I found a raw food study

[gaya]

Found this by accident and thought I would share. I'll search medline and see if I can find some more.


Long-term consumption of a raw food diet is associated with favorable serum LDL cholesterol and triglycerides but also with elevated plasma homocysteine and low serum HDL cholesterol in humans.
The Journal Of Nutrition [J Nutr] 2005 Oct; Vol. 135 (10), pp. 2372-8.
Publication Type: Journal Article

Abstract: High consumption of vegetables and fruits is associated with reduced risk for cardiovascular disease. However, little information is available about diets based predominantly on consumption of fruits and their health consequences. We investigated the effects of an extremely high dietary intake of raw vegetables and fruits (70-100% raw food) on serum lipids and plasma vitamin B-12, folate, and total homocysteine (tHcy). In a cross-sectional study, the lipid, folate, vitamin B-12, and tHcy status of 201 adherents to a raw food diet (94 men and 107 women) were examined. The participants consumed approximately 1500-1800 g raw food of plant origin/d mainly as vegetables or fruits. Of the participants, 14% had high serum LDL cholesterol concentrations, 46% had low serum HDL cholesterol, and none had high triglycerides. Of raw food consumers, 38% were vitamin B-12 deficient, whereas 12% had an increased mean corpuscular volume (MCV). Plasma tHcy concentrations were correlated with plasma vitamin B-12 concentrations (r = -0.450, P < 0.001), but not with plasma folate. Plasma tHcy and MCV concentrations were higher in those in the lowest quintile of consumption of food of animal origin (P(trend) < 0.001). This study indicates that consumption of a strict raw food diet lowers plasma total cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations, but also lowers serum HDL cholesterol and increases tHcy concentrations due to vitamin B-12 deficiency.

[butterfly_acid]

is the end of that saying B12 deficiency is welcome in order to lower bad cholesterol? or just that they go hand in hand?....I mean...which came first, humans or god... ;-)

[Elena99]

So what if you went on a raw food diet and had B-12 supplements?

Oh, and I'm confused about something. I picked up a book from the library "raw food, real world", and it was suggested in there to consume nutritional yeast, which is B-12 fortified. Do raw foodists generally eat nutritional yeast? I thought they didn't.

[gaya]

is the end of that saying B12 deficiency is welcome in order to lower bad cholesterol? or just that they go hand in hand?....I mean...which came first, humans or god... ;-)
lol, um it just shows a b12 deficiency with the raw diet plus an adavantage with keeping LDL low but b12 deficiency (bad) does not equate low LDL (good).

[gaya]

So what if you went on a raw food diet and had B-12 supplements?

That would seem like the best route eta based on this study, which is only one study. I found a few others but nothing exciting and I only want to post studies that have some positive results to show support.

[Kataka]

So what if you went on a raw food diet and had B-12 supplements?

Oh, and I'm confused about something. I picked up a book from the library "raw food, real world", and it was suggested in there to consume nutritional yeast, which is B-12 fortified. Do raw foodists generally eat nutritional yeast? I thought they didn't.

some do because yeast is considered "living". I think some purists don't, though. It depends on the person

[kpickell]

Thanks for the information. I'm actually surprised that only 40% were B12 deficient.

[Romac]

"but also lowers serum HDL cholesterol and increases tHcy concentrations due to vitamin B-12 deficiency."

appears to indicate that lower hdl cholesterol and increased tHcy is due to vitamin b-12 deficiency. But it may just be worded wrong...they may have meant that only tHcy concentrations were due to b-12 deficiency...whatever the hell tHcy is! :p

[gaya]

"but also lowers serum HDL cholesterol and increases tHcy concentrations due to vitamin B-12 deficiency."

appears to indicate that lower hdl cholesterol and increased tHcy is due to vitamin b-12 deficiency. But it may just be worded wrong...they may have meant that only tHcy concentrations were due to b-12 deficiency...whatever the hell tHcy is! :p
I don't think low HDL has anything to do with B12. I'm not sure why this diet would affect HDL. That's just weird.

here is some infor about homocysteine http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=535

[rawgirl]

So what if you went on a raw food diet and had B-12 supplements?

