Forwarded message:

> From: "Thomas E. Billings" <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: veg-raw: sunflower post followup

> in a recent post, Larry Robert Semark <[log in to unmask]> commented on my
> post on sunflower seed sprouts and greens:

> >Although sprouts are more nutritious than the seed itself, the activated
> >enzymes do little in the GI tract to enhance absorption.  In fact, the >

Tom said:

> Your comments do not appear to consider:
> 1) Any proteins broken down into sugar will be much easier to digest than
> intact proteins of any kind.

Larry said:

Sprouting does not break protein down into sugar, only amino acids.
Proteins are not broken down into sugar except in
the liver when we don't have enough glucose for energy requirements.
That is why it is important to eat enough carbohydrates to spare protein.

Again, physiological studies show that our small intestine prefers whole
proteins rather than separate amino acids for absorption.

Tom:
> 2) Seeds are more than protein - they include starch, fats, and other
> ingredients. We know that sprouting converts some of the starch into sugar,
> which is to say some of the starch is pre-digested,

Larry:
True, but:
The sugar is simple carbohydrate or monosaccharide that may cause a glucose
rush because it is no longer a complex carbohydrate.

Tom:
> 3) Sprouted seeds are rehydrated and easier to chew/eat than unsprouted.
> 4) The starch in sprouted seeds is raw, avoiding the "glucose rush" (more
> correctly, the high glycemic index) of cooked seeds, especially grains.

Larry:
Sugar is sugar and if sprouting converts some of the polysaccharides into
mono, then a person could experience a glucose rush.

Tom:
> Cooked grains typically cause a glucose spike, as the heat of cooking
> denatures their starch.

Larry:
Please define denature.  Heat does not change the starch molecule.
Only more of the starch is available for digestion and absorption because
it has been liberated from the grain fiber.  Denaturation or breakdown of
starch does occur by sprouting which makes it easier to digest and
thereby making enter the portal circulation faster, thereby causing
a glucose spike.

Tom:
> 5) The general experience of many raw fooders is that, with some exceptions,
> sprouted seeds are easier to digest than cooked or raw/unsprouted seeds.
> Here easier to digest means the food causes little or no discomfort after
> eating.

Larry:
This may be true, but scientific studies need to be done to verify this.

Tom:
> Regarding enzymes, I assert that enzymes, even in unprotected form, survive
> the stomach and are active in the intestines and even the colon. The evidence
> is as follows.
> 1) Consider beans, which are notorious for creating gas. Given the time lag
> between eating beans and the onset of gas, it is clear that the gas is
> produced not in the stomach but in the lower intestines and/or colon.
> Now there is an enzyme product (liquid, I believe), called "Beano" that
> people add to their beans to avoid gas. Not only does the product exist,
> but it apparently works (else they would be out of business by now). That
> is a liquid enzyme that, despite being diluted, survives the trip through
> the stomach and upper part of the intestines, to work successfully in the
> lower intestines/colon.

Larry:

Good point, but it is probably because
it is protected by the indigestability of the grain.  Also,
this is not a digestive enzyme.

Tom:
> 2) Similar remarks apply to the chewable enzyme tablets that are sold.

Larry:
Write all the companies (as one of my professors did) that make these tablets
and ask them to send you documented research which shows that their product
works.  That their tablets were tested in a human physiology lab, or
even in an animal study.  None will write you back or they will send you
literature pushing their product without any scientific evidence to back
it up.

Tom:
> 3) We also know that sweet corn (raw or cooked), and brown rice, can pass
> through the body with apparently little effect - they come out in the fecal
> matter, looking little different from when they were ingested. The stomach
> is not as efficient as some nutritionists believe.

Larry:
The bran is the reason, especially if the person does not chew properly.
But if the enzymes are exposed, they will be destroyed.


Tom:
> As for research on enzymes, the work of Dr. Edward Howell, who has researched
> enzymes for over 50 years, is of interest. His book, "Enzyme Nutrition" is
> considered a classic. Chapter 4 of that book addresses some of the issues you
> raise above.

Larry:
True, but there is little scientific evidence to back up his theories.

Larry:
> >Sprouts are very nutritious,  but should be used in moderation because
> >they are harder to digest than most other foods and can cause bloating
> >and gastric distress.

Tom:
> Some sprouts, especially the legume sprouts, cause gas. The greens - alfalfa,
> clover, sunflower, can cause limited gas in susceptible people (they are
> astringent and slightly drying). However, cooked legumes are notorious for
> their gas production - they are much worse than sprouts in this regard.

Larry:
Depends on the person, I have heard just the opposite.

Tom:
> Further, in many world cuisines, cooked legumes are spiced, for the express
> purpose of stimulating their digestion and avoiding the gas. These same
> spicing techniques can be adapted and used by raw fooders to minimize gas
> when eating legume sprouts, or any other sprouts.  (Gas is not common with
> other types of sprouts). However, one must be careful, as bad combinations, or
> eating any kind of sprouts with known gas producing foods (e.g., raw cabbage,
> green peppers, broccoli, etc), can cause gas.

Larry:
Tom, combinations don't really matter, if a person experiences a problem
with a certain combination of food, it is one particular food that is
causing the problem and would cause the problem alone or in combination
with other foods.

Tom:
> Your claim that sprouts are harder to digest (in general) than other foods
> contradicts the experience of many raw fooders (though I agree that legume
> sprouts present real difficulties in digestion).

Larry:

Good point, I agree.

Tom, I do believe in raw foods, and sprouts are more nutritious than
cooked food.  Most of what you claimed I believe, I was just commenting
on protein and enzymes.  I really did not ignore the other benefits of
sprouts in my previous response because I agree with you on that and you
made a good case.

> Tom Billings
> [log in to unmask]

Larry Semark
The University of NM