Raw veganism


Raw veganism is a diet that combines the concepts of veganism and raw foodism. It excludes all food and products of animal origin, any food that is processed or altered from its natural state, and food cooked at high temperatures. Raw veganism has rarely been practiced in history, but it has become more of a trend recently.

History

The world's first raw vegan restaurant called Raw Food Dining Room, at 640 S. Olive St. was opened in Los Angeles, California in 1918 by John and Vera Richter.
Robert Hart practiced raw veganism from forest gardening as a food production system based on woodland ecosystems incorporating fruit and nut trees, shrubs, herbs, vines, and perennial vegetables. Forest gardens are a resilient agroecosystem.
sauce with olives, celery, spinach and walnuts on zoodles

Concerns

The British Dietetic Association named the raw vegan diet one of the "top 5 worst celeb diets to avoid in 2018", raising a concern that it could compromise long-term health.

Contamination

outbreaks of bacterial, viral or parasitic infections, zoonotic or human, are caused by consumption of microorganism-contaminated raw herbs and spices, fruits, vegetables, or other plant foods. The US Food and Drug Administration recommends cooking when possible to kill microorganisms in raw plant foods.

Adulteration

is a concern for spices that are imported from locations with substandard regulations for hygienic food preparation. Cooking may not eliminate adulterants, but may reduce microorganisms.