Is Raw Food Good For You?

Is Raw Food Good For You?

For some people cutting down on their daily intake of Oreos and bacon is daunting, so the thought of living on raw vegetables might seem completely outrageous. Still, a growing number of people have devoted their lives to eating uncooked veggies, nuts and beans, insisting that the health benefits of a raw diet are unmatched. Is it time to turn down the heat or is this just another food fad?

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Robert Ross

Life Food Creates Life...Dead Food Creates Death!

Robert Ross

Raw Food Life

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A raw food diet is not just good for you - it’s also good science! You don’t have to take our word for it, have ‘faith’ or trust the latest nutrition guru. Science proves that cooking not only destroys nutrition and enzymes, but chemically changes foods from the substances needed for health into free-radicals and poisons that destroy our health!

For example, cooking creatres heterocyclic amines (HCA). Many of these HCA are directly or indirectly physically addictive.(1)   Due to the heat of cooking, these HCA originate from the interaction between protein and carbohydrates and / or creatine (in red meat) or nitrate (in vegetables). Some examples :

  • tryptophan + form- / acet-aldehyde  = 1-methyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-beta-carboline (pro-mutagenic) (2)
  • tryptophan + glycolaldehyde  = 1-hydroxymethyl-tetrahydro-beta-carboline (3)
  • tryptophan + sugars (by freezing)  = 1,1'-ethyliden-ditryptofaan (very toxic) (4)
  • serotonine + formaldehyde   = 6-hydroxy-tetrahydro-beta-carboline (5)
  • serotonine + acetaldehyde  = 6-hydroxy-1-methyl-tetrahydro-beta-carboline (6)
  • tyramine + nitrite  = 3-diazotyramine(4-(2-aminoethyl))-6-diazo-2,4-cyclohexadienone (carcin.)(7)
  • salt + nitrite + protein / sugar  = 2-chloro-4-methylthiobutanoate (mutagenic) (8)
  • glutamate + sugars  = 2-amino-6-methyldipyrido-(1,2-a:3',2'-d)imidazole (carcinogenic) (9)
  • glutamate + sugars  = 2-aminodipyrido-(1,2-a:3',2'-d)imidazole (carcinogenic)(9)

When aldehydes react upon cyclic amino acids or -amines (like tryptophan, tryptamine, serotonine, phenylalanine, tyrosine, dopamine, tyramine, aniline), mostly beta-carbolines and isoquinolines originate. When creatinine (from meat) is involved, mostly imidazoquinolines and imidaziquinoxalines originate. (10) (Glutamate and tryptophan are amino acids, tyramine and serotonine are amines, and aldehydes are sugars)

Almost all cooked or prepared foods contain:

  • 9H-pyrido(3,4-b)indole  = beta-carboline  = tryptophan / tryptamine + aldehydes (11)
  • 1-methyl-9H-pyrido(3,4-b)indole  = 1-methyl-beta-carboline  = tryptophan / tryptamine + aldehydes (11)
These substances influence benzodiazepine receptors in the brain, and indirectly lots of other neurotransmitters. (12) If these substances further react upon amines like aniline, they even become mutagenic (23). How much HCA originate depends on how much protein the food contains and on how much the food is heated. (14)   Because red meat contains both lots of protein and creatinine (creating creatine), prepared red meat contains the most HCA, especially when grilled (15). Besides prepared red meat, also prepared fish, soy and poultry contain lots of HCA. (16) Flavor-enhancers and bouillon contain protein-concentrates and therefore contain lots of HCA too. (11) But also prepared foods containing less protein contain HCA, like prepared grains (17) and -vegetables (18), and even foods like beer, soy sauce and canned orange juice. (19) .

These are just a few examples - there are many more!

Evidence

IcotextText
Toxins Created by Cooking - Footnotes
most sources can be found at the National Library of Medicine

(1) Loscher, W. et al, Withdrawal precipation by benzodiazepine receptor antagonists in dogs chronically treated with diazepam or the novel anxiolytic and anticonvulsant beta-carboline abecarnil. Naunyn Schmiedebergs Arch. Pharmacol. 1992 / 345 (4) / 452-460. , De Boer, S.F. et al, Common mechanisms underlying the proconflict effects of corticotropin, a benzodiazepine inverse agonist and electric foot shock. J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther. 1992 / 262 (1) / 335-342. , Little, H.J. et al, The benzodiazepines : anxiolytic and withdrawal effects. Neuropeptides 1991 / 19 / suppl. 11-14. , Eisenberg, R.M. et al, Effects of beta-carboline-ethyl ester on plasma corticosterone -- a parallel with antagonist-precipated diazepam withdrawal. Life Sci. 1989 / 44 (20) / 1457-1466. , Maiewski, S.F. et al, Evidence that a benzodiazepine receptor mechanism regulates the secretion of pituitary beta-endorphin in rats. Endocrinology 1985 / 117 (2) / 474-480.

