Cooking or not cooking and potential genetic defect, in response to
Date: Sun, 18 Jul 1999 11:37:04 -0400
From: Jacques Laurin <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Cooking or not cooking
... (snipped for space reason)
For any culinary artifice,there is a reason to ask :
> whether a genetic adaptation has been or would have been necessary
> whether such adaptation is possible
> whether it has had time to occur
In order to become able to cook, humans must have learnt to overcome natural animal fears from the
fire. It suggests that the differentiation, rise and spread of the human species may be due to a
genetic defect causing the suppression of instinctive fears from the fire. Thus, one should
perhaps replace traditional search for the so-called superior gene by a search for the missing
instinct and/or gene, or at least for the missing gene expression.
> This issue, apparently ignored by medical research, is quite critical, being at the very heart
> of the world health problem.
It is not ignored. It is part of research among others about the Maillard reaction (see ref.
below). Although British brewers would argue that Ling (1911) was first, the original most cited
work dates back to a 1913 landmark book of Dr. Louis-Camille Maillard of France. Maillard symposii
are now held every four years. Scientists of both medical and food research participate. The last
symposium was held at London in 1997, at the Royal College of Physicians, opposite the corner of
Regent's Park.. The EU sponsors a Maillard program throughout Europe. The next and 7th. symposium
is due to be held in Japan in 2001. The major world health problem is caused by over-cooking. But
who wants to eat burnt foods anyway?
... (snipped)
> Non-original foods introduce molecules into the organism to which the enzymes,
> programmed by the genetic code, have no reason to be adapted. These "non-original
> molecules" may be created in chemical reactions induced by cooking,
Advanced Maillard reaction products or burnt products may indeed cause some toxicity and mutagenic
and carcinogenic reactions. Well conducted Maillard reaction is a prerequisite to detoxify natural
and powerful anti-nutritional factors contained in all seeds. Without this mastering of the Fire
Technology, there would be no point spending time and energy at growing toxic grains and beans,
such as wheat and barley, soybeans, cocoa beans, etc. The Maillard reaction is also naturally
occuring in the human body. It is associated to ageing, cataracts, diabetes, etc.
Furthermore, the Maillard reaction involves a number of oxido-reductions. The same reaction was
apparently also present at the origins of Life. A number of cooking-derived and Maillard-generated
anti-oxidants and other compounds have useful nutritional and health properties.
Without it, there would probably be neither life nor humans. With too much of it, life and humans
age to their ends. The Maillard reaction gave us life. The Maillard reaction maintains life. The
Maillard reaction takes our lives back. The Bible says something like (excuse my poor English):
"you are dust and you will be dust again".
A few recent references:
Maillard Reactions in Chemistry, Food, and Health
by Theodore P. Labuza, Gary A. Reineccius
Hardcover (December 1994)
Royal Society of Chemistry; ISBN: 0851868029
The Maillard Reaction : Consequences for the
Chemical and Life Sciences
Raphael Ikan(Editor), Raphael Akan (Editor);
Paperback - 228 pages (September 1996)
John Wiley & Sons; ISBN: 0471963003
The Maillard Reactions in Foods and Medicine
Special Publication (Royal Society of Chemistry), 223)
J. O'Brien(Editor);
Hardcover (August 1998)
Royal Society of Chemistry; ISBN: 0854047336
Regards,
Luc
--
Luc De Bry, Ph.D., Head of Research Department
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