Fruitarianism

Fruitarianism is the pursuit of 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. The reasons for this may be either they simply do not manage to reach this percentage, or that they still are on their way to reach it gradually, or they think or feel that a lower percentage is good enough for them. 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.

Fruitarian definition of fruit
When discussing food, the term "fruit" usually refers to just those plant fruits that are sweet and fleshy (including 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. They believe that a return to an Eden-like paradise will require simple living and a holistic approach to health and diet. Some fruitarians wish to avoid killing in all its forms, including plants.

Some fruitarians say that eating some types of fruit does the parent plant a favor and that fleshy fruit has evolved to be eaten by animals, to achieve seed dispersal. Fruit seeds passed in feces may sprout in a pile of ready-made fertilizer, encouraging proliferation of the plant, but only if one defecates outside, which most Westerners do not. Fruit cores or pits, however, will be tossed aside to sprout too near the parent plant to gain any benefit.

According to Herbert Shelton, the founder of Natural Hygiene, "fruits are also appealing to man's visual, olfactory and gustatory senses".

Ben Klassen founder of the white supremacist Church of the Creator stated that, based on scientific study of anatomical structure and human races, fruitarianism is the only natural diet for humans. All other diets, he said, "lead to a physical condition which is inferior."

Criticisms

 * 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, fruitarians need to include a B12 supplement in their diet. This is a non-trivial problem for fruitarians because the most common non-animal source of B12 supplements is yeast, which is a fungus.
 * Many notable advocates of fruitarianism in the past, including Morris Krok, Johnny Lovewisdom, Walter Siegmeister/Raymond Bernard, and Viktoras Kulvinskas ate considerable quantities of vegetables and occasional cooked foods and vegetables. Others switched to other unorthodox lifestyles (including breatharianism and liquitarianism, juices only), or recommended against the diet once they stopped (Morris Krok. )
 * Lack of protein in fruit can make the lifestyle difficult to sustain, and can lead to the condition of hypoproteinemia.
 * The plants bearing the fruit may be killed as part of the process of harvesting the fruit.

Fruitarians

 * Some interpret Genesis l:29 (Behold I have given you 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.

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
 * One of the potential love interests in the film Notting Hill