It is important to keep in mind that enzymes are proteins and are involved in every single metabolism process.

Enzymes, or proteins, are very sensitive to heat and cold. 

From a certain temperature on they are “denatured“. Their chemical structure changes, which cannot return to natural state. 

This is why, for example, a body temperature of 106,7 degrees Fahrenheit is so dangerous when you have a fever, and you have to go to the hospital immediately. The body’s own proteins denature and are no longer functional, which is life-threatening. 

Another example would be if you make yourself a fried egg. The protein is denatured from a certain temperature on which is not reversible. Everyone knows that a fried egg or hard-boiled egg cannot become a raw egg anymore. The chemical structure is permanently changed. 

So, what does all this have to do with us and our nutrition? 

The denaturation degree of enzymes is 107,6° Fahrenheit. When cooking, grilling, baking etc. we reach a temperature of 210°-480° Fahrenheit! 

From a naturopathic point of view, enzymes from enzyme-rich, i.e. raw foods, can be better used by the body.
Enzymes are our most important energy producers.
Without them, important bodily functions and certain metabolic processes in digestion could only happen slowly or not at all due to the relatively low body temperature. Enzymes – so-called catalysts – are used to induce or accelerate these processes.

Enzymes give us the power from food that we need for a fulfilled life. 

It is also said that raw food can support the pancreas because it does not have to produce so many enzymes itself.

They are also indispensable for the blood circulation. A deficiency would promote an increased risk of chronic inflammation, infectious diseases and even cancer. 

Some people say that the stomach processes proteins and it doesn’t make a difference whether you eat raw or cooked vegetables, but there is no “denaturation” but rather a decomposition or digestion. 

It would therefore make sense not to “boil the vegetables to death” but to do yourself a favor by not cooking them at all. Nobody has to eat only raw food, but try to eat, for example, the raw food in a meal always before the cooked food.
For example the salad first and then the cooked food.
First of all, the vital substances are taken care of;
everything that comes after that serves to fill up the stomach. 

The following tips can help you:

•  of course eat as much raw vegetables as possible
• raw food always before cooked food
• what you can do  to keep as many of the vital substances as possible during cooking:
  – chop up as small as possible, so it takes less time to cook
  – the lower the heat, the better (to boil it shortly with hight heat doesn’t help at all!)
  –> the more ‘al dente’ the vegetables, the better 🙂
• store the vegetables properly:
  – little light, a lot of heat and a lot of cold can also affect the vitamin and mineral content.
  You can find a list of the correct storage here.
• In addition, you can eat food that is particularly rich in enzymes from time to time:
  Pineapples, unripe papayas, sprouts and unheated sauerkraut.
  Enzymes, however, are contained in all raw foods