Fruitarianism

Fruitarianism involves the practice of following a diet that includes only or primarily fruits in the botanical sense, and possibly nuts and seeds, without animal products. Fruitarianism is a subset of dietary veganism.

Fruitarianism may be adopted for different reasons, including ethical, religious, political, medical, environmental, cultural, aesthetic, economic, and health reasons. There are many varieties of the diet. Some people whose diet consists of 75% or more fruit consider themselves fruitarians.

Definitions

Some fruitarians will eat only what falls (or would fall) naturally from a plant: that is, foods that can be harvested without killing or harming the plant. These foods consist primarily of culinary fruits, nuts, and seeds. According to author Adam Gollner, some fruitarians eat only fallen fruit. Some do not eat grains, believing it is unnatural to do so, and some fruitarians feel that it is improper for humans to eat seeds as they contain future plants, or nuts and seeds, or any foods besides juicy fruits. Others believe they should eat only plants that spread seeds when the plant is eaten. Others eat seeds and some cooked foods. Some fruitarians use the botanical definitions of fruits and consume pulses, such as beans, peas, or other legumes. Other fruitarians' diets include raw fruits, dried fruits, nuts, honey and olive oil, or fruits, nuts, beans and chocolate.

Motivation

Some fruitarians of the Judeo-Christian faiths believe, based on Genesis 1:29, that fruitarianism was the original diet of humankind in the form of Adam and Eve. They believe that a return to an Eden-like paradise will require simple living and a holistic approach to health and diet. Some fruitarians wish, like Jains, to avoid killing anything, including plants, and refer to ahimsa fruitarianism. Some fruitarians say that eating some types of fruit does the parent plant a favor and that fleshy fruit has evolved to be eaten by animals, to achieve seed dispersal.

Scientific studies

Dental studies

In 1979, Professor Alan Walker, a Johns Hopkins University paleoanthropologist, reported that preliminary studies of unmarked tooth enamel in early hominoids suggested that pre-human ancestors apparently had a diet of mostly fruit. Walker said, "I don't want to make too much of this yet. But it is quite a surprise."

Clinical studies

In 1971, a short-term study by B. J. Meyer was published in the South African Medical Journal describing how lipid profiles and glucose tolerances improved on a particular fruitarian diet. An earlier 1971 study by Meyer tested a 45-year-old teacher who claimed she had eaten only fruits for the past 12 years, who was found to be in "excellent health". In a further trial in the study, body weights of overweight subjects showed a tendency to "level off" at the "'theoretically ideal' weight".

Nutritional concerns

According to nutritionists, adults must be careful not to follow a fruit-only diet for too long, a fruitarian diet is not suitable for teens, and a fruitarian diet is wholly unsuitable for children.

Nutritional deficiencies

Fruitarianism is more restrictive than veganism or raw veganism. The Health Promotion Program at Columbia University reports that a fruitarian diet can cause deficiencies in calcium, protein, iron, zinc, vitamin D, most B vitamins (especially B₁₂), and essential fatty acids. Additionally, the Health Promotion Program at Columbia reports that food restrictions in general may lead to hunger, cravings, food obsessions, social disruptions, and social isolation.

Vitamin B₁₂

Vitamin B₁₂, a bacterial product, cannot be obtained from fruits. According to the U.S. National Institutes of Health "natural food sources of vitamin B₁₂ are limited to foods that come from animals." Like raw vegans who do not consume B₁₂-fortified foods (certain plant milks and breakfast cereals, for example), fruitarians may need to include a B₁₂ supplement in their diet or risk vitamin B₁₂ deficiency.

Growth and development issues

In children, growth and development may be at risk. Some nutritionists state that children should not follow a fruitarian diet. Nutritional problems include severe protein-energy malnutrition, anemia and deficiencies including proteins, iron, calcium, essential fatty acids, raw fibre and a wide range of vitamins and minerals.

Notable adherents

Some notable advocates of fruitarianism, of diets which may be considered fruitarian, or of lifestyles including such a diet, are:

• August Engelhardt,
• Arnold Ehret,
• Raymond W. Bernard, and
• Essie Honiball adhered to a fruitarian diet for some time.
• Actor Ashton Kutcher told USA Today that his pancreas levels went "all out of whack" after following a fruitarian diet in preparation for his role as Apple CEO and onetime fruitarian Steve Jobs, in the film Jobs. Jobs died of pancreatic cancer.

Others such as Ross Horne and Viktoras Kulvinskas appeared to only describe the fruitarian diet. Some, like Johnny Lovewisdom, experimented with different diets, including juicy fruitarianism, liquidarianism (juices only), vitarianism (fruit, vegetables, raw dairy) and breatharianism.

Others like author Morris Krok, who at stages during his life, lived "only on fruits", allegedly advised against a diet of "only fruit", although it was subsequently reported that Krok's diet consisted of "just fruit", with dietary practices of fruitarians as varied as definitions of the term 'fruitarianism'. Diet author Joe Alexander lived for 56 days on juicy fruits.

Historical figures

• Idi Amin, the Ugandan military dictator, became a fruitarian in Saudi Arabia during his exile there.
• Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, better known as Indian political and spiritual leader Mahatma Gandhi, sustained a fruitarian diet for 5 years. He apparently discontinued the diet and went back to vegetarianism due to pleurisy, a pre-existing condition, after pressure from a Dr. Jivraj Mehta.
• Ben Klassen, white supremacist, founder of the Creativity Movement, and author of The White Man’s Bible, advocated a fruitarian diet to include fruits, vegetables and nuts.
• Steve Jobs, who supposedly named his company Apple because he was experimenting with a fruitarian diet.

Fictional

• Ayesha ("She-who-must-be-obeyed") of H. Rider Haggard's She and its sequels.
• The Eloi from H. G. Wells's The Time Machine.
• The monster in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein.
• The evil Medusa Johnson in Leonard Part 6.
• Keziah in Notting Hill. Keziah states that fruitarians only eat fruit that has fallen from the tree or bush.
• Characters such as Mr. Mick in Gilbert K. Chesterton's "The Napoleon of Notting Hill".
• RyÅ«ko Mifune in the light novel series Denpa Onna to Seishun Otoko by Hitoma Iruma.

See also

References

External links

• Fruitarianism at DMOZ

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