A raw food diet consists of uncooked and unprocessed, and often organic foods.
There is no universal consensus over what exactly constitutes a raw food diet. Historically the term was primarily used to describe a raw vegan diet consisting fully of raw fruits and raw vegetables, as well as nuts and seeds. Yet, there are also those who interpret raw food diet more literally, and include in their diet raw (unpasteurized) dairy products (such as raw milk), raw meat, raw eggs and sushi.
The exact definition of raw food varies, but the general consensus is that a raw food is a food that has not been altered by any method that would change its basic chemical structure through heating it over 118 degrees Fahrenheit (48˚C). Raw foodists do not believe in the use of chemical preservatives. Freezing food is generally considered to be okay by most raw foodists. In fact, many raw foodists keep nuts and seeds in the freezer to preserve their freshness.
A raw foodist is a person who consumes primarily raw food. Raw foodists believe that the greater the percentage of raw food in the diet, the greater the health benefits.
Advocates say that a decrease of raw foods in diet may cause an increase in the incidences of many forms of malaise and many chronic diseases.