PH•GETTY Ronnie Smith has claimed following a fruitarian diet has stopped his agonising joint pains

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Ronnie Smith has eaten only fruit for five years and believes it has cleared up a number of long-term aches around his body. He also said the extreme diet has helped clear his sinuses and improved his singing voice to the extent he has now released his first album. The 33-year-old, who lives in Glasgow, was inspired to turn into a fruitarian after coming across footage of athletes talking about the impact of a fruit-based diet on their performance. He said: “I noticed I felt happy. I just did not miss meat and I still don’t. Many people say they get cravings but I’ve never had that. “The aches and pains I’d had disappeared. I was never diagnosed with any medical condition but I’m certain it was the change in my diet. Other people I've spoken to say they are managing various medical conditions much better because they are sticking to this form of vegan diet.

The aches and pains I’d had disappeared Ronnie Smith

“I also felt my airways cleared from any mucus which is really important for a singer.” The former office worker launched the UK’s first fruit festival four years ago and regularly travels around the world to various fruit and vegan events. He added: “I think a lot of people are very skeptical about it. “When I first started on it, I lost a lot of weight and people got worried. “Anyone can do it and I genuinely believe people benefit from it. Some people do it for vanity reasons to lose weight or clear their skins, for others it’s a lifestyle. "I think it's easier to stick to it if you start it younger. Kids go crazy for fruit. "Our ancestors long time ago had no processed food or chemicals in their diet and relied on what was around, often eating uncooked meals and survived in some pretty harsh conditions. We are not that different from them.

PH Ronnie also said the extreme diet has helped clear his sinuses and improved his singing voice

“However, it can be quite expensive if you stick to Marks and Spencer fruit.” Mr Smith picks most of his ingredients from the city’s fruit market in massive boxes as he can easily go through up to 30 bananas a day. He also snacks on dates, peaches, apples, nuts and seeds, lettuce and whatever else is in season. The event organiser, who is in talks to launch another fruit festival in Canada, insists he does not miss cooked meals and said the natural sugar in fruit gave him a “sense of elation and happiness”. Although he has never taken any supplements, recent tests showed no sign of vitamin or mineral deficiencies.

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He said: “I’m an oddball in the music business in that I’m not into the stereotypical party lifestyle. “It’s taken me this long to write my album with my music taking influences from the 60s pop scene, Brit pop scene and also classic rock. “There was a point in time when I almost stopped playing because after years of playing in bands and touring around the UK sharing the stage with the likes of The 1975, Glasvegas and Scouting for Girls led me nowhere. “But changing my diet, leaving out all processed food, has given me new confidence that I didn’t expect and the album, Love Is A Real Thing, is a result of my journey.”

PH Nutritionist Lesley Read said a lack of protein in fruitarian diet was an issue