In a message dated 11/18/02 9:37:06 PM, [log in to unmask] writes:

>Does anyone have reliable information that
>there are significant amounts of enzymes such as protease, lipase, or
>amylase in any raw foods? Not to my knowledge.

According to Sally Fallon and Mary Enig's Nourishing Traditions enzymes in
foods are very important to good digestion and that one should eat a
substantial amount of raw foods, especially raw or fermented meat and dairy
products as well as nuts and grains that have been soaked to deactivate
enzyme inhibitors. Although most fruits and vegetables contain few enzymes,
they note that rich sources include olive oil and other unrefined oil, raw
honey, grapes, figs and tropical fruits including avocados, dates, bananas,
papaya, pineapple, kiwi and mangoes. During one course I took in Food Science
we explored the action of several of the proteases found in food and they
certainly could work their magic on proteins. In fact, a food science book I
have notes that enzymes are found in all animal and plant tissues and do not
cease to function when the animal or plant dies; they continue to exist
unless they are deactivated by any one of the conditions that denature
protein such as heat, change in pH, etc. When fruit turns brown in fact it
because of enzymes at work -- so called 'enzymatic browning.' Actually one
enzyme group in meat is not liberated until the death of the animal --
cathepsins. They are responsible for the tenderization of meats that occur
with aging. Obviously wouldn't want such an enzyme to be active during life
-- wouldn't want one's muscle degraded while alive. All the water soluble
vitamins except C are necessary as coenzymes for many enzymatic reactions. In
one biochemistry class, we explored various wheat phosphatases. Fallon and
Enig seem to rely a great deal on the work of Dr. Edward Howell. He claimed
that the length of life is inversely proportional to the rate of exhaustion
of the enzyme potential of the organism. The increased use of food enzymes
means that there is a decreased rate of exhaustion of the enzyme potential;
the pancreas does not have to work so hard if enzymes are included in food.

Namaste, Liz
<A HREF="http://www.csun.edu/~ecm59556/Healthycarb/index.html">
http://www.csun.edu/~ecm59556/Healthycarb/index.html</A>