About enzymes and raw foods

[Guest guest]

I have read conflicting opinions about how to ear nuts/seeds. Some people recommend soaking in water (and throwing out the water) because of the presence of enzyme inhibitors. Some recommend soaking for softness. Some do not recommend water.

 

Any opinions here?

 

 

While searching on the web I found this article and thought would be a interesting read:

 

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http://karenknowler.typepad.com/living_in_the_raw/2006/03/mandys_question.html

 

Enzymes by

Jade Parsley

 

 

You've heard the word a hundred times, read it in countless books on raw food nutrition, but do you actually know what an enzyme is?

 

 

 

 

 

If you have been eating a predominantly raw diet for some time, then you may think so, as no doubt you will have come across the word often enough in any book or lecture on the topic of raw foods. But stop and think for a moment. If someone were to ask you right now " what is an enzyme, describe it to me, why are they important to my health? " could you do it?

 

 

 

 

 

To refresh your memory, enzymes perform thousands of metabolic tasks continuously. It is almost easier to discuss what enzymes don't do, as they are involved in almost every aspect of life upon which we depend. Consisting of a special type of protein combined with a co-factor such as a vitamin or mineral, they are responsible for catalyzing every chemical reaction that takes place in the body. For example, one family of enzymes known as Glutathione Peroxidase are dependant on the mineral selenium to function (one good reason to eat your brazil nuts), which will then dispose of the very dangerous free radical hydrogen peroxide. There are so many enzymes in the body that we still don't know how many there are or what they all actually do. The best way to think of them is like keys in a lock, they allow things to be switched on or opened. But if nutrition is inadequate then the keys will lie dormant and the body gradually shuts down. The better enzymes function, the healthier, more alive and energetic we feel.

 

 

 

 

 

The accepted wisdom within raw circles is that the high enzyme content of living foods imparts to the body increased levels of energy, strength, vitality and stamina. These enzymes are highly susceptible to heat and are destroyed as soon as the temperature goes above 108°F in the oven (some controversy abounds as to the exact temperature, yet this seems to be the generally accepted figure), hence cooking removes them and leaves our food lifeless and devoid of any enzyme potential. It is further suggested that the enzymes present in raw, living foods initiate and support the digestion of our food for us, thus saving our body the arduous job of creating additional enzymes. Therefore constantly replenishing our enzyme supply from the food that we eat allows our body to save its own supply and significantly cuts down the workload of the body. This in turn equates to the improvements in health that those eating a high raw diet usually experience.

 

 

 

 

 

As ever with raw theory, there is another more traditional argument that claims this is all mere speculation when considered in a scientific light. The people in the science labs claim that as enzymes are made up of proteins, all enzymes entering the body will be destroyed in the stomach by hydrochloric acid as this is where all protein breakdown occurs. The idea that enzymes from food can survive beyond the stomach is generally ridiculed as a chemical impossibility.

 

 

 

 

 

In response to this argument a further theory is espoused by raw fooders which goes something like this; the body has a mechanism by which it recognises food enzymes and protects them from hydrochloric acid, escorting them safely through the stomach to work their magic further along the digestive tract. Whilst this hypothesis would not exactly convince the men in white coats, I can attest to a study that illustrated just such a mechanism in progress. The researchers were able to identify significant quantities of enzymes in the colon that had been introduced orally to willing volunteers, demonstrating that indeed somehow those enzymes escaped the action of the stomach and made it through. Studies like these don't usually make headline news unfortunately, so the hydrochloric acid theory is one that persists amongst the doubters.

 

 

 

 

 

Dr Edward Howell, probably the foremost expert on the topic of enzymes has a theory that may shed some light on this issue. He argues that most animals, particularly ruminants ( i.e. sheep and cattle), have one or more fore stomachs that do not secrete any digestive enzymes at all. When the raw foods are eaten by the animal, they sit in these stomachs where the enzymes present in the foods begin to break them down. When they are sufficiently digested they move further down the digestive tract for the animal to finish the job. Dr Howell claims that a similar thing happens in humans, with the upper portion of the stomach acting as a 'food enzyme stomach'.

 

 

 

 

 

" When raw food with its enzymes is eaten, it goes into this peristalsis-free food-enzyme section of our stomach where these food enzymes digest the food. In fact, the digestion of the protein, carbohydrate, and fat in raw food begins in the mouth at the very moment the plant cell walls are ruptured, releasing the food enzymes during the act of mastication " - Dr Edward Howell, Enzyme Nutrition

 

 

 

 

 

He goes on to say that the food stays in the food enzyme stomach for up to an hour, until the rising levels of acidity reaches a point where any digestive action of the raw enzymes is inhibited. If the food eaten is cooked and lifeless, the body must then expend a huge amount of energy creating the digestive enzymes needed to break it down, which we experience as post-Christmas-dinner-induced-coma.

 

 

 

 

 

When looked at alongside traditional theory, this argument certainly holds water. It does appear to explain why many eating a high raw diet experience an alleviation of fatigue after eating, along with improved digestion in general. It also acknowledges that enzymes are indeed destroyed by hydrochloric acid, but that this doesn't happen straight away.

