The very mention of cancer in an article about a high energy diet can be somewhat controversial. There are those within the raw foods community who would be so bold as to make somewhat overzealous claims about the cancer-fighting properties of an all raw diet, to the point of unsubstantiated exaggeration. While there is nothing wrong with believing that your chosen way of eating might help you to stay healthy, the last thing we want to do is go so far as to make promises that could never be kept.
Unfortunately, we do not know everything we need to know about cancers, how they start or how to fight back against them. What we do know is that eating for energy with a raw diet has the potential to help our bodies in these battles. There are no magic cure-alls in the raw foods on your plate, but there is a way to find a healthier life through healthier eating.
Those who eat for energy with a raw diet are consuming far fewer known carcinogens that those who consume cooked foods, particularly when it comes to foods that are prepared over any variety of direct flame. The charring process that many meats and vegetables are subjected to, be it on a barbecue or over another heat source, can leave behind deposits that, according to some studies, can contain carcinogenic properties. That is not to say that cooked meat causes cancer, or that raw meats like cold smoked salmon will keep you safe. But consuming fewer charred items might make a difference in the long run.
Of course, a raw diet is filled with wonderful raw produce, and many of the food items found here have been shown to have some positive effects when it comes to combating cancer in some form or another. Carrots in particular have been shown to have a great impact on the body in recent cancer research studies. The antioxidants contained in carrots, like beta carotene, help to produce and process vitamin A within the body, which keeps your cells at optimal health and allows them to strongly resist the invasions of cancer cells.
Another big plus for raw foods are the living enzymes that you are able to consume when you skip the cooking process. These living enzymes help to break down, digest and dispose of the food you eat, allowing your body to not have to call upon its own stores of enzymes to do the dirty work for the cooked, dead food enzymes. Using the life force of your food in this way means that your body is able to use its internal energies for other purposes besides digestion and absorption – like fighting to keep you healthier in general.
These are just some of the benefits of a raw food diet, but that is not evidence that a raw foods diet can beat cancer. But when it comes to maintaining your good health, every little advantage you can give your body will help if you should ever have to face this terrible affliction.
