Dariusz:
>I understand their workings in sproutable nuts, seeds and grains, but am
>not sure about dried fruits (raisins and such), seaweed or even honey (or
>pollen).  Could anyone comment on the status of the enzymes in those foods?
>In other words, just how ALIVE are these foods?

A general guide to the enzyme activity in foods might be whether they rot
or not. A twinkie infamously lasts for years, where a banana will last a
few weeks. A dried banana (even dried at room temperature) will keep for
months if protected from moisture and molds. It would seem that there are
fewer active enzymes in a dried banana--but that may be because the enzymes
it contains have "done all the work they can" making a dried/aged banana
even more predigested than a well-ripened banana. (Dates are also an
interesting case.)

Probably more important for an instincto than theoretical enzyme chatter is
whether a dried food has a "proper" taste-change. Foods dried at room temps
usually have a marked taste-change in my experience, but probably it is
"too late", even more late than the fresh fruit itself. Which means that
even if a dried food has a taste-change, one is probably best off _not_
eating their fill.

If a new instincto has a tremendous sweet tooth, I feel they would better
off with comb honey but to each his/her own... Comb honey has lots of
"live" enzymes (according to Howell).

Seaweed? I don't know. But even if it had zero enzymes, it is a powerhouse
of minerals and trace minerals which are probably essential if one isn't
consuming seafood for long stretches. Some recent research showed that it
may be useful to vegans in increasing serum B12 levels.

Enzymes are kind of a theoretical crutch IMO. We can say, aha, enzymes are
the missing ingredient in denatured foods--much like we can perseverate on
particular vitamins and minerals. No one knows what is inside, say, a
carrot and we probably never really will. Whenever we cut it open we have
created a new surface which is oxidizing and mechanically damaged. Enzymes
are clearly the task masters of life's metabolism, but using them as a "new
nutrient" is pretty much falling back on the "component attitude" of
nutrition where a banana is fructose + glucose + potassium + fiber, etc. A
banana is much more than any analysis will ever reveal, and while it may be
interesting to research the enzyme activity in a banana as it dries, does
it really tell us whether it is a "good" food to eat?

I would advise any aspiring instincto to experiment with the taste changes
of every raw food they can obtain

Cheers,
Kirt