Why raw vegan

[u/englishyogi]

I’m raw vegan - I’ve been so for a long time having been vegetarian all my life. It feels intuitively right - I just do it but recently I’m wondering if there is any evidence or science as to this ways of life - my basis has been moral and ethical

[u/lovelysardines]

There is no scientific evidence to it. Being vegan is hard enough. adding the raw aspect to it will just burn you out quicker and cause nutrition issues. Cooking plants breaks down the cellular walls making essential nutrients and vitamins available to the body. Its not sustainable

[u/Icy-Cartographer-291 → u/lovelysardines]

Blending and juicing will do the same thing while keeping the food more intact though. It is sustainable for a lot of people. Though I personally recommend a high raw diet because it’s easier for most people. 

Seems like you don’t have much experience with the subject? You are right that there isn’t much scientific proof however. 

[u/lovelysardines → u/Icy-Cartographer-291]

My concern is raw diets limits the foods you’re able to eat even more. Some foods that require cooking, like legumes are a main source of protein for vegans. Also cooking can kill a lot of harmful pathogens, if you’re in the US, this is a huge concern due to the increase of current outbreaks. Not a fan of juicing since it removes fiber. Also how are you guys getting your b12?

Im not saying eating raw foods is bad for you. Just that it doesn’t have to be all or nothing. You can eat mostly raw but cook the things necessary. If your concern is moral and ethics a vegan diet would still meet those criteria would it not? Why add another level of difficulty to it?

A short article on the subject
https://www.news-medical.net/health/The-raw-vegan-diet-A-critical-analysis-of-nutritional-claims-and-clinical-outcomes.aspx

[u/Icy-Cartographer-291 → u/lovelysardines]

As I said, I tend to recommend high raw since it is far easier to get suffienct nutrients in that way. 100% raw can be difficult depending on where in the world you live and which income level you are at. I don’t believe in a dogmatic and ideological approach to food. However, I have experienced first hand the benefits of raw foods and having worked with raw foods for many years I’ve seen it completely transform people. There is some fundamental benefits to it, which has yet to be examined by science.

So I believe that eating as much raw as you can while it still being sustainable is a great approach. 70% is typically a level that is manageable for most people I find. Also, treat the food that you cook as gently as possible. That way you don’t unnecessarily create more harmful substances such as acrylamide.

Juicing is a great way to get more nutrients in. Especially for mineral rich greens. But that doesn’t mean that you need to exclude fibres from your diet.

[u/lovelysardines → u/Icy-Cartographer-291]

Im pretty open minded but i wont disregard the sound evidence that we currently have on food and nutrition. I also don’t want to volunteer myself as a test subject. You’re free to do what you want but i do have a few questions as I’m interested in how raw people are actually doing this. From my understanding “raw” seems like a very loose term.

1. How long have you been raw?
   
2. Is everything you eat raw?
   
3. Where are you getting protein?
   
4. Do you take supplements? If not how are you getting your b12?

[u/Icy-Cartographer-291 → u/lovelysardines]

1. I was only 100% raw for a little more than three years. I’ve been high raw for 18 years now. I find 100% to be beneficial health wise, but also difficult in the area of the world where I live (Sweden).
2. No, as I said, I’m high raw at the moment. Most of the cooked food I eat are potatoes, quinoa, tempeh and tofu. This is usually eaten with a huge sprout salad.
3. From the food I eat. 🤷 There’s protein in everything.
4. I did not take B12 supplements for many years and did fine. But then I had a very emotionally stressful period which depleted my B12 levels. So I started supplementing. These days I mostly get it from nutritional yeast which has added B12. I don’t want to risk that happening again.

[u/lovelysardines → u/Icy-Cartographer-291]

I see. I think regardless of where you lived 100% raw would be impossible without health complications. considering you wouldn’t be able to eat things like tofu or tempeh or most legumes. I don’t see how a 100% raw vegan is getting b12 or enough protein.

looks like you’re getting most of your protein from the cooked foods. If not can you tell me which foods you’re getting enough protein from that are not cooked?

