Long-term raw diet and bone health

Vegetarian Journal, July-August, 2005 by Reed Mangels

Some vegetarians choose to eat a raw foods diet consisting of foods that have not been cooked or processed. Typically, people eating a raw foods diet have a low Body Mass Index (BMI) and are quite lean. This has potential implications for bone health since low body weight and body fat are associated with increased risk of osteoporosis. In addition, raw foods diets are frequently low in calcium. A recent study examined bone health in 18 vegetarians who had been eating a raw foods diet for an average of 3.6 years. The raw foods vegetarians had a lower bone mass in their spine and hips compared to non-vegetarian controls. A lower bone mass is believed to increase risk of developing osteoporosis. However, the raw foods vegetarians did not have a higher rate of bone loss suggesting that, despite a lower bone mass, their bones are of good quality. In addition, the raw foods vegetarians had higher levels of vitamin D, possibly because of greater sun exposure. Additional study is needed to determine whether long-term use of a raw foods diet affects risk of osteoporosis.

Fontana L, Shew JL, Holloszy JO, et al. 2005. Low bone mass in subjects on a long-term raw vegetarian diet. Arch Intern Med 165:684-89.