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 Humans2

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 ϳ1500 -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 ϭ Ϫ0.450, P Ͻ 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 Ͻ 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. J. Nutr. 135: 2372Nutr. 135: -2378Nutr. 135: , 2005 KEY WORDS: • raw food diet • vegetarian diets • vitamin B-12

Hyperhomocysteinemia is a Biomarker of Sulfur-Deficiency in Human Morbidities~!2009-10-03~!2009-11-18~!2009-12-22~!

“…At low N intake, the S balance may even turn negative [85], explaining why vegetarian subjects incur the risk of subclinical protein depletion and permanent S-deficiency substantiated by HHcy status [10]. Western population groups having adopted extravagant lifestyles such as long-term consumption of raw foods of plant origin also develop HHcy status [93], a condition still worsened by uncooked or unprocessed preparations shown to further depress their biological value [94]. Such inappropriate dietary lifestyles deserve to be confronted with previous recommendations stating that plant products cannot insure safe coverage of human needs in IAAs unless at least 30 % of total protein is derived from animal sources [95].…”

Low-dose mTOR inhibition by rapamycin attenuates progression in anti-thy1-induced chronic glomerulosclerosis of the rat

“…During the experiment, animals were housed individually in metabolic cages for a 24-h urine collection in weeks 1,4,8,12,16, and finally on the day before euthanasia in week 20. Urinary protein was measured using a pyrogallol red microtiter plate technique as previously described (17,27).…”

“…Plasma cholesterol and triglyceride levels were measured by standard enzymatic methods following a 5-h fasting period. Blood lipid concentrations were analyzed by enzymatic photometric assays (CHOD-PAP method for cholesterol and GPO-PAP method for triglyceride) using an Hitachi 917 analyzer (Roche Diagnostics, Basel, Switzerland) (16).…”

The Oxidative Stress of Hyperhomocysteinemia Results from Reduced Bioavailability of Sulfur-Containing Reductants

“…Morbid obesity may be alleviated by medical treatment [143] or surgical gastroplasty [144,145], conditions frequently associated with secondary malabsorptive syndromes and malnutrition [146], rendering an account of acquired HHcy. In westernized countries, subclinical protein-depleted states are illustrated in immigrants originating from developing regions but keeping alive their traditional feeding practices [147] or by communities having adopted, for socio-cultural reasons, strict vegan dietary lifestyles [148].…”