Raw food diet OK for bone health

Following a raw, plant-based diet may cause your bones to be less dense, but it won’t raise your risk for osteoporosis, says a recent study from Archives of Internal Medicine (2005, vol. 165, no. 6). Researchers tracked the bone health of 18 raw-food eaters to determine that a raw foods diet, despite previous evidence, does not increase risk for osteoporosis. Although raw food eaters were thinner and had lower bone density, their bone turnover rates were normal and there was no greater chance for fracture. Researchers attribute participants’ lower bone mass to a lighter body weight as a result of the diet’s reduced calorie intake.