Shown to help3
Weight loss
Linked to average weight loss of 9.9 kg in men and 12 kg in women since starting, in a survey of long-term raw food eaters.
Compared with before the diet, in the same people, as they recalled it [1]
The numbers and sources
- Effect
- Since starting the diet, men reported losing 9.9 kg and women 12 kg on average. BMI was lower with a higher share of raw food and a longer time on the diet [1].
- Population
- 216 men and 297 women eating 70 to 100% raw food for an average of 3.7 years, questionnaire survey [1]. Observational.
- Sources
- [1]
- Caveats
- Cross-sectional and self-reported, with no comparison group. Much of the loss went below a normal weight (see Risks) [1].
Cholesterol and triglycerides
Linked to lower total cholesterol and triglycerides in a survey of raw food eaters, with low HDL in 46%.
Compared with no comparison group the abstract describes [2]
The numbers and sources
- Effect
- Among 201 raw food eaters, 14% had high LDL, 46% had low HDL and none had high triglycerides. The authors concluded the diet lowers total cholesterol and triglycerides and also lowers HDL [2].
- Population
- 94 men and 107 women eating 70 to 100% raw food, about 1,500 to 1,800 g of raw plant food a day [2]. Observational.
- Sources
- [2]
- Caveats
- Cross-sectional, with no comparison group described in the abstract [2].
Energy
One uncontrolled study in fibromyalgia found 7 of 8 health survey scores improved on a mostly raw vegetarian diet, all but bodily pain. No study in healthy people.
Compared with before the diet, in the same people [7]
The numbers and sources
- Effect
- In people with fibromyalgia on a mostly raw vegetarian diet of fruits, salads, carrot juice, tubers, grains, nuts, seeds and a barley grass product, the fibromyalgia impact score fell 46%, from 51 to 28. Seven of the 8 SF-36 health survey subscales improved significantly, bodily pain being the exception [7].
- Population
- 30 adults with fibromyalgia enrolled, 20 analyzed at 2 or 4 months [7].
- Sources
- [7]
- Caveats
- No control group, and a third of participants were not in the main analysis. The abstract does not give the change on the SF-36 vitality scale on its own. People with fibromyalgia, not healthy people seeking more energy [7].
Mixed results1
Rheumatoid arthritis symptoms
One small trial found less subjective arthritis pain on an uncooked vegan diet, while objective measures of disease activity did not differ from controls.
Compared with a control group the source does not describe [3]
The numbers and sources
- Effect
- Patients on an uncooked, lactobacilli-rich vegan diet reported subjective relief, and symptoms worsened on returning to an omnivorous diet. Disease activity, the Health Assessment Questionnaire, morning stiffness and pain did not differ from the control group. A composite index showed more patients with 3 to 5 improved measures on the diet [3].
- Population
- Patients with rheumatoid arthritis randomized to the diet or a control group [3].
- Sources
- [3]
- Caveats
- Small, and the abstract does not give the number randomized. Half the diet group stopped early with side effects [3].
How trials defined it
Surveys defined raw food eating by the share of food eaten raw, from 70 to 100% [1][2], with 95% or more in the dental study [4]. Participants in one survey ate about 1,500 to 1,800 g of raw plant food a day, mostly vegetables and fruits, and some ate small amounts of animal food [2]. The Hallelujah diet studied in one B12 survey was vegan and mostly raw fruits and vegetables, carrot juice and dehydrated barley grass juice [5]. The arthritis trial used an uncooked vegan diet rich in lactobacilli [3].
Risks
Reported risks6
Vitamin B12 deficiency
Limited evidence: 38% of raw food eaters in one survey and 47% in another had signs of vitamin B12 deficiency.
The numbers and sources
- Effect
- In 201 raw food eaters, 38% were vitamin B12 deficient and 12% had enlarged red cells. Homocysteine rose as B12 fell and was highest in those eating the least animal food [2]. In 49 people on the mostly raw vegan Hallelujah diet for at least 2 years, 47% had abnormal urinary methylmalonic acid and 76% had serum B12 below 221 pmol/L [5].
- Population
- 201 raw food eaters [2]; 49 Hallelujah diet followers [5]. Observational.
