raw food research papers?

[margyparker]

I am very interested in the raw food lifestyle and consequently have bought 2 books recently to peruse Ani phyo and Nomi shannon. I was discussing it with my husband this evening and he has rubbished the whole idea saying that any live enzymes in the food would be broken down in a short while by the stomach juices. As a consequence I have been looking for evidence in the form of scientific research and the only one I have come up with is the original book by Edward Howell. Obviously one piece of research is invalid alone. Can anyone point me in the right direction for some more research papers on raw food enzymes and their benefits to health?

[Double Helix]

The whole enzyme thing is WAY to controversial to me. I'm not a scientist but I've seen some scientific debates poo-pooing the enzyme thing.

To me, the real truth about raw is you are getting FRESH food into you, your body is not working so hard to digest, assimilate and evacuate it out of your body that it spends that extra energy into healing.

We are talking FRESH - the majority being fruits, greens, veggies, etc. Not so much "raw" - like nuts, oils, packaged "superfoods" etc. which the body may not recognize and/or assimilate as easily.

That's why people feel so awesome and full of energy on raw.

That's why people lose weight on raw.

That's why people get healed from a myriad of symptoms and diseases on raw.

That's why people have better endurance on raw.

Etc, etc, etc...

So, I just stay away from all the enzyme and other scientific jargon and talk in basic terms to people, when these kinds of discussions come up. There is no way they can disagree with common sense. Things like:

"How useful is your hand after sticking it in a pot of boiling water?"

"If you put an apple and a bunny in a crib with a toddler, which would he eat?"

"If you think we get our protein and calcium from cows, what do you think *they* eat to get *their* protein and calcium?"

Now I don't suggest getting into debate with your beloved. Been there done that! But anybody else, just be careful and make sure you can back up your information!

[jroo]

Gabriel Cousen's book "Conscious Eating" has a chapter on enzymes. Under the heading "Importance of Preserving Enzymes", he discusses Dr. Howell's findings and other research. He cites a study on dogs who were switched from a raw food to cooked food diet. After one week, the enzyme content in their saliva was greatly increased. The conclusion he makes is that the body only secretes the amount of enzymes it needs to digest the food.

Since the dogs' bodies had to secrete more enzymes to digest the cooked foods, this is evidence that the body is able to use the enzymes in uncooked foods in some way. Whether that be in pre-digestion, the stomach, or later on in the intestines (some suggest that stomach PH levels deactivate the enzymes, which are later re-activated in the intestines.)

[margyparker]

thanks for that folks v interesting!

[Joyful]

I first read DR Norman Walker, MD, Phd., Doc of Science, Ann Wigmore, and Vitoras Kulvinskus. Their books are older, but they are loaded with information. When you cook food you alter its chemical cell structure. When you eat raw food, your stomach process is not the same as cooking your food in an oven. You have digestive enzymes in your mouth that start to work as soon as you take a bite and with each chew, you swallow enzymes. Raw food has many nutrients that are destroyed by heat, which means more nutrients that are in cell structures that like small worlds at the molecular level. Processed foods are stripped, bleached, and void of many nutrients before we put them in our mouths. Many are loaded with white sugar, undigestible fats, and preservatives. High fructose corn syrup has made its way into many foods, and msg, both of which stop our appetite controls and make it possible to consume more food then ever without our hunger ever feeling satisfied. Over-fed and undernourished is the label for Americans. Our basic grown food is now just some boxed up stuff that can sit on shelves for a couple of years. Enzymes break down raw food, and mold breaks down cooked foods. But our digestive enzyme juices get help from plants breaking down and releasing their juices. Boxed foods and cooked foods do not have intact cellular structures, neither do drugs, vitamin suppliments, or dirt, which all contain nutrients, but that does not mean we can live on dirt. Plants can and they change those nutrients so that we can utilize them. Vitamin suppliments try to make up for what we strip from the food, but they can not possibly balance out or add back all the destruction caused, they do cause imbalances, and they are like dirt, because they are not converted by plants. Scientists do not even believe that they know all the nutrients supplied by nature, so how can they possibly add all of what we need back for us .