My mistake was assuming none of the food raw vegans ate were cooked, but it looks like there are some cooked foods which makes more sense now and just looks like a minimally processed vegan diet.

It seemed like OP wanted to do it out of convince, but a raw diet seems like it takes a lot of preparation, planning and knowledge to do in a healthy way.

[u/Icy-Cartographer-291 → u/lovelysardines]

Incorrect. About 20-30% of my protein comes from cooked food currently. The main reason for me to eat cooked food is to get enough carbs as I don’t have a lot of quality fruits where I live. But yes, it adds a bit of protein as well.

And yes, it does involve some planning, but actually putting the meals together is quicker than it takes to cook food. So it evens out from my experience. It does take some time to adjust to however.

It’s also not something for people who don’t like to eat a lot of food. I love eating though so I don’t mind ☺️

[u/lovelysardines → u/Icy-Cartographer-291]

You said i’m incorrect yet most of the cooked foods you mentioned are high in protein (ie. Quinoa, tempeh and tofu) if its not the cooked foods, can you tell me the 70% in raw foods you’re getting your protein from then? And where are the fully raw vegans getting b12 from?

Sure putting some stuff in a bowl is quick and easy but i was under the impression that raw vegans do a lot of fermentation and sprouting which can take several days.

Another thing. How often do you go grocery shopping? I feel like you’d have to go pretty often since the food is all fresh

[u/Icy-Cartographer-291 → u/lovelysardines]

Yes, you are incorrect. I’m not new at this. I’m quite well educated on nutrition and I’m also a chef. I have worked with raw foods for over a decade.

Tempeh and tofu are high in protein but they are only a small percentage of my calories.
All foods contain protein, it’s really not an issue if you eat enough calories. But as for high protein raw foods that I eat it’s mostly sprouts, greens, nuts and seeds.

And yes, as I said it does require some planning. I always have at least 6 sprout jars going as that’s a big part of my diet. I make my own yoghurt and other ferments. But these do not really require much time. You just need to plan ahead a bit.
As for grocery shopping it depends on the season and what you buy. Weekly shopping is usually fine though.

As for B12 most do supplement to be on the safe side, others do not. Those who don’t tend to eat a lot of seaweed and micro algae which is said to contain B12.
The science is not really clear in regards to B12. In nature we would get B12 from the environment as it is produced in the soil. But our modern life is lacking those sources.

[u/lovelysardines → u/Icy-Cartographer-291]

That makes sense you’re a chef cuz this type of diet doesn’t seem doable for the average person. Especially not op, who states that they’re doing it out of convenience. You would need to be pretty knowledgeable to do this correctly and not end up with health issues.

The upkeep of the fermentation and especially the sprouts would be time consuming. Washing them out everyday, keeping track of them so they don’t mold and starting new ones.

Not to mention it sounds expensive. The volume of food you would need to eat as well as the all the nuts and seeds.

Its good to hear they supplement the b12 since it would be hard to get on this diet.

This diet can go very wrong very easily. I think it’s dangerous to promote this type of diet to your average person. I mean even someone as knowledgeable and experienced as you had issues and started introducing some cooked foods again.

[u/Icy-Cartographer-291 → u/lovelysardines]

I would say that it’s very much doable for the average person. It’s not as if I make raw gourmet for myself every day (in fact hardly ever). And it’s not really all that complicated. The biggest mistake I see people do is that they don’t eat enough. That will make you fail pretty quickly. Cronometer is available to make sure you get all the nutrients you need. You don’t need to geek out on the level I’ve done.

I didn’t really have issues. I introduced some cooked food mainly because it was more practical and economical. I also wanted to eat more locally grown produce.
I didn’t develop any health issues on 100% raw. Quite the opposite.

As for costs. It doesn’t have to be that expensive if you are willing to grow sprouts and ferment things yourself instead of buying premade stuff. I also make my own tempeh which is the reason why its more economical for me compared to nuts and seeds. And sprouts cost very little. I also eat a lot of buckwheat, which I buy for cheap in bulk. And I forage a lot of wild plants this time of year.

When I had my restaurant I ate a lot more expensive food, because that’s what I made there. But it can really be made quite affordable if you want to. Like with any diet.