Just my personal feeling, people on raw are either believe in science or nature.People who focused in science will and only will say that nature is right if it can be proven with current scientific researches. They tend to feel that science is more reliable than what is found randomly in nature, while people believed in nature just eat whatever they can get hold of, as long as they are raw and in natural state because nature makes no mistakes.

It's just how I feel, and I'm not making judgement about who is right or wrong (I don't have the rights to do so anyway). Personally I was obsessed in science in the past and I must say that even then I didn't know much about nutrition. many a time I find that many things I learned from science don't fit into the idea of nature. For example, DHA and EPA are essential fatty acids for development of our brain but both don't present in plants. Further more, Fruits such as watermelon don't contain omega-3, which makes omega 3:6 out of proportion. This literally means that mono-eating watermelon is very dangerous and this doesn't make any senses to me.

BTW, sorry for my bad English.

All the best,
wong

I started out more in the science camp than in the nature camp. But as my experiences changed as my body healed on first the raw diet, then changing my entire lifestyle, I found myself more in the nature camp.

Jeremiah wrote an excellent post on Dr Graham's board about the DHA and EPA issue below.

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From: Jeremiah (pool0504.cvx30-bradley.dialup.earthlink.net)
Subject: Re: DHA and EPA
Date: February 14, 2005 at 8:47 am PST

In Reply to: DHA and EPA posted by Michelle A on February 9, 2005 at 8:49 am:

I think the DHA issue is yet another of the endless examples of misdirection and smokescreens used by those wishing to cast doubt on the efficacy of the vegan diet. A distraction without basis for those living healthfully.

I don't mean to imply that you shouldn't have brought it up, because obviously it's now a source of fear or doubt that some people need to have cleared up and resolved because they've heard that this is a potential problem.

There are very few direct food sources of DHA on a vegan diet. This isn't a quandary because if we're eating a healthy raw vegan diet our body converts A linoleic acid (ALA) into DHA and EPA.

This doesn't make things easy when someone asks "What food do you eat to get DHA?", but it's the way things are. This is why it's important to eat our green vegetables. The fatty acids in greens are converted into EPA and DHA.

Here's an excellent scientific article which should provide you with the knowledge you need to confidently explain the issue.

Achieving optimal essential fatty acid status in vegetarians: current knowledge and practical implications

The problem is, like everything else in nutrition, it's not as clear cut as "eating DHA." Just like calcium. People who eat the most calcium, actually suffer the most osteoporosis, which is counter-intuitive. Our bodies are complex, so complex that we can't always easily comprehend "how" we get everything we need, or "how" we thrive on natural foods. This isn't to say that we shouldn't try, or that we we should live in ignorance, but it does mean that we shouldn't pretend to knowledge greater than what we truly have.

Here's a quote from the article. I don't agree with all of the recommendations given, but I think the paragraph hints at the fact that, particularly where fatty acids are concerned, balance is often much more important than quantity.

Quote

Practical guidelines for achieving optimal EFA intake in vegetarians are as follows. 1) Make a wide variety of whole plant foods the foundation of the diet. 2) Get most fat from whole foods-nuts, seeds, olives, avocados, and soy foods. 3) If using concentrated fats and oils, select those rich in monounsaturated fats, such as olive, canola, or nut oils. n-3-Rich oils can also be used but should not be heated. Moderate use of n-6-rich oils is recommended. 4) Limit intake of processed foods and deep-fried foods rich in trans and n-6 fatty acids. 5) Reduce intake of foods rich in saturated fat and cholesterol. 6) Include foods rich in n-3 fatty acids in the daily diet. Aim for 2-4 g ALA/d.

wong,

Fortunately watermelon does't have that much omega-6. If you eat a 5 pounds (2240 g) serving of watermelon, you're only going to get 1.1g of omega-6. This isn't going to throw off your n-3 to n-6 ratio off by much, assuming one is eating other fruits and leafy greens.

Thanks for the info, Bryan.

All the best,
wong