The Raw Food Nutrition Handbook by Karin Dina & Rick Dina

Author:Karin Dina & Rick Dina
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Book Publishing Co.
Published: 2015-09-15T04:00:00+00:00

The Effects of Heat on Enzymatic Activity in Food

People are often given bits and pieces of information about enzymes by various raw-food educators and aren’t really sure how to put all this disparate information together. This next section provides a solid foundation in traditional enzyme theory and current enzyme research.

Enzymes Defined

Researchers have learned much about enzymes since they were first identified in the 1800s. Some of this information confirms what those early scientists identified, while some of what has been learned has taken that early knowledge to the next level.

An enzyme is a molecule that catalyzes chemical reactions. An enzyme name generally contains the suffix “ase” in combination with the substance it breaks down, such as the enzyme lactase and the sugar lactose. Enzymes are made of protein, which denatures, or breaks down, at certain temperatures. This is one reason why enzymes are lost with heating. Most enzymes found in food have been shown to break down starting at 104 degrees F (40 degrees C), which is higher than body temperature, although not all enzymes present in a food will be lost the moment this temperature is reached. The Manual of Clinical Enzyme Measurements states that the longer a food is heated at temperatures above this threshold, the more enzymes will be lost.

Enzyme inhibitors are found in nuts, seeds (including grains and pseudograins), and legumes. When these foods are soaked in water for several hours, the enzyme inhibitors break down, allowing the enzymes contained in the foods to become activated, often leading to germination (sprouting) and an increase in digestibility.

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