- Sources
- [2], [5]
- Caveats
- Two cross-sectional surveys. In the second, B12 tablets and nutritional yeast lowered methylmalonic acid, and probiotics did not [5].
Underweight and missed periods
Linked to underweight in 15% of men and 25% of women, and to partial or complete loss of periods in about 30% of women under 45.
The numbers and sources
- Effect
- BMI was below 18.5 in 14.7% of men and 25.0% of women. About 30% of women under 45 had partial to complete amenorrhea, more often in those eating more than 90% raw food [1].
- Population
- 513 long-term raw food eaters, questionnaire survey [1]. Observational.
- Sources
- [1]
- Caveats
- Self-reported, cross-sectional, no comparison group [1].
Low bone mass
Limited evidence: one small study found lower bone density at the spine and hip in raw vegetarians than in matched controls.
The numbers and sources
- Effect
- Raw food vegetarians had lower bone mineral content and density at the lumbar spine and hip than age- and sex-matched controls on typical American diets. Bone turnover markers did not differ, and vitamin D was higher in the raw food group [6].
- Population
- 18 adults on a raw vegetarian diet for a mean 3.6 years, mean age 54, and matched controls [6]. Observational.
- Sources
- [6]
- Caveats
- Small and cross-sectional. The raw food group had a lower BMI (20.5 against 25.4), which may explain part of the difference [6].
Low HDL cholesterol and raised homocysteine
Limited evidence: 46% of raw food eaters in one survey had low HDL, and homocysteine rose with vitamin B12 deficiency.
Dental erosion
Limited evidence: 60.5% of raw food eaters had at least one severely eroded tooth, against 31.6% of matched clinic patients.
The numbers and sources
- Effect
- Raw food eaters had more dental erosion than controls. Only 2.3% had no erosion against 13.2% of controls, and 60.5% had at least one tooth with severe erosion against 31.6% [4].
- Population
- 130 people eating more than 95% raw food for a median 39 months, and 76 age- and sex-matched clinic patients [4]. Observational.
- Sources
- [4]
- Caveats
- Cross-sectional. Raw food eaters ate citrus fruit a median 4.8 times a day, though erosion did not correlate with any single diet factor within the group [4].
Nausea and diarrhea
One small trial: half the patients on an uncooked vegan diet had nausea or diarrhea and stopped early.
Supplements to consider
The nutrients research linked to this diet running short, each with its own page.
Vitamin B12
Limited Limited evidence: 38% of raw food eaters in one survey and 47% in another had signs of vitamin B12 deficiency.
Sources
- Koebnick C, Strassner C, Hoffmann I, et al. Consequences of a long-term raw food diet on body weight and menstruation: results of a questionnaire survey. Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism. 1999. https://doi.org/10.1159/000012770
- Koebnick C, Garcia AL, Dagnelie PC, et al. Long-term consumption of a raw food diet is associated with favorable serum LDL cholesterol and triglycerides but also with elevated plasma homocysteine and low serum HDL cholesterol in humans. The Journal of Nutrition. 2005. https://doi.org/10.1093/jn/135.10.2372
- Nenonen MT, Helve TA, Rauma AL, et al. Uncooked, lactobacilli-rich, vegan food and rheumatoid arthritis. Rheumatology. 1998. https://doi.org/10.1093/rheumatology/37.3.274
- Ganss C, Schlechtriemen M, Klimek J. Dental erosions in subjects living on a raw food diet. Caries Research. 1999. https://doi.org/10.1159/000016498
- Donaldson MS. Metabolic vitamin B12 status on a mostly raw vegan diet with follow-up using tablets, nutritional yeast, or probiotic supplements. Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism. 2000. https://doi.org/10.1159/000046689
- Fontana L, Shew JL, Holloszy JO, et al. Low bone mass in subjects on a long-term raw vegetarian diet. Archives of Internal Medicine. 2005. https://doi.org/10.1001/archinte.165.6.684
- Donaldson MS, Speight N, Loomis S. Fibromyalgia syndrome improved using a mostly raw vegetarian diet: an observational study. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine. 2001. https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6882-1-7