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Thread: Enzymes in raw foods - any evidence of benefits?

  1. #1
    Karma Junkie vava's Avatar
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    Default Enzymes in raw foods - any evidence of benefits?

    My husband who teaches biology says that the promotion in raw food cookery books of enzymes in plants helping in digestion is rubbish - he actually said a much ruder word! If any of you lovelies out there can point me in the direction of some scientific data I could shove in his mush - I would be eternally grateful.

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    [LMNOP] ellaminnowpea's Avatar
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    Default Re: Enzymes in raw foods - any evidence of benefits?

    someone posted this link on a raw food forum... i'm not sure i really believe it. plus i can't understand much of it, it's organic chemistry talk and i hate the class more than any other class ive had at uni... good luck with this, i find it hard to really "convince" people of this stuff, nutrition is still a baby science.
    “I am not afraid of storms, for I am learning how to sail my ship.” ~ Alcott

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    baffled harpy's Avatar
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    Default Re: Enzymes in raw foods - any evidence of benefits?

    Not been convinced by what I've read about the enzymes myself, TBH, but on the other hand raw fruit and veg seem to be good in other ways - vitamins, fibre and so forth, and also because of the processed stuff you aren't eating when you're having the raw food

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    Mew Mew Mew! Kitteh's Avatar
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    Default Re: Enzymes in raw foods - any evidence of benefits?

    I don't think we need to be convinced that eating raw fruit and veg is good for you, but if you want to talk enzymes etc then you might want proof.

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    Default Re: Enzymes in raw foods - any evidence of benefits?

    Quote vavavegan View Post
    My husband who teaches biology says that the promotion in raw food cookery books of enzymes in plants helping in digestion is rubbish - he actually said a much ruder word! If any of you lovelies out there can point me in the direction of some scientific data I could shove in his mush - I would be eternally grateful.
    Science doesn't yet fully understand exactly how the digestive ststem works along with many other related processes in the body.

    So I cannot point to hard scientific evidence, (I love science don't get me wrong) however at the moment there are only theories and if you have a theory (particularly one as radical as this is perceived) there will always be someone suggesting an alternative theory or rejection of your theory.

    I can only point to the case studies of the people I know and have met who are following the lifestyle, people defeated grave illness on a raw diet.

    Looking at my friend Kate Wood and her amazing children, how full of life and energy they all are, the absolute radiance of my beautiful friend Lucy (who I am going to see this weekend, yay!) her constant energy and grace.

    ...and of course myself, my energy levels how amazing I feel, my stamina when working out, my mental clarity. I would struggle to use science to explain them but they are there non the less.

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    [LMNOP] ellaminnowpea's Avatar
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    Default Re: Enzymes in raw foods - any evidence of benefits?

    I would also point out that nutritional sciences currently know that enzymes involved in digestion are present in our gastrointestinal tract rather than the foods we eat. That's why people are lactose intolerant; their bodies don't have the enzyme to digest it... if the food had the enzyme, they would be able to digest it properly. But like I said, nutrition is a baby science and a lot of research is needed.
    “I am not afraid of storms, for I am learning how to sail my ship.” ~ Alcott

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    Karma Junkie vava's Avatar
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    Default Re: Enzymes in raw foods - any evidence of benefits?

    there are quite a few papers on the benefits of a raw food diet and of course that alone is not in question - just the enzymes part of the whole raw food ethos.

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    Default Re: Enzymes in raw foods - any evidence of benefits?

    And the benefits are there even if you are high raw, it's not necessary to be 100 percent.

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    baffled harpy's Avatar
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    Default Re: Enzymes in raw foods - any evidence of benefits?

    Have you seen this Wikipedia entry, vavavegan?

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raw_foodism

    The section about enzymes is quite interesting, if a bit short of citations on the pro-enzyme side of the argument

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    Karma Junkie vava's Avatar
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    Default Re: Enzymes in raw foods - any evidence of benefits?

    thanks for that Harpy certainly short on citations! was interesting about enzymes only being active within a narrow ph range tho.

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