Raw-Veggie Diet Rubs Bones the Wrong Way

by Diane Lofshult

Until recently, little has been known about the health effects of a raw-food vegetarian diet. Now a study published in the March 28 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine has shed some light on how a “long-term” raw-food diet may affect bone mass.

In comparing the bone health of a control group with that of men and women who had maintained a raw-food vegetarian diet for a mean duration of 3.6 years, the researchers found that the raw-food vegetarians had lower mean bone-mineral content and lower density of the lumbar spine. The authors concluded that a raw-food vegetarian diet “is associated with low bone mass at clinically important skeletal regions, but is without evidence of increased bone turnover or impaired vitamin D status.”

Clearly, more research is needed on the longer-term consequences of a rigid raw-food diet for aging vegetarians. Meanwhile, you might want to consider cooking some of your greens!