Understanding Raw Food Diets: Risks and Benefits

Question
My mother has began seeing a new doctor who has told her to go on a juice diet. She washes fruits and vegetables in vinegar to clean them off and then juices them. He advices 48 oz of veggie juice each day and only 2 glasses of water. His explanation is that water only fills you up so it is better to eat fruits instead. She has cut down on meat and basically all cooked things. I told her about how cooked tomatoes are best (lycopene) and how zinc is hard to come by but she doesn't listen. The whole 2 glasses of water a day thing sounds scary. Please tell me the dangers of going on a juice/raw fuit and vegetable diet. I've tried to persuade her to seek another opinion but it seems like she doesn't want to listen. Apparently this doctor was cured from cancer because of the new diet. I'm in another country right and thus can't help her as much

Thank you


Answer
I'm a fan of moderation in everything.  I can't think of any detrimental effects of raw fruit and vegetables, but one also needs a fair amount of protein, carbohydrates, and fats that are not necessarily in fruits and vegetables.  However, I am not one who believes that we need to drink 8 glasses of water a day for health (though I wouldn't necessarily think we need to drink 8 glasses of vegetable or fruit juice, either).  The diet I always recommend is to fill your plate 1/2 full with fresh fruit and vegetables (cooked or raw, doesn't matter to me), a quarter lean protein (chicken, fish, soy, lean beef), and a quarter complex carbs (whole rice, grains, or pasta).  Non calorie beverages or low fat/skim milk are best (most don't get enough calcium).  One also needs to eat what they like or enjoy, otherwise the diet is bound to fail in the long run.  Cooked tomatoes are only good if you like to eat cooked tomatoes.  If you hate cooked tomatoes, then you can get your lycopenes some other place.

There are far less 'dangers' in raw fruit/veggie diets than in an all meat, high fat diet (Atkins, e.g.).  However, I am always wary of anecdotal evidence, cancer cures, and hype.  While I'm not discounting this doctor's experience, he sounds like a bit of a zealot.  I would come back and rely on moderation and common sense, though those two ideals are often is short supply!

My $0.02.