In recent years, plant-based diets have been increasingly popular for ethical and health reasons.
Fruitarianism, which is a plant-based diet that focuses mainly on raw fruit consumption, is one extreme example. This may seem healthy at first, but what effects will it have on your body? Is this a healthy choice of diet?
Solid evidence supports the claim that plant-based diets can be good for your body. Plant-based diets can reduce your risk of stroke and heart disease by up to 40%. People can also lose weight by following plant-based diets.
Plant-based diets are good for the environment and health. However, fruitarianism is a restrictive diet that has little evidence of health benefits.
Although there is no set formula for what a fruitarian's diet should look like, it is common to say that between 55 and 75 percent should be made up of raw fruit. There are many variables beyond this: some fruitarians eat only grains while others eat nuts and oil.
Steve Jobs, Apple's co-founder, tried a fruitarian diet and added nuts, seeds, and grains to it. Fruitarianism adheres to the 80-10-10 rule. 80 percent of calories come from fresh fruits and vegetables. 10 percent comes from protein. 10 percent comes from fat.
This rule is incorrectly based upon the belief that humans, while not omnivores are 'frugivores' that eat raw fruits. This belief states that the human digestive system was designed to consume raw and fruit. This may have been true in the past, but it is no longer true.
Some fruitarians believe that raw food has many health benefits, including the ability to cure cancer and eliminate body odor. These claims are not supported by solid evidence.
Although it may seem like a healthy choice to eat fruit-only or fruit-heavy, there are potential problems with this type of restricted eating.
A largely fruit-based diet can cause serious health problems. This eating style does not provide the essential nutrients and food groups that the body requires to sustain normal health.
Although most fruits are considered healthy and nutritious, diets that rely on them for their nutrients will lack protein, iron and vitamin B (including vitamin B12), vitamin D, zinc, and omega-3 fatty acid. These nutrients can cause serious health problems, including osteomalacia and rickets (softening of bones), anemia, and other issues with bones and muscles.
Simply put, fruits don't contain all the nutrients that the body requires.
The high levels of fructose must be considered in addition to the nutritional deficiencies that are common in fruitarian diets. Fructose, a simple sugar like glucose, is processed differently by the human body. Fructose can only be metabolized in the liver. An excess fructose intake can lead to liver fat buildup and insulin resistance.
Although there is some controversy about whether fructose found in fruit is as harmful as fructose syrup which is added to food to sweeten them, studies on rats that were fed high fructose diets showed similarity to human fatty liver disease.
Serious harm
Other than the physical consequences of fruitarianism's existence, restricting diets can also be associated with orthorexia, an eating disorder that causes an unhealthy obsession with pure food. What may seem like a healthy decision to eat more fruits and vegetables and less junk food can quickly turn into an eating disorder, depression, and anxiety.
Concerningly, cases of significant illness or death have been reported in isolated cases when a fruitarian diet was followed. A nine-month-old girl died after eating a fruit-only diet. The girl was severely malnourished and underweight. A 49-year old man who had been eating only fruit was reported to have developed reversible cognitive impairment.
There is little evidence to support the claims of health benefits from a restricted diet. It is evident that those who follow such restrictive diets are potentially putting themselves at risk. Although supplementation with nutrients-rich foods may be beneficial, some people who hold orthodox views about fruitarianism may not agree with it.
It is always a good idea to consult your doctor before changing a diet, especially if it is going to be drastic. A balanced diet that includes more fruits and vegetables is safer and healthier than eating fruit alone.
James Brown, Associate Professor of Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Aston University
This article was republished by The Conversation under Creative Commons. You can read the original article.
