What effect does heat really have on

[Guest guest]

Blake,<br><br>The evidence I've seen suggesting

that enzymes in food aid in digestion, stems from

studies done of animals' pancreases. In a book entitled

Enzyme Nutrition (I believe by a Doctor Edwin or Edward

Howell) he cited studies that compared the pancreas size

of animals that ate either raw or cooked. The

cooked-food animals' pancreases were bigger, suggesting the

body had to secrete more enzymes (i.e. work the

pancreas harder) to digest cooked food than to digest raw

food.<br><br>I also have seen a study quoted where calves' were

given either pasteurized or unpasteurized milk. That

study found that many calves died from pasteurized

milk, even when it came from the calf's mother. This

suggests something happens due to pasteurization

(heating). A number of people believe one of the reasons

dairy products seems to contribute to disease so much

now, where they didn't in the past, has to do with

pasteurization.. Presumably the problem is killing the enzymes,

but there could be other negative effects from

pasterization.<br><br>If you use kirlian photography to photograph a piece

of fresh fruit, you will see the aura or " energy

field " emanating from the fruit. You will not get this

same effect from an inert or cooked object, and

certainly not from irradiated food. A likely source of the

energy field could be the enzymes, but it's possibly due

to something else. So I tend to disagree with the

author of the article you linked who scoffed at calling

enzymes " live " .<br><br>I'm not sure how to address his

point that even if you ingest live or active enzymes,

they get destroyed in the stomach. Whether he's

correct in his assertion or not, I go back to the first

point about pancreas size and suggest enzymes do aid in

digestion. I also point out that one reason fasting is

considered healthy, is that the body does not have to

secrete enzymes for digestion, but instead can direct

those enzymes for internal repair.<br><br>Chinese

taoist tradition and medicine considers the body's

sperm, enzymes, hormones, etc. to be " vital essence " and

it is generally believed if you recklessly waste

your vital essence you will get run down and become

more likely to develop disease. To the extent raw

foods provide enzymes and help you conserve your own, I

think that is good.<br><br>In summary, while I agree

the significance of enzymes has not been studied

nearly as extensively as other nutritional aspects of

food, there are just too many know negatives arising

from enzyme-dead food to discount the importance

enzymes potentially play. I certainly feel there is a

world of difference between a can of fruit and a fresh

fruit. Wouldn't you choose fresh over canned? And if so,

what is the biggest difference in your mind. From what

I've read the vitamin and mineral loss is not as great

as generally believed. I feel it has something to do

with the enzymes.

[Guest guest]

I make my life decisions based on my intuition...

<br>I have no scientific evidence to back my feelings

but it seems simple to me that we would want to eat

what supports our life. Raw food is alive. Heated food

isn't. If I take a raw seen and plant it, a tree will

grow. In that seed is an incredible amount of power.

This power to bring forward life is enzymes. Everyone

has to make their own choices. I think for many it

makes more sense to eat the seed that produces life,

rather than one that would just rot if placed in the

ground. Cook seeds rot. Raw seeds spring forth life.

Which one would you choose?

[Guest guest]

