People who follow a raw food vegetarian diet are light in weight but healthy, according to US researchers.

[Guest guest]

Raw food eaters thin but healthy

* People who follow a raw food vegetarian diet are light in weight but

healthy, according to US researchers.** *

 

It has been suggested that eating only plant-derived foods that have not

been cooked or processed might make bones thinner and prone to fractures.

 

But a study in Archives of Internal Medicine found although bones were

lighter on this diet, turnover rates were normal with no osteoporosis.

 

The lower bone mass is down to raw food eaters being slim, believe the

authors.

 

 

* We recommend a varied, healthy, balanced diet which includes raw fruit

and vegetables as well as other foods *

Dr Stephen Walsh, nutrition spokesperson for the Vegan Society

 

The researchers compared the bone health of 18 people who had been following

strict raw food diets for up to 10 years with that of people who ate a more

typical American diet, including refined carbohydrates, animal products and

cooked foods.

 

The raw food diet is different to more typical vegetarian and vegan diets,

which do not exclude cooked, processed or otherwise refined foods.

 

The groups were matched according to age, sex and socioeconomic status.

 

To gauge bone health, the researchers looked at each person's body weight,

bone weight and mineral density, markers of bone turnover, levels of vitamin

D and inflammatory markers.

 

* Bone health *

 

The raw food vegetarians in the study had lower body weights (BMI) and total

body fat than the other volunteers. They also had lower bone mass and bone

mineral density.

 

" It is well documented that a low BMI and weight loss are strongly

associated with low bone mass and increased fracture risk, while obesity

protects against osteoporosis, " said the researchers.

 

But the people who followed raw food diets did not have any other biological

markers that typically accompany osteoporosis and had normal rates of bone

turnover.

 

Lead researcher Dr Luigi Fontana, from Washington University School of

Medicine in St Louis, said: " We think it's possible these people don't have

increased risk of fracture but that their low bone mass is related to the

fact that they are lighter because they take in fewer calories. "

 

Dr Fontana said the raw food diet group also had higher vitamin D levels

than people on a typical Western diet, even though they did not consume

dairy products which are known to be a good source of vitamin D.

 

He said this was probably down to sun exposure.

 

Dr Stephen Walsh, nutrition spokesperson for the Vegan Society, said it was

to be expected that people who ate only raw foods would be slimmer and that

this would in turn have an effect on bone mass.

 

* Balanced diet *

 

He stressed that raw food vegetarians account for only a minority of people

who are vegan and vegetarian, and that some might find it difficult to get

enough calories to maintain a healthy weight eating only raw foods.

 

" We recommend a varied, healthy, balanced diet which includes raw fruit and

vegetables as well as other foods, " he said.

 

A spokeswoman from the Vegetarian Society said the study was interesting,

but given that only 18 people were studied, its usefulness to those wishing

to follow a vegetarian or vegan diet was very limited.

 

" We recommend eating a healthy, well balanced vegetarian or vegan diet that

includes 2-3 portions per day of high protein foods such as pulses, nuts,

soya and wheat proteins, five portions of carbohydrates (the less refined

the better), 2-3 portions of dairy products or calcium-enriched dairy

alternatives and at least five portions of fruit and vegetables.

 

" Raw foods can and should be included within this 'balance' but it is not

advisable to embark on an exclusively raw food diet without proper research

and expert advice, " she said.

 

A spokesman for the National Osteoporosis Society said: " This is an

interesting study which highlights the fact that low bone density is just

one part of our overall risk of breaking bones.

 

" We would recommend that raw food vegans make sensible food choices to

ensure they are taking in an adequate amount of calcium from a variety of

foods and ensure they obtain good amounts of vitamin D from sensible

exposure to sunlight. "

 

Elaine Bruce, experienced naturopath, homeopath and director of the UK

Centre for Living Foods, said calcium was important for building bones, but

that inorganic calcium in the form of supplements would not do the job.

 

" You have to have organic calcium as it occurs in fresh green leafy

vegetables. " What we do in our programme is maximise that intake by having

it in juice form. "

 

She said that the chlorophyll found in green plants and vegetables also

contained right amount of magnesium that is essential for the uptake of

calcium for healthy bones.

 

" The chemical composition of chlorophyll and blood is very similar which

further facilitates this uptake, " she added.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4389837.stm