Nutritional Considerations

If you are following a raw food lifestyle plan, you must take measures to ensure that you are getting adequate amounts of all necessary nutrients.

Here are some of the most common nutrients missing from most raw food meal plans:

Raw or living food diets are often very low in Vitamin B-12, a nutrient that is primarily supplied by the consumption of animal products. Vitamin B-12 is important for promoting normal brain and nervous system function, and for the formation of the blood. B-Vitamin deficiency can also be accelerated by a high intake of fruit because of the high content of natural sugar in fruit.

If you suspect that you might have a B-12 deficiency, ask your doctor for a blood test for B-12 levels. Algae, spirulina, and chorella have been found to be unreliable sources of B-12, but there are many excellent B-12 supplements on the market that may be used by the raw foodist.

Some raw foodists also lack sufficient intake of Vitamin D, zinc, and calcium. Supplements for these are also available, and living food diets lacking in these nutrients can also be adjusted to incorporate foods that contain larger amounts of a particular vitamin. If you are following a raw food lifestyle plan, you want to be certain you are getting adequate amounts of all necessary nutrients.