WASHINGTON
(Reuters) - People on strict raw food vegetarian diets are
thin but healthy, U.S. researchers reported on Monday.
Although nutritionists and the food industry have warned that
a diet without dairy foods can lead to the bone-thinning disease
osteoporosis, the team at Washington University School of
Medicine in St. Louis found the vegans they studied had many
of the signs of strong bones.
Dr. Luigi Fontana, who led the study, said they had thin bones
but none of the other signs of osteoporosis.
"We think it's possible these people don't have increased
risk of fracture but that their low bone mass is related to
the fact that they are lighter because they take in fewer
calories," Fontana said in a statement.
He said he would continue to follow them to see if they develop
osteoporosis later.
"Raw food vegetarians believe in eating only plant-derived
foods that have not been cooked, processed, or otherwise altered
from their natural state," Fontana's team wrote in this week's
issue of the Archives of Internal medicine.
"Because of their low calorie and low protein intake, raw
food vegetarians have a low body mass index (BMI) and a low
total body fat content. It is well documented that a low BMI
and weight loss are strongly associated with low bone mass
and increased fracture risk, while obesity protects against
osteoporosis."
Fontana's team studied 18 strict raw food vegans aged 33 to
85. All ate a diet that included unprepared foods such vegetables,
fruits, nuts, and sprouted grains. They had been on this diet
for an average of 3.6 years.
The team compared them to 18 more average Americans. The raw
food group had an average body mass index of 20.5, while the
average group were slightly overweight with a BMI of 25.
BMI is an internationally accepted measurement of height to
weight, and a BMI of 18.5 to 24 is considered the healthy
range.
Fontana expected the vegans to have low vitamin D levels because
they avoid dairy products, which are fortified with the vitamin.
But in fact their vitamin D levels were "markedly higher"
than average.
Vitamin D is made by the skin when the body is exposed to
sunlight and is key to keeping strong bones.
"These people are clever enough to expose themselves to sunlight
to increase their concentrations of vitamin D," Fontana said.
And the vegans had low levels of C-reactive protein, an inflammatory
molecule that is becoming linked with the risk of heart disease,
diabetes and other chronic disease.
Furthermore, they had lower levels of IGF-1, a growth factor
linked to risk of breast and prostate cancer.
Fontana does not advocate a raw food diet. But he said that
to lower the risk of cancer and heart disease people should
eat more fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
Although nutritionists and the food industry have warned that
a diet without dairy foods can lead to the bone-thinning disease
osteoporosis, the team at Washington University School of
Medicine in St. Louis found the vegans they studied had many
of the signs of strong bones.
Dr. Luigi Fontana, who led the study, said they had thin bones
but none of the other signs of osteoporosis.
"We think it's possible these people don't have increased
risk of fracture but that their low bone mass is related to
the fact that they are lighter because they take in fewer
calories," Fontana said in a statement.
He said he would continue to follow them to see if they develop
osteoporosis later.
"Raw food vegetarians believe in eating only plant-derived
foods that have not been cooked, processed, or otherwise altered
from their natural state," Fontana's team wrote in this week's
issue of the Archives of Internal medicine.
"Because of their low calorie and low protein intake, raw
food vegetarians have a low body mass index (BMI) and a low
total body fat content. It is well documented that a low BMI
and weight loss are strongly associated with low bone mass
and increased fracture risk, while obesity protects against
osteoporosis."
Fontana's team studied 18 strict raw food vegans aged 33 to
85. All ate a diet that included unprepared foods such vegetables,
fruits, nuts, and sprouted grains. They had been on this diet
for an average of 3.6 years.
The team compared them to 18 more average Americans. The raw
food group had an average body mass index of 20.5, while the
average group were slightly overweight with a BMI of 25.
BMI is an internationally accepted measurement of height to
weight, and a BMI of 18.5 to 24 is considered the healthy
range.
Fontana expected the vegans to have low vitamin D levels because
they avoid dairy products, which are fortified with the vitamin.
But in fact their vitamin D levels were "markedly higher"
than average.
Vitamin D is made by the skin when the body is exposed to
sunlight and is key to keeping strong bones.
"These people are clever enough to expose themselves to sunlight
to increase their concentrations of vitamin D," Fontana said.
And the vegans had low levels of C-reactive protein, an inflammatory
molecule that is becoming linked with the risk of heart disease,
diabetes and other chronic disease.
Furthermore, they had lower levels of IGF-1, a growth factor
linked to risk of breast and prostate cancer.
Fontana does not advocate a raw food diet. But he said that
to lower the risk of cancer and heart disease people should
eat more fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