(2) (no author listed) Tetrahydro-beta-carbolines in foodstuffs, urine, and milk : physiological implications. Nutr. Rev. 1991 / 49 (12) / 367-368.

(3) Papavergou, E. et al, Tetrahydro-beta-carboline-carboxylic acids in smoked foods. Food Addit. Contam. 1992 / 9 (1) / 83-95.

(4) Simat, T. et al, Unerwünschte Nebenprodukte in biotechnologisch hergestelltern L-tryptophan. GIT Fachzeitschrift für das Laboratorium 1996 / H.4 /339-344.

(5) Rommelspacher, H. et al, Is there a correlation between the concentration of beta-carbolines and their pharmacolodynamic effects ? Prog. Clin. Biol. Res. 1982 / 90 / 41-55.

(6) Airaksinen, M.M. et al, Affinity of beta-carboline on rat brain benzodiazepine and opiate binding sites. Med. Biol. 1980 / 58 (6) / 341-344.

(7) Wakabayashi, K. et al, Recently identified nitrite-reactive compounds in food : occurence and biological properties of the nitrosated products. IARC Sci. Publ. 1987 / 84 / 287-291.

(8) Jolivette, L.J. et al, Thietanium ion formation from the food mutagen 2-chloro-4-(methylthio)butanoic acid. Chem. Res. Toxicol. 1998 / 11 (7) / 794-799.

(9) Sugimura, T. et al, Carcinogenic, Mutagenic, and Comutagenic Aromatic Amines in Human Foods. Natl. Cancer Inst. Monogr. 1981 / 58 / 27-33.

(10) Overvik, E. et al, Influence of creatine, amino acids and water on the formation of the mutagenic heterocyclic amines found in cooked meat. Carcinogenesis 1989 / 10 (12) / 1293-1301. , Yoshida, D. et al, Formation of mutagens by heating foods and model systems. Environ. Health. Perspect. 1986 / 67 / 55-58.

(11) Solyakov, A. et al, Heterocyclic amines in process flavours, process flavour ingredients, bouillon concentrates and a pan residue. Food Chem. Toxicol. 1999 / 37 (1) / 1-11. , Skog, K. et al, Analysis of nonpolar heterocyclic amines in cooked foods and meat extracts using gas chromatography-mass spectometry. J. Chromatogr. A. 1998 / 803 (1-2) / 227-233. , Stavric, B. et al, Mutagenic heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAA's) in 'processed food flavour' samples. Food Chem. Toxicol. 1997 / 35 (2) / 185-197. , Wakabayashi, K. et al, Human exposure to mutagenic / carcinogenic heterocyclic amines and comutagenic beta-carbolines. Mutat. Res. 1997 / 376 (1-2) / 253-259. , Galceran, M.T. et al, Determination of heterocyclic amines by pneumatically assisted electrospray liquid chromatography-mass spectometry. J. Chromatogr. A. 1996 / 730 (1-2) / 185-194. , Gross, G.A. et al, Heterocyclic aromatic amine formation in grilled bacon, beef and fish and in grilled scrapings. Carcinogenesis 1993 / 14 (11) / 2313-2318. , Sugimura, T. et al, Mutagenic factors in cooked foods. Crit. Rev. Toxicol. 1979 / 6 (3) / 189-209.

(12) Rommelspacher, H. et al, beta-Carbolines and tetrahydroisoquinolines : detection and function in mammals. Planta. Med. 1991 / 57 (7) / 585-592. , Pawlik, M. et al, Quantitative autoradiograph of (3H)norharman ((3H)beta-carboline) binding sites in the rat brain. J. Chem. Neuroanal. 1990 / 3 (1) / 19-24. , Rommelspacher, H. et al, Harman induces preference for ethanol in rats : is the effect specific for ethanol ? Parhmacol. Biochem. Behav. 1987 / 26 (4) / 749-755. , Rommelspacher, H. et al, Benzodiazepine antagonism by harmane and other beta-carbolines in vitro and in vivo. Eur. J. Pharmacol. 1981 / 70 (3) / 409-416.

(13) Totsuka, Y. et al, Structural determination of a mutagenic aminophenylnorharman produced by the co-mutagen norharman with aniline. Carcinogenesis 1998 / 19 (11) / 1995-2000. , Skog, K. et al, Analysis of nonpolar heterocyclic amines in cooked foods and meat extracts using gas chromatography-mass spectometry. J. Chromatogr. A. 1998 / 803 (1-2) / 227-233.

