Wes, welcome to the list.  I find it interesting how you seem to thrive on
a high raw, starch diet.  My stomach turns just at the thought but you have
certainly initiated some interesting threads.  I have cut and pasted from
some of your posts:

Wes:
>However, I need some more hardcore data to convince me that we should be
eating any >cooked food. :)

What kind of hard-core data would you find acceptable?  There is not much
evidence to support an all-raw diet yet you seem to be categorically
rejecting the idea of small amounts of moderately cooked foods even as an
occasional indiscretion.

>Howell is now dead, but other researchers such as Dr. Howard Loomis,
Michael O'Brien, >and others have carried on with Howell's pioneer work in
this area.

This sounds very interesting. Please tell me everything you know about
Loomis' and O'Brien's work and what they have published on enzymes.

>Show me irrefutable proof that cooked food is better than raw food. Show
me irrefutable >proof that cooked food doesn't have more con's than pro's
vs. its raw version.

Rather than being mutually exclusive I think they both can have their place
in a balanced diet.

>I don't see myself being fortunate to one iota so far -- certainly not
"EXTREMELY". I >feel I've helped this list more than it's helped me.

You probably will feel more at home on JR's raw list.  I think most of the
people on this list either eat some cooked foods or do not have strong,
negative feelings about them.

>Get a copy of "Food Enzymes for Health & Longevity". There are 416
references in the >back. More references available via the National Enzyme
Company (they have the rest of >his materials - most were unpublished).

As you seem to have read these references, maybe you could share with us
some of the highlights.  I have only the edited version called "Enzyme
Nutrition".  Howell does quote several animal studies in his book that show
that various organs and glands get larger with age, however, he provides no
evidence that lack of enzymes is the cause. In my mind Howell's greatest
contributions have been showing the problems with enzyme inhibitors and
pointing out the positive effects of enzyme supplementation.  Whether the
concept of pre-digestion in what he calls "the food enzyme stomach" has any
validity to it I am not sure. There has certainly been expressed many
opinions lately to the contrary.

Liza:
>>Nobody is saying raw food is bad, Wes. It's just not the ONLY food that
is healthy,
>>for ALL people, ALL the time.

Wes:
>In my opinion it is.

That is a big mouthful.  How have you assured yourself that your opinion is
a true reflection of reality?

Best, Peter