Fruitarianism

Fruits as the Most Natural Food

Fruits are said to be the original food on earth.  Whether such thinking is due partly to the apple’s role in Adam and Eve’s story or because of the obvious result of deductive thinking  since fruits can naturally be picked from trees and eaten without cooking, the role of fruits in man’s diet is a commonly discussed issue.  The more controversial  aspect lies in the use of fruits as the sole source of nourishment by people who choose to adopt the fruitarian lifestyle.

The Fruitarian Lifestyle

Veganism is said to a very strict diet.  However, fruitarianism is said to be more restrictive even if it is considered only as a subset of veganism.  It is more akin to raw veganism since fruitarianism tends to avoid cooking.  The fruitarian diet includes nuts and seeds, vegetables and grains, and fruits,  By common definition, fruits refer to plant fruits that are sweet, fleshy, and comes with seeds like apples and oranges.  There are many foods though that fall under the category of fruit that are not often thought of as such including tomatoes and some berries.

A person is technically called a fruitarian if his or her diet consists of at least 75% fruits.  Fruitarians favor fruits that are naturally harvested from plants that will not necessitate killing it.  Strict fruitarians prefer fruits that have fallen off from trees without human intervention.  They also tend to avoid eating seeds since they see them as containers of future plants.  Some practicing frutarians indeed refer to Adam and Eve’s story as a proof that fruits comprise the original diet of mankind.

In search of the perfect food

Proposed Advantages of Fruitarianism

Proponents of fruitarianism point out several expected benefits from adopting a fruitarian diet.  One is convenience.  Fruits can easily be eaten raw and without any complicated preparation.  The use of utensils is seldom a necessity.  Fruits are also very nutritious as they are considered excellent sources of vitamins, minerals, and fiber.  They are also said to contain the highest amount of antioxidants that can be obtained from consumed food.  Because fruits are able to provide such benefits with the least amount of calories, some are convinced that fruit is the perfect food.

The fruitarian diet is also said to promote not only physical well-being but also mental and spiritual well-being as well.  This is in reference to the idea that fruits are live foods since they are eaten raw and thus still contain all the nutrients it offers at the time of consumption.  The fruitarian raw food diet also brings about detoxification or natural cleansing of the body since nothing that is not naturally found as food enters the body.

Concerns about Fruitarianism

Like in veganism, there are concerns about possible vitamin deficiencies in adopting a strict fruitarian diet.  This kind of diet may result to lack in calcium, iron, zinc, protein, vitamin D, vitamin B12, and certain essential fatty acids.  Since fruitarians do not consume any food derived from animal substances, the highest risk is vitamin B12 deficiency since vitamin B12 is usually obtained from consuming animal products.

The fruitarian diet is not recommended for adoption by children and teens because they are still in the developing stage.  Serious growth and development issues have been known to result in children fed with a strict fruitarian diet.  Adults practicing fruitarianism are advised to proceed with care especially if they intend to stick with it for an extended period of time.

Famous Fruitarians

There are several famous personalities who practiced fruitarianism for a certain period of time including Steve Jobs, August Engelhardt, Arnold Ehret, Mohandas Gandhi, and Idi Amin.  More current practitioners include Paris Hilton and Neve Campbell.  Based on his personal notes, Leonardo da Vinci is also said to have been a fruitarian.

My Say

The adoption of the diet by famous personalities has made it possible to bring fruitarianism  into mainstream lifestyle.  Nutritional experts are not denying the importance of fruits in the human diet.  The only concern is whether the diet composed of fruits only can actually provide all the dietary needs of human beings.  This is expected to be discovered in time.