(14) Vikse, R. et al, Heterocyclic amines in cooked meat. (in Norwegian) Tidsskr. Nor. Laegeforen. 1999 / 119 (1) / 45-49. , Sinha, R. et al, Heterocyclic amine content of pork products cooked by different methods and to varying degrees of doneness. Food Chem. Toxicol. 1998 / 36 (4) / 289-297. , Byrne ,C. et al, Predictors of heterocyclic amines intake in three prospective cohorts. Cancer Epidemiol. Biomarkers 1998 / 7 (6) / 523-529. , Kaplan, S. et al, Nutritional factors in the etiology of brain tumors : potential role of nitrosamines, fat, and cholesterol. Am. J. Epidemiol. 1997 / 146 (10) / 832-841. , Ward, M.H. et al, Risk of adenocarcinoma of the stomach and esophagus with meat cooking method and doneness preference. Int. J. Cancer 1997 / 71 (1) / 14-19. , La Vecchia, C. et al, Selected micronutrient intake and the risk of gastric cancer. Cancer Epidemiol. Biomarkers Prev. 1994 / 3 (5) / 393-398. , Buiatti, E. et al, A case-control study of gastric cancer and diet in Italy : II. Association with nutrients. Int. J. Cancer 1990 / 45 (5) / 896-901. , Proliac, A. et al, Isolation and identification of two beta-carbolins in roasted chicory root. Helv. Chim. Acta 1976 / 59 (7) / 2503-2507. (in french)

(15) Salmon, C.P. et al, Effects of marinating on heterocyclic amine carcinogen formation in grilled chicken. Food Chem. Toxicol. 1997 / 35 (5) / 433-441. , Shibata, A. et al, Dietary beta-carotene, sigarette smoking and lung cancer in men. Cancer Causes Control 1992 / 3 (3) / 207-214.

(16) Chiu, C.P. et al, Formation of heterocyclic amines in cooked chicken legs. J. Food Prot. 1998 / 61 (6) / 712-719. , Byrne, C. et al, Predictors of dietary heterocyclic amine intake in three prospective cohorts. Cancer Epidemiol. Biomarkers Prev. 1998 / 7 (6) / 523-529. , Wakabayashi, K. et al, Human exposure to mutagenic / carcinogenic heterocyclic amines and co-mutagenic beta-carbolines. Mutat. Res. 1997 / 376 (1-2) / 253-259. , Salmon, C.P. et al, Effects of marinating on heterocyclic amine carcinogen formation in grilled chicken. Food Chem Toxicol. 1997 / 35 (5) / 433-441. , Skog, K. et al, Polar and non-polar heterocyclic amines in cooked fish and meat products and their corresponding pan residues. Food Chem. Toxicol. 1997 / 35 (6) / 555-565. , Pfau, W. et al, Characterization of the major DNA adduct formed by the food mutagen 2-amino-3-methyl-9H-pyrido(2,3-b)indole (MeAalphaC) in primary rat hepatocytes. Carcinogenesis 1996 / 17 (12) / 2727-2732. , Thiebaud, H.P. et al, Airborne mutagens produced by frying beef, pork and soy-based food. Food and Chemical Toxicology 1995 / 10 / 821-828. , Ohgaki, H. et al, Carcinogenicity in mice of mutagenic compounds from glutamic acid and soybean globulin pyrolysates. Carcinogenesis. 1984 / 5 (6) / 815-819. , Tomita, I. et al, Mutagenicity of various Japanese foodstuffs treated with nitrite. II. Directly acting mutagens produced from N-containing compounds in foodstuffs. IARC Sci. Publ. 1984 / 57 / 33-41.

(17) Knize, M.G. et al, Characterization of mutagenic activity in cooked-grain-food products. Food Chem. Toxicol. 1994 / 32 (1) / 15-21.

(18) Ozawa, Y. et al, Occurence of stereoisomers of 1-(2'-pyrrolidinethione-3'-yl)-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-beta-carboline-3-carboxylic acid in fermented radish roots and their different mutagenic properties. Biosci. Biotechnol. Biochem. 1999 / 63 (1) / 216-219. , Sen, N.P. et al, Analytical methods for the determination and mass spectometric confirmation of 1-methyl-2-nitroso-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-beta-carboline-3-carboxylic acid and 2-nitroso-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-beta-carboline-3-carboxylic acid in foods. Food. Addit. Contam. 1991 / 8 (3) / 275-289. , Sugimura, T. et al, Mutagenic factors in cooked foods. Crit. Rev. Toxicol. 1979 / 6 (3) / 189-209.

(19) Herraiz, T. et al, Presence of tetrahydro-beta-carboline-3-carboxylic acids in foods by gas chromatography-mass spectometry as their N-methoxycarbonylmethyl ester derivates. J. Chromatogr. A. 1997 / 765 (2) / 265-277.
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