John Myers
Most people know what vegetarians eat and what they don’t. But what are fruitarians? Find out what distinguishes this form of nutrition and what advantages and disadvantages it has.
Extreme Vegans: Fruitarians
Frutarians, also known as fruitans or frugans, eat only plant-based food. In contrast to veganism, these people go one step further and only eat what is naturally dead or what plants give without dying. Accordingly, ripe fruit, vegetables, nuts, legumes and grains are on the menu. Tomatoes, peppers or even a fruit like the avocado are okay for fruitarians, carrots or potatoes are not. Wheat, barley, rye, spelled etc. are allowed because the mother plants die after the seeds have ripened. Accordingly, fruitarians are allowed to eat bread, corn, millet, rice and pasta.
The philosophy behind Frutarianism
The background to the alternative form of nutrition is that fruitarians want to destroy their environment as little as possible. According to philosophy, both animals and plants have a right to life. Most Frugans not only base their diet on this ideal, but also apply it in other areas of life. For example, furniture made from felled wood and other “harvested” natural products are taboo. Clothing made of silk and cotton is also avoided. Mahatma Gandhi, actress Pamela Anderson, and Apple founder Steve Jobs are said to be among the best-known people who at least temporarily ate a fruity diet.
Is the strictly fruit-based diet healthy?
Nutrition experts take a critical view of the diet since deficiencies can arise due to the very limited selection of foods. In particular, fruitarians lack vitamins B12 and D, which are almost exclusively found in animal products. An adequate supply of calcium and iron is also not guaranteed. Although these minerals are also present in plants, the body cannot use them as well in this form as they do from animal sources. With a vegetarian diet, the body absorbs nutrients from dairy products and eggs. According to scientific studies, the high consumption of fructose can also be problematic for the metabolism. However, there is nothing wrong with making a meal fruity from time to time, after all fruits provide a lot of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Our raw food recipes, for example, provide ideas.
