English

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -ɛəriən

Noun

1. A variant of vegetarian who intends to be limited to eating only such parts of plants whose consumption does not kill the plant (such as fruits, vegetables that can be compared to fruit, nuts and grain, but not for example tubers). The purest fruitarians do not want to destroy even the seeds.

Translations

• Finnish: fruitariaani

Fruitarianism is a strict form of vegan diet that is limited to eating the ripe fruits of plants and trees. Fruitarians (frugivores or fructarians) eat in principle only the fruit of plants. As with other dietary practices, such as vegetarianism and raw foodism, some people consider themselves fruitarians even if their diet is not 100% fruit. According to these people, as long as the percentage is higher than 50%, they are (predominantly) fruitarian. Usually fruitarians who include foods other than fruit follow a vegan diet.

Definitions

Fruitarian definition of fruit

When discussing food, the term "fruit" usually refers to just those plant fruits that are sweet and fleshy (for example, plums, apples, and oranges). Botanically, though, some foods not typically considered fruits -- including bell peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, nuts and grains -- are fruits.

Fruitarians use differing definitions of what is considered a "fruit."

Definition of fruitarian

Some fruitarians will eat only what falls (or would fall) naturally from a plant, that is: foods that can be harvested without killing the plant. These foods consist primarily of culinary fruits, nuts, and seeds. 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. 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, while others include green leafy vegetables and/or root vegetables in their diet. Some occasionally consume some dairy products as well.

Motivation

Some fruitarians believe fruitarianism was the original diet of mankind in the form of Adam and Eve based on Genesis 1:29. Some fruitarians wish to avoid killing in all its forms, including plants.

Lack of protein in fleshy fruit can make the lifestyle difficult to sustain, and can lead to the condition of hypoproteinemia or kwashiorkor. Nuts (if included) are a good source of protein. Due to the lower digestibility of plant proteins, however, the American Dietetic Association (ADA) states "protein needs might be higher than the RDA (when) dietary protein sources are mainly those that are less well digested, such as some cereals and legumes."

Vitamin B12, a bacterial product, is not found in any 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 vegans that do not consume B12-fortified foods (certain plant milks and breakfast cereals, for example), fruitarians need to include a B12 supplement in their diet. This may pose a health risk for strict fruitarians, as the B12 in fortified foods and supplements is derived from bacteria, not fruits. It is also contrary to the philosophy that humans are perfectly evolved to live off of fruit.

Claims made by fruitarian advocates have lead some to classify the diet as a form of outright quackery. Many notable advocates of fruitarianism in the past, including Morris Krok, Johnny Lovewisdom, Walter Siegmeister/Raymond Bernard, and Viktoras Kulvinskas did not adhere to a strict fruitarian diet. Some, like Johnny Lovewisdom, switched to other unorthodox lifestyles (including breatharianism and liquitarianism, juices only), while others, like Morris Krok, recommended against the diet once they stopped.

Famous fruitarians

• Some interpret Genesis l:29 (Behold I have given you every herb-yielding seed. To you it shall be for meat) to mean that Adam and Eve were fruitarians in the Garden of Eden. Others interpret this to mean they were raw vegans.
• Mahatma Gandhi political and spiritual leader, briefly followed a diet similar to fruitarianism. He and his followers repeatedly discontinued these diets as in the long term they proved unsustainable.
• Ben Klassen founder of the Creativity Movement.
• The nuns in the Anglican Order of St Elizabeth of Hungary followed a fruitarian diet.

Fictional

• Ayesha ("She-who-must-be-obeyed") of H. Rider Haggard's She and its sequels
• The Eloi from HG Wells's The Time Machine
• The K-PAXian "prot" in the K-PAX books and film
• The evil Medusa Johnson in Leonard Part 6
• Keziah in Notting Hill (film)

See also

• Christian vegetarianism
• Deep ecology
• Inedia
• Juice fasting
• Mutualism
• Naturalistic fallacy
• Raw foodism
• Raw veganism
• Veganism

References

External links

Apostolici, Brillat-Savarin, Encratite, Lucullus, Pythagorean, Pythagorist, Rechabite, Shaker, abstainer, abstinent, ascetic, banian, board-and-roomer, boarder, bon vivant, cannibal, carnivore, connoisseur of food, consumer, diner, diner-out, eater, eater-out, epicure, feeder, flesh-eater, gastronome, glutton, gourmand, gourmet, grain-eater, graminivore, granivore, gymnosophist, herbivore, high liver, hungry mouth, hydropot, lactovegetarian, luncher, man-eater, meat-eater, mouth, nephalist, omnivore, omophagist, pantophagist, phytophage, picnicker, plant-eater, predacean, teetotaler, teetotalist, trencherman, vegetarian, water-drinker