Fruitarianism may be adopted for different reasons, including ethical, religious, environmental, cultural, economic, and presumed health benefits. A fruitarian diet may increase the risk of nutritional deficiencies, such as reduced intake of vitamin B12, calcium, iron, zinc, omega-3 or protein.[2]
Varieties[edit]
Some fruitarians will eat only what falls (or would fall) naturally from a plant; that is, plant foods that can be harvested without killing or harming the plant.[3][4][5][6] These foods consist primarily of culinary fruits, nuts, and seeds.[7] 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,[3] or nuts and seeds,[8] or any food besides juicy fruit.[9] Others believe they should eat only plants that spread seeds when the plant is eaten.[10] Others eat seeds and some cooked foods.[11] 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,[12] nuts, beans or chocolate.[13]
A related diet is nutarianism, for individuals who only eat nuts.[14][15]
Ideology and diet[edit]
Some fruitarians, like Jains, wish to avoid killing anything, including plants,[11] and refer to ahimsa fruitarianism.[16] For some fruitarians, the motivation comes from a fixation on a utopian past, their hope being to return to a past that pre-dates an agrarian society to when humans were simply gatherers.[17] Another common motivation is the desire to eliminate perceived toxicity from within the body. For others, the appeal of a fruitarian diet comes from the challenge that the restrictive nature of this diet provides.[17]
Some notable advocates of fruitarianism, or of diets which may be considered fruitarian, or of lifestyles including such a diet, are:
In popular culture[edit]
The minor character Keziah in the 1999 film Notting Hill (played by Emma Bernard) tells William "Will" Thacker (Hugh Grant) that she is a fruitarian.[44] She says she believes that "fruits and vegetables have feeling," meaning she opposes cooking them, only eating things that have "actually fallen off a tree or bush" and that are dead already, leading to what some describe as a negative depiction.[45]
Both fruitarians and nutarians are mentioned in Ulysses by James Joyce.[46] Dick Gregory also promoted the former in his book, Cooking with Mother Nature.[47]