Kirt said: > There must be an overall positive trade-off toward cooking or it wouldn't be so prevelant. Imagine if you will, a proto human, eating all raw foods (whatever they are). This human is accessing all of the locally available foods that are palatable raw, and thriving. Then, suddenly, or gradually, those foods that are palatable raw are not available. (let's assume that controlled fire exists). The human is left with foods that for good reason he/she did not eat raw, and finds that they are edible cooked. This human survives. This is your overall positive tradeoff. Survival. I hope you're not basing your diet on this logic, what with all the negative aspects/effects that are introduced by cooking, unless you are in this same sitation? I know, this is complicated stuff (culture, cultivated food problems) , but I found this logic a bit weak. Gary