Mallon,<br><br> " The evidence I've seen suggesting

that enzymes in food aid in digestion, stems from

studies done of animals' pancreases. In a book entitled

Enzyme Nutrition (I believe by a Doctor Edwin or Edward

Howell) he cited studies that compared the pancreas size

of animals that ate either raw or cooked. The

cooked-food animals' pancreases were bigger, suggesting the

body had to secrete more enzymes (i.e. work the

pancreas harder) to digest cooked food than to digest raw

food. " <br><br>Yes I am aware of Howell and hos work and have read

some of his work but I still disagree.<br>Evem if the

pancreas thing is correct that does not neccessarily mean

that dietary enzymes help to digest the food

themselves.<br><br> " I also have seen a study quoted where calves' were

given either pasteurized or unpasteurized milk. That

study found that many calves died from pasteurized

milk, even when it came from the calf's mother. This

suggests something happens due to pasteurization

(heating). A number of people believe one of the reasons

dairy products seems to contribute to disease so much

now, where they didn't in the past, has to do with

pasteurization.. Presumably the problem is killing the enzymes,

but there could be other negative effects from

pasterization. " <br><br>I have heard of this study if anyone knows where I

can read it fully or give me a reference please tell

me. Pasteurization is a heating process, many

chemical changes occur it doesn't have to be the enzymes

that are at fault.<br><br> " I'm not sure how to address

his point that even if you ingest live or active

enzymes, they get destroyed in the stomach. Whether he's

correct in his assertion or not, I go back to the first

point about pancreas size and suggest enzymes do aid in

digestion. " <br><br>Not destroyed but broken down into amino acids

therefore losing it's abilities as an enzyme protein. This

is correct as it's basic human biology which I

learned last year.<br><br> " In summary, while I agree the

significance of enzymes has not been studied nearly as

extensively as other nutritional aspects of food, there are

just too many know negatives arising from enzyme-dead

food to discount the importance enzymes potentially

play. " <br><br>But why does it have to be the enzymes?? It may well

be some change that is yet to be

understood.<br><br> " I certainly feel there is a world of difference

between a can of fruit and a fresh fruit. Wouldn't you

choose fresh over canned? " <br><br>You seem to think I am

not in favor of raw which I am and have made clear

before, I just question the mis-information surrounding

raw. Yes raw fresh fruit is clearly superior to it's

cooked counterpart.<br><br>Blake

[Guest guest]

leafygreens,,,<br><br> " This power to bring

forward life is enzymes. " <br><br>But why, we don't know

this. People involved in raw foods tend to believe

everything that is thrown at them. I as a future nutrition

professional can not afford to do this and I don't accept

things unless there is good reason to believe so and

good, ie not just anecdotal, evidence.<br><br>I think

people get turned off raw foods when all they here is

about enzymes.<br><br> & gt; & gt; & gt; " Cook seeds rot. Raw

seeds spring forth life. Which one would you

choose? " <br><br>I made it clear I am in favor of

raw.<br><br> & gt; & gt; & gt; " I make my life decisions based on my

intuition... " <br><br>My intuition tells me to go and eat some vegetarian

pie my mum has sitting in the oven right now. My

knowledge about health tells me to stick to the fast I am

an despite cravings. <br><br> & gt; & gt; & gt; " Raw food

is alive. Heated food isn't. " <br><br>Is juice or

oils alive?? I don't think so but it's raw.

<br><br><br>Blake

[Guest guest]

If you look back over these messages, you will

see there is a lot more than just talk about

enzymes.<br><br> In one of my posts I explain how enzymes from

animal products are killed in the stomach, and that

enzymes from plant sources are not. As you may have

noticed I rarely state my opinion but rather cite the

source.<br><br>This crap about enzymes being killed in the stomach is

as old as dirt and just as jadded.<br><br>Doug

[Guest guest]

Blake, <br>In all honesty, I think you should

follow your intuition. Get out of your mind and into

your body. I don't think one way of life is meant to

fit everyone. If your feelings tell you to eat your

mom's pie, then why would you not listen? I am 45 years

old, and have recently discovered there is not a seed

of truth in anything anyone has ever told me. Truth

is only in my heart... what I discovered listening

to my self. Go eat that pie. You know best what is

best for you. If I was going to be a nutritionist , I

would teach just one thing: put down the books and

listen to your body. Listen by getting out of your head

and into your senses. Everything we need to make all

the right choices are all right here. Listen, smell,

taste, feel, look. Then decide.

[Guest guest]

Blake,<br><br>I don't disagree with anything in

particular you say about enzymes. I also agree that even the

arguments or studies I raise don't point conclusively to

enzymes being the main benefit arising from raw food, as

it well could be other or a combination of factors.

It is an interesting subject and I wish more studies

on it were published. Having said all that, in

simple terms it's obvious raw is preferable to cooked so

this is useful information to know and practice even

if all the mechanisms are not well understood or

even misunderstood.<br><br>To heat or not to heat.

That is the question.<br><br>Cheers,

[Guest guest]

leafygreens,,,<br><br>How long have you been on

your diet???<br><br>Many people can do really well on

unbalanced diets for even years, such as 100% fruit, and

then go down hill. If your still thriving after 5 or

more years then your diet can't be too

deficient.<br><br>What about the people who have done what you are

doing, follow there intuition and end up sick with all

kinds of serious deficiencies. Intuition is not enough

IMO. We live in a such a different world to our

ancestors.<br><br>How do you know your apparent intuition is not

intertwine with a desire to cling to the ideology of raw

vegan?? How do you know your intuition has not been

messed up by previous decades of eating

poorly.<br><br>If you have researched raw a lot you will know that

most people do not survive on an all raw diet in the

long term and there are very few long term healthy

examples. Many of the thousands of people who have doen

well for a few years then went down hill followed

there intuition to eat fresh raw foods.<br><br>Have you

analised your diet to check how balanced it is??? or would

you see this as being not accurate as it is based

upon cooked fooder standards??<br><br>BTW none of my

post or previous post was supposed to sound negetive

or aggressive if I was discussing these things ith

you in person this would be clear but tone used in

discussion forums can easily be misinterpreted.<br><br>Blake