A partly accurate premise, a genuinely overlapping food list, and a real planning risk.
Raw foodism centres on eating foods uncooked or minimally heated, often justified by the claim that cooking destroys valuable enzymes and nutrients. This is only partly accurate — cooking does reduce some nutrients (like vitamin C) but actually increases the availability of others (like lycopene in tomatoes and beta-carotene in carrots).
| Dimension | Raw Food Diet | THE FAD |
|---|---|---|
| Core rule | Foods uncooked (or only lightly heated below roughly 40-48°C), largely plant-based | No cooking restriction — scores foods however they're prepared |
| Claimed rationale | Cooking is said to destroy beneficial enzymes and nutrients — a claim that's only partly supported | Doesn't rely on this specific claim; cooking actually increases the bioavailability of some nutrients (like lycopene in tomatoes) |
| Practical risk | Can be difficult to get adequate protein, vitamin B12, iron and calcium without careful planning | No inherent nutrient risk, since no food category is excluded |
A raw diet built around vegetables, fruit, nuts and seeds naturally emphasises whole, unprocessed foods — categories that score well on THE FAD's Food signal, independent of the raw-vs-cooked question.
Strict raw veganism in particular carries real risk of protein, B12, iron and calcium shortfalls without careful planning — a legitimate concern separate from the inflammation question, and one worth discussing with a dietitian if you're considering it long-term.
The best way to understand the difference is to see what a real day scores.
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