Chief Longwind Of The North
Certified/Certifiable
I have one caution before anyone goes out to use the "Raw Food Diet". Do your homework.
There are a number of edible plants that are edible only after cooking denatures natural poisons in those plants. Some examples are certain mushrooms, lima beans, acorns from red oaks, some of the "nut" family, etc.
Virtually all plants have natural poisons that keep them from being over-harvested. That is, before they were crops, they were wild plants and the natural poisons kept them from being eaten to extinction. Some plants have natural poisons which inhibit molds, and other microbial attackers. Other plants have nerve toxins or poisons that attack the liver. Still others contain cyanide compounds. And then, there are the plants that are normaly safe to eat, but grow in areas that are rich in heavy metals such as lead or murcury. These substances find their way into the plants, and if they are eaten by animals or people, cause the sympoms associated with heavy metal poisoning.
So, before you pop something raw into your mouth, no a bit about the food. Certainly, most veggies and fruits are edible when raw. And many meats can be "chemically" cooked by acids. Just be aware that you can't just go out and start consuming everthing raw.
And, some veggies aren't really edible until they are cooked. As with all things, knowledge gives you more and better choices.
Seeeeeeya; Goodweed of the North
There are a number of edible plants that are edible only after cooking denatures natural poisons in those plants. Some examples are certain mushrooms, lima beans, acorns from red oaks, some of the "nut" family, etc.
Virtually all plants have natural poisons that keep them from being over-harvested. That is, before they were crops, they were wild plants and the natural poisons kept them from being eaten to extinction. Some plants have natural poisons which inhibit molds, and other microbial attackers. Other plants have nerve toxins or poisons that attack the liver. Still others contain cyanide compounds. And then, there are the plants that are normaly safe to eat, but grow in areas that are rich in heavy metals such as lead or murcury. These substances find their way into the plants, and if they are eaten by animals or people, cause the sympoms associated with heavy metal poisoning.
So, before you pop something raw into your mouth, no a bit about the food. Certainly, most veggies and fruits are edible when raw. And many meats can be "chemically" cooked by acids. Just be aware that you can't just go out and start consuming everthing raw.
And, some veggies aren't really edible until they are cooked. As with all things, knowledge gives you more and better choices.
Seeeeeeya; Goodweed of the North