Originally published August 17 2005
Doctors say eating uncooked vegetables can have a downside
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
There are many reasons why eating uncooked vegetables can have health benefits, but there are also reasons why eating raw veggies can be harmful, such as lower bone mass.
The team led by Luigi Fontana studied 18 strict raw food vegans ages of 33 to 85 who ate a diet that not only lacked animal products but also included only raw foods such as vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, sprouted grains and legumes, dressed with olive oil.
Those on the raw food diet had lower body mass indices and significantly lower bone mass in important skeletal regions such as the hip and lumbar spine, sites where low bone mass often means osteoporosis and fracture risk.
"For example, it is clear from research that higher rates of bone turnover equate to higher risk of fracture.
The raw food group also had less inflammation, indicated by low levels of C-reactive protein, which is made by the liver as a response to inflammation in the body.
They also had lower levels of IGF-1, one of the most important growth factors regulated by calorie and protein intake that is linked to risk of breast cancer and prostate cancer.
They also had higher vitamin D levels than people on a typical, Western diet.
They have less bone, but they have normal markers of bone turnover, higher-than-normal vitamin D and very low levels of leptin and inflammatory markers.
Fontana added that many in this group have osteoporosis or less severe bone loss called osteopenia.
But with low levels of inflammation, normal bone turnover and high vitamin D, the usual clinical parameters may not apply.
"For example, post-menopausal, frail women with osetoporosis have low bone mass and an increased risk of fracture.
But they also have increased circulating levels of inflammatory molecules called cyotkines.
That's a different biologic condition from what we are seeing in the raw food vegans," he added.
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