Raw veganism

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Raw veganism is a variation of veganism but consists of consuming only plant-based foods that are in their natural uncooked state, such as fresh fruit, vegetables, seeds, nuts, sprouts, and superfoods. It is similar to the raw food diet but excludes all animal products.

Adherents believe that although the chemical composition of plant-based food remains largely unchanged after heating or cooking, the chemical structure is altered and the nutritional benefits significantly reduced. In terms of dietary evolution, raw vegans view veganism at the cutting edge of vegetarianism, and raw veganism at the cutting edge of veganism.

Multiple Olympic gold medallist Carl Lewis has stated that he was vegan at the peak of his career [1]. His diet relied heavily on raw vegan food, such as fresh fruit and vegetable juices.

All-you-can-eat fresh fruit and salad bars feature strongly in raw vegan restaurants.

[edit] Criticism

The 2006 North American E. coli outbreak, involving organically grown raw spinach from specific farms in California, served as a caveat on some risks connected with raw vegetable consumption. The further outbreak at some Taco Bell restaurants was initially thought to be from scallions grown in California, but investigators now think it was lettuce. [2]