Oh, and I'm confused about something. I picked up a book from the library "raw food, real world", and it was suggested in there to consume nutritional yeast, which is B-12 fortified. Do raw foodists generally eat nutritional yeast? I thought they didn't.
I don't think that nutritional yeast is a reliable source of B12, at least not in the necessary amount. It's safest to take a supplement because most vegans who don't end up with B12 deficiency after so many years.

[butterfly_acid]

rawgirl-

I just found this...it says it has 133% B12 per serving.
http://www.bulkfoods.com/nutritional_yeast.htm

[purrpelle]

I don't think that nutritional yeast is a reliable source of B12, at least not in the necessary amount. It's safest to take a supplement because most vegans who don't end up with B12 deficiency after so many years.

I agree. nutritional yeast is a food product, so the concentrations of b-12 can vary greatly brand to brand and serving to serving. I use a B-12 spray that is pharmacuetically tested, so you know exactly what you are getting.

I do however, use liberal amounts of Nooty cause its yummy. :lick:

[butterfly_acid]

i have yet to be able to find nutritional yeast anywhere though...lol

any thoughts?

[SeaSiren]

i have yet to be able to find nutritional yeast anywhere though...lol

any thoughts?
http://www.veganessentials.com/

[rawgirl]

i have yet to be able to find nutritional yeast anywhere though...lol

any thoughts?
Your health food store should carry it.

[gaya]

I found this and it mentions B12 and nutritional yeast. I wasn't sure if nutritional yeast had b12 naturally or if it was fortified into the yeast. I think this study is using nutritional yeast as a food that supplies B12 (I hope and need to p/u some)


BACKGROUND: Pure vegetarian diets might cause cobalamin deficiency due to lack of dietary intake. It was hypothesized that a population following a vegan diet consuming mostly raw fruits and vegetables, carrot juice, and dehydrated barley grass juice would be able to avoid vitamin B12 deficiency naturally. METHODS: Subjects were recruited at a health ministers' reunion based on adherence to the Hallelujah diet for at least 2 years. Serum cobalamin and urinary methylmalonic acid (MMA) assays were performed. Follow-up with sublingual tablets, nutritional yeast, or probiotic supplements was carried out on subjects with abnormal MMA results. RESULTS: 49 subjects were tested. Most subjects (10th to 90th percentile) had followed this diet 23-49 months. 6 subjects had serum B12 concentrations <147 pmol/l (200 pg/ml). 37 subjects (76%) had serum B12 concentrations <221 pmol/l (300 pg/ml). 23 subjects (47%) had abnormal urinary MMA concentrations above or equal to 4.0 microg/mg creatinine. Sublingual cyanocobalamin and nutritional yeast, but not probiotic supplements, significantly reduced group mean MMA concentrations (tablet p < 0.01; yeast p < 0.05, probiotic > 0.20). CONCLUSIONS: The urinary MMA assay is effective for identifying early metabolic cobalamin deficiency. People following the Hallelujah diet and other raw-food vegetarian diets should regularly monitor their urinary MMA levels, consume a sublingual cobalamin supplement, or consume cobalamin in their food.

[butterfly_acid]

ah! been there, done that, got the t-shirt.

I found some local to me, but the store isn't listed in the yellow pages, anywhere, so I didn't know it existed!! I found it via searching producers of the nutritional yeast, and then searching on their site for stores that carry their brand. This store is about 2 miles from my house with 2 stoplights and a stop sign (if you've been to Tampa, FL, you'd know that's an amazing sight to see vs. 50 stoplights and 100 stop signs....haha)...

So...I put some in my soup, but...it only made the soup less watery. I bought the powder kind, and it kinda is stinky...ie-don't want to accidentally smell it while it's mixing. the flavor wasn't spectacular, but I need the B12, so I'll deal with it.

^_^

[rawgirl]

The kind I get is flakes. I guess it's sort of powdery. It has a kind of cheesy flavor in my opinion.

[butterfly_acid]

i meant to get the flakes...lol...but I was paying more attention to how it was made...the NOW brand didn't have flakes available, and the other brands didn't say they were made with molasses.

rock/me/hard place

[butterfly_acid]

tasted a lil better in my avocado/celery soup though. LOL....not great, but didn't taste so bad. Got in my daily requirements now. ^_^

[rawgirl]

The Uncheese Cookbook has a lot of recipes that use nutritional yeast. I love the Philly Potato Chowder. It's like the best soup ever.