Q. What are your thoughts on a raw food diet? Any drawbacks? -Molly

Hi Molly,

I think many people don’t eat enough raw foods so the fact that you enjoy them is a great start.

When it comes to vegetables I have seen a lot of information that dwells on whether cooked or uncooked food is most nutritious.  The simple answer is BOTH. 

There are some elements that are destroyed in the cooking process such as digestive enzymes in plant food.  But there are other nutrients that are only released after food has been cooked.  So make it easy on yourself and eat some of both. 

I recommend half of your vegetable intake be raw and half be cooked.  When it comes to meat I recommend 100% cooked.  Sushi is an exception.  Chicken and eggs have too high a potential for contamination with salmonella to risk eating raw.  Raw milk has similar risk of infection but again depends on how the animal is managed and the cleanliness of the farm and process.  Nuts are best raw as roasting is often done in cottonseed or canola oil which are highly GMO in this country (genetically modified).  Water… dealers choice, raw or cooked is fine.

Thanks for the question!

Dr. Gary Huber