Raw Food Cleanse 7-day Diet

Raw food diets of various kinds have become a popular method for cleansing and weight reduction in recent years. Proponents of these diets tout them as advantageous, saying that they provide greater quantities of nutrients and digestive enzymes often lost in the cooking process. Research into the health benefits of raw food diets both in the short term, as a cleansing fast, and long term, as a lifestyle diet, has shown both benefits and potential risks. Consult a qualified health professional to determine the most appropriate use of a raw food cleanse diet for your individual needs.

Vitamins A and E

A study on the effects of a one-week raw food diet found some short-term health benefits, as well as risks. The study, published in the December 1992 issue of "Appetite," gave a raw food diet to one group of participants and the same diet, cooked for two minutes in a microwave oven, to another group. Blood levels of proteins and urea -- a waste product of protein breakdown -- were decreased in both groups and cholesterol dropped by 1 mmol/L; however, blood sugar was elevated slightly above normal in both groups. The group that ate the uncooked diet experienced an increase in blood levels of vitamin A and vitamin E. The researchers advise further studies to determine the health effects of long-term use of an exclusively raw food diet.

Blood Sugar

A two-week raw vegetable diet improved glucose tolerance and fasting blood sugar levels but did not decrease insulin levels in a study published in the November 2005 issue of "Metabolism." The study, which compared a raw food diet to a soy protein diet and a calorie-controlled diet in relation to blood sugar regulation, found the soy protein diet superior for controlling blood sugar.

Mood and Energy

Nine volunteers participated in an experiment in which they lived adjacent to the ape house at the Devon Zoo in England and ate an ape-like diet for two weeks, according to "BBC News." During the first week, the study participants ate entirely raw food, followed by the addition of some cooked fish the second week. The objective was to reverse the ill effects of the highly processed Western diet. On the menu were broccoli, carrots, cabbage, tomatoes, strawberries, bananas, mangoes, and hazelnuts, along with several other fresh fruits and vegetables. The participants had none of the expected symptoms, such as low energy or irritable mood, that cleansing diets are known for. Instead, good energy levels and moods, along with 23 percent decreased cholesterol levels, were observed.

Medium-Term Effects

Fibromyalgia symptoms, including pain, fatigue and sleep disturbance, were alleviated with a medium-term raw foods diet in a study published in the September 2001 "BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine." At seven months, according to the study, participants' pain scales were on par with those of non-fibromyalgia patients in their age ranges. The study, which measured symptoms by a self-reported questionnaire format at two- and seven-month intervals, illustrates the potential cleansing effects of a raw foods diet with regard to safety and efficacy.

Cautions

A strict raw food diet results in vitamin B-12 deficiency; however, supplementation with certain types of seaweed in large amounts was shown to restore B-12 up to sufficient levels, according to a study published in the October 1995 "Journal of Nutrition." Vitamin B-12 status of the participants on a raw diet without seaweed showed a steady decline over a period of two years, at which point, the group that was eating seaweed had B-12 levels twice as high as the non-seaweed eating group. To preserve adequate B-12 status on a seven-day raw food cleanse, supplementation with B-12 or consumption of seaweed high in B-12, such as nori or chlorella, is recommended.