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Despite the interest in raw foods diets, little research has been conducted about them. A small German study examined blood levels of carotenoids in 198 strict raw foods diet followers. Carotenoids are found in fruits and vegetables and include substances associated with a lower risk of diseases like cancer, such as beta-carotene, alpha-carotene, and lycopene. Study subjects ate close to 95 percent by weight of their foods as raw foods and had followed this diet for at least two years.
