THE SANE VIEW
Fans of eating raw have a motto: if you cook it, you kill it. “The most healthful food for the body is uncooked and not heated above 48°C to preserve the enzymes,” says Anya Ladra, chef and founder of Raw Fairies, a London-based raw food delivery service. “Enzymes are one of the life forces of food, responsible for every metabolic action in the body,” she explains. Raw advocates say that the benefits are obvious, leading to fewer digestive problems, more energy, healthier skin, hair and nails, improved sleep, enhanced immunity and weight loss.
Some raw food fans believe that this way of eating can also facilitate healing. Jenny Ross, owner of a ‘living-food’ restaurant in California and author of Healing with Raw Foods (£14.99; Hay House UK), says switching to raw cured her health problems. “It can offer relief from conditions such as ulcers, headaches, indigestion, chronic fatigue and depression,” she says.
However, most nutrition experts disagree. “There’s no scientific evidence that eating a raw diet boosts health or reverses medical conditions,” says registered dietitian Helen Bond. “And the idea that enzymes in food aid digestion is a myth. Our bodies produce all the enzymes we need to digest food.”