The fruit diet, also known as the fruitarian diet, is a type of specialized vegan diet. The diet is highly restrictive. It avoids all animal products, including dairy and eggs. Instead, people subscribe to a diet that primarily consists of eating raw fruits. The diet supplements the raw fruits with vegetables, nuts, and seeds, which are eaten in moderation. And all cooked food is absolutely avoided.
There Are Different Types of Fruit Diets
There is no one specific way to do a fruit diet. Every person has their own set of restricted and sanctioned foods that they choose to eat on their fruit diet. Some practitioners will only eat fruit that has fallen from the tree. Others will only eat fruit that doesn’t have seeds in it because the seeds have the potential to become new life. Most fruitarians won’t eat legumes, grains, tubers, or starchy vegetables either. But this is a personal choice, all of these can still be eaten on a fruit diet.
The Potential Benefits
There are lots of potential benefits for subscribing to a fruit diet:
- Fruits contain dietary fiber
The dietary fiber content found in most fruits helps to regulate the digestive system and lower “bad” LDL cholesterol
- Fruits have high concentration of vitamin C
Vitamin C helps to boost the immune system and keeps your gums and teeth healthy. - Fruits tend to be high in potassium
Fruits like bananas, guavas, and mangoes are high in potassium. Potassium helps to regulate blood pressure and balance fluid levels in the body. - Fruits are high in folate
Oranges and tropical fruits like mangoes or dragon fruit have high concentrations of folate. This helps with red blood cell production and supports healthy fetal development. - Fruits are rich in antioxidants
Most fruits have high concentrations of antioxidants which kill free radicals that can cause cancer.
The fruitarian diet or fruit diet has many benefits as fruits are rich in nutrients and fiber. However, it is advised to seek your physician’s or nutritionist’s advice before you adhere to the diet.
