The Raw Vegan Diet: Benefits, Risks, and Meal Plan

The raw vegan diet consists of food that is eaten uncooked or heated at temperatures below 104°F to 118°F (40°C to 48°C) and excludes all animal-origin foods.

Its proponents recommend this style of eating based on the principle that:

• Heating food destroys its nutrients and natural enzymes.
• Foods maintain their highest nutritional value if they are uncooked.

Animal products including honey should be avoided entirely, whereas fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds should be plentiful.

Foods that are allowed and considered raw include:

• Fresh, dried, and juiced fruits
• Raw and juiced vegetables
• Nuts and seeds
• Sprouted beans, legumes, and grains
• Raw nut butter
• Fermented foods such as miso, kimchi, and sauerkraut
• Seaweed
• Whole, unprocessed foods such as cold-pressed oils, seaweed, or sweeteners such as cocoa powder and maple syrup
• Condiments, vinegar, and unpasteurized raw soy sauce
• Plant-based milk

Foods that are avoided include:

• Cooked fruits, vegetables, grains, and legumes
• Baked goods
• Roasted nuts and seeds
• Refined oils
• Salt
• Refined sugars and flours
• Meat
• Cheese
• Eggs
• Dairy products, including yogurt and milk
• Pasteurized juices
• Coffee and tea
• Alcohol
• Processed foods and snacks, such as chips, cookies, burgers, and pastries

A raw vegan diet does not engage in the typical cooking methods including boiling, baking, or sautéing.

You can prepare foods by using the following means:

• Blending: Blended soups, smoothies, and juices
• Fermenting: Three basic steps to fermentation include
  • Prepare the vegetables
  • Add brine
  • Let the fermentation process begin
• Dehydrating: Cook your food at about 105°F (40.5°C), which will keep the raw status of the food intact

Food preparation can involve other methods such as juicing, soaking, and sprouting, instead of traditional cooking methods.

Like any other diet, there are pros and cons to the raw vegan diet.

Some of the pros include:

• Aids in weight loss:
  • Because most of its foods are low in calories, fat, and sodium; high in fiber, and primarily based on consuming healthy whole-plant foods, it is particularly effective for weight loss.
• Improves digestion:
  • High in both soluble and insoluble fibers, which may help improve your digestion.
  • Soluble fiber helps feed the growth of good bacteria in the intestines, and insoluble fiber adds bulk to stools by promoting quick and easy food movement through the gut.
• Reduces the risk of diabetes:
  • Losing weight and keeping it off can help prevent or manage type II diabetes.
  • Vegan diets are rich in nuts, seeds, sprouted grains, and legumes, which may further help lower blood sugar levels.
  • In addition, this diet is rich in fiber, a nutrient linked to lower blood sugar levels and increased insulin sensitivity.
• Promotes heart health:
  • Focuses on fruits and vegetables, both of which are consistently linked to lower blood pressure and a reduced risk of heart disease and stroke.
  • Moreover, this diet is low in sodium and high in vitamins, minerals, fiber, and disease-fighting phytochemicals, which help lower the risk of osteoporosis, stomach cancer, and kidney diseases.

Some of the cons include:

• Nutritionally unbalanced or inadequate:
  • The diet is difficult to follow and inadequate in many essential nutrients, such as protein, iron, calcium, and vitamin B12.
  • Proponents of this diet often discourage the use of supplements and iodized salt, which may further put you at risk of deficiency. 
• May lead to weak bones and muscles:
  • This diet tends to be low in calcium and vitamin D—two vital nutrients essential for strong bones.
  • Additionally, the raw vegan diet tends to provide very little protein (less than 10 percent of the total number of calories per day), which could further negatively affect bone mineral content and density.
• Can cause tooth decay:
  • Because this diet includes a lot of citrus fruits and berries, it can cause tooth enamel erosion and thus increase the likelihood of tooth decay.
• May affect fertility:
  • Some studies have reported that one of the main ways a raw vegan diet may affect a woman’s fertility is by being very low in calories. 
  • This may cause women to drop excess weight, reducing their ability to menstruate and fertility quotient.
• Risk of food poisoning:
  • Cooking boosts some nutrients such as beta-carotene and lycopene and kills bacteria, which helps you avoid the risk of food poisoning.
  • Due to the risk of food poisoning, the raw vegan diet is not recommended for pregnant women, young children, older age groups, people with weak immune systems, and those with chronic medical conditions.
• Not accessible to everyone:
  • A raw vegan diet may not be sustainable in the long term, and some preparation methods, such as dehydrating, chopping produce, juicing, and sprouting, can be time-consuming making it unattainable for many.