Dear Everyone, I have been having a little trouble replying to the list, so I'm hoping this one goes through OK. Dean Esmay indicated a week or so ago, that there are good reasons to suggest that starch is a relatively recent addition to human diets. It intrigues me then, why humans have such extraordinary ability to secrete aplha-amylase, the starch digesting enzyme, present in both saliva and pancreatic secretions. We have so much, that some biochemists call it alph-amylase overkill. Any suggestions? Jennie Assoc. Professor Jennie Brand Miller Human Nutrition Unit, Dept. of Biochemistry G08 University of Sydney, 2006, Australia [log in to unmask] FAX: 61.2.9351.6022 Ph: 61.2.9351.3759