Of the many food diets aimed at reducing weight, one of the most interesting ones is a diet consisting mainly of raw foods - vegetables, fruit, nuts, seeds, dried fruits, legumes, dairy products and honey.

Dieters in increasing numbers are looking at such a diet in preference to the many 'fad' diets being aired on the popular TV talk shows or the ubiquitous life style and health magazines. A diet consisting mainly of uncooked and therefore unprocessed foods is easy to prepare, much cheaper than the popular diets and the ready-made meal deals, and get results that people want.

The supporters of a raw food diet - that is eating a diet consisting of more than 75% raw food - believe that once food is heated to a high level the components in the food that aid digestion are irreversibly destroyed. When food is eaten in its raw state, these components - enzymes - combine with enzymes in the body to help in the digestion of the raw food.

Medical opinion on the results of eating a mainly raw food diet vary. Supporters together with aspects of the medical profession believe that eating such a diet helps with weight loss and assisting the body overcome some medical conditions. Other research has shown that eating raw food may lead to other health problems.

Compared to a conventional diet, raw food is extremely low in oils and fats, calories and sodium derivatives, and high in fiber content. Whilst some variations of a raw food diet contain adequate quantities of some of the trace elements, others do not.

A raw food diet consisting solely of non-animal products will need supplements to compensate for the lack of some vitamins and trace elements. These may be available in food derived from animal material.

The health benefits of eating uncooked food are said to be many. As well as improving digestion, it's said to reduce the risks of cancer, heart disease, and diabetes. Weight loss is a major reason for some people to embrace a raw food diet.

A diet of predominantly uncooked food may not be appealing to many people, however the food can take many forms. Fruits and vegetables can be juiced; dehydrated foods and dried fruits can be reconstituted by soaking in a liquid; raw fish and some meats can be marinated to improve their flavors.

A person new to a diet consisting primarily of raw food may experience some short-lived ill effects such as headaches or nausea. This may occur if the person has enjoyed a diet with plenty of meat and sugar. It must be pointed out that a raw food diet is unsuitable for very young children, nursing mothers, and pregnant women. And because such a diet may be lacking in certain vitamins, minerals and other products essential for good health, then medical advice should be sort about suitable supplements.

Whilst the basic premise for eating a raw food diet is that cooking destroys the enzymes in the food, thus making digestion harder, many in the nutritional field oppose this viewpoint. They argue that our bodies are more than capable of providing enough enzymes and have no need for the enzymes from raw food.

However, the number of people world-wide who are converting to this radical diet are testimony to its effectiveness.