Dangers of the raw vegan diet in children

Before knowing whether this diet is dangerous or not, you will ask yourself: what is raw vegan food. It is a type of food based on the intake of raw fruits and vegetables . Raw vegans do not eat meat, nor stews, nor pizzas, nor sweets, hamburgers, or fish. Well, the story of Tom Watkings, a Dutch te

Before knowing whether this diet is dangerous or not, you will ask yourself: what is raw vegan food. It is a type of food based on the intake of raw fruits and vegetables. Raw vegans do not eat meat, nor stews, nor pizzas, nor sweets, hamburgers, or fish.

Well, the story of Tom Watkings, a Dutch teenager who has been on this diet since he was five years old at the initiative of his mother, Francis Kenter, has come to light. The social services have tried to withdraw the custody of Mrs. Kenter, since they believe that the child is having a development below his age, however the child insists that he enjoys this type of feeding.

Raw vegan diet for children, yes or no?

The defenders of the Raw diet (raw in English) or raw vegan, warn that it is a perfect diet for cleaning and curing certain diseases. Raw vegans insist that their diet contains the necessary nutrients and that consuming cooked products destroys enzymes and nutrients so that the body assimilates better the raw foods or slightly heated, never cooked.

Raw vegans consume mainly natural, organic foods if possible: fruits, vegetables, green leaves, fatty vegetables, seeds, cereal sprouts, etc.

However, the analyzes on raw vegans reveal that it is common among them to have a deficiency of calcium, zinc, iron, iodine or essential amino acids. It is logical to think that each person is different and each body will assimilate the diet in a different way, but is it healthy for a child to acquire this type of eating habits in the process of development and growth?

In the case of Tom Watkings, doctors and members of the social services claim that this practice is limiting Tom's growth and can cause irreparable damage to his organism. The story of Tom, is reflected in the documentary Rawer, released in Holland more than a year ago. Since then, for more controversy that has arisen, the child continues to live with his mother and is still raw.

Could you resist a good sirloin, a baked fish or a chocolate cake? I confess that I do not and, personally, I would not subject my children to such a restrictive diet.