The Value of Raw Food – Cooking and Loss of Enzymes
As many of us may already know, cooking depletes the nutritional content of our food by damaging nutrients and vitality of the food and at the same time making it more difficult to assimilate the remaining nutrients.
“At 113°F to 118°F the enzymes begin to break down and lose their catalytic power. At around 135°F we destroy the vitamins and phytonutrients (antioxidants). Minerals are not affected by heat, but if we boil our food, minerals will be lost in the water.
Another perspective on heating our food: Human skin burns and our skin cells die at about 130°F.
At around 160°F the sugars in carbohydrate-rich foods, such as potatoes and grain products, begin to caramelize, making them less effective as an energy source.
Cooked vegetables have lost much of their fiber content, which makes them less effective at sweeping out the digestive system.”