 

 

 

 

 

With all these theories flying backwards and forwards between the two camps, with science claiming one thing and nature claiming another, it is difficult to know what to believe. At this point, I personally recommend a highly un-scientific approach to the confused. Subjectivity is never going to win any awards at the next World Health Organisation conference, but given that most people are simply trying to find answers for themselves and not win a Nobel Prize this approach usually reaps rewards.

 

 

 

 

 

One of the reasons that many are convinced of the benefits of consuming foods high in enzymes is that they have experienced the effects directly for themselves. One could argue that such a diet is naturally higher in vitamins and minerals, yet if this were the case then supplementing mega doses of these co-factors without changing the diet would have a similar effect on health. Whilst many supplements are a very useful tool for improving health, it is clear to most that this is not the whole picture.

 

 

 

 

 

There is no doubt that raw, living foods are bursting with enzymes, especially those that are still in their growing stage such as sprouted seeds and grains, cereal grasses such as wheat and barley grasses, and living salads such as buckwheat and sunflower greens. These foods in particular are especially rich in enzymatic activity as they are in their most youthful stage of life. In order for a sunflower seed to grow into a towering, beautiful sunflower plant it must survive the elements of nature, gather minerals from the soil to sustain its rapid growth and draw energy from the sun. All of these processes require many different enzymatic processes, many of which are at their strongest when the plant is very young as there are so many changes going on. Eating the plant at this stage of its life, hydrochloric acid or not, does seem to convey some enigmatic energy source to the body that is difficult to quantify. When one floods the body with these foods, especially their juices along with other juiced vegetables, the results are quite remarkable. Sometimes there is an initial reaction such as nausea or headaches as toxic matter is dislodged, but within a very short space of time energy increases, skin problems disappear, aches and pains reduce, eyes sparkle, hair shines and this list could go on and on. Personally I cannot attribute these effects entirely to chlorophyll, or extra vitamins, or anti-oxidants, some of the recognition must surely go to the wealth of plant enzymes that these foods contain.

 

 

 

 

 

Even alongside a heavily cooked diet, this approach alone can still provide significant benefits to a person's feeling of health and well being. Usually the rapid results are enough to convince even the most sceptical and a gradual transition to a diet higher in living foods becomes inevitable.

 

 

 

 

 

Other fruits and vegetables are high in enzymes also, yet when a fruit has been picked, or a vegetable dug out of the ground, although it is still raw and fresh it has ceased to be a 'living food'. As such the enzyme content will decrease from the moment it separates from the tree or earth. Some fruits, such as bananas, will continue to ripen off the tree indicating further enzyme activity, but in general levels will begin to decline immediately. Enzymes are like vitamins, they are fragile and don't respond well to time, oxygen, light and heat. It is for this reason that it is important to eat fruits and vegetables as quickly as possible, and store in a cool dark place unless they are going to be eaten within hours.

 

 

 

 

 

When it comes to nuts and seeds, there is a little controversy as to whether they should be eaten sprouted or are fine in their dormant state. To try and shed some light on this, all nuts and seeds contain 'enzyme inhibitors', which do exactly what they say on the tin. They stop the enzymes from working, thus stopping the pumpkin seed from turning into a pumpkin, or the brazil nut from growing into a tree. Soaking the seeds/nuts in water destroys the enzyme inhibitors and growth begins. Some say that consuming the enzyme inhibitors intact can disrupt enzyme function in the body, which seems logical. However it is not always feasible to sprout every seed or nut you eat, so I recommend a balance as optimal. If a person is unwell, or particularly fatigued, then it may be wise to eat only the sprouted version for a while until health is restored.

 

 

 

 

 

Grains are best eaten in their sprouted form, although it is still healthy to eat grains such as millet and quinoa cooked as part of your diet. These grains can almost be classified as seeds and do not qualify in the same league as other cooked grains for being detrimental to health.

 

 

 

 

 

What about beans and pulses? Well again there is some disagreement. Sprouting beans does not destroy some toxic elements that cooking the same bean will. It may be higher in enzymes but it will probably cause some digestive distress and may even contain some neuro-toxins. Some raw food promoters use a lot of sprouted pulses in their programmes, others leave them well alone. One bean you should never eat sprouted is the kidney bean – these are poisonous in their raw state.

 

 

 

 

 

It is important to get all this in perspective and not get too hung up about enzyme theory. Some foods are still valuable that have been cooked/steamed/baked, that one would not otherwise eat enough of if they were to be consumed raw and full of enzymes (sweet potato for example, or broccoli). The best way to understand how enzymes affect the body is to take regular wheat/barley grass shots, add a handful of living greens to your salads, and keep a variety of sprouts on the go in your windowsill. There are plenty of excellent books on the topic and growing sprouts can be fun especially if you get the kids involved.

 

 

 

 

 

It won't be long before you feel a difference in your health. Whether it is enzymes making the changes or some other factor, you've got the facts, now it's up to you!