Here's the question (something that's got me TOTALLY 'conflusterflubberghasted')...

We know (or think we know) that enzymes in grains, beans/legumes & produce "die" when: 1) exposed to high heat (allegedly over 110-ish degrees), and when exposed to oxygen for any length of time. Okay, I'm good with that (or I used to be, until about a month ago, when I started obsessing over these questions). I've seen fruit/juice not in 'high heat' that's turned brown - and allegedly that's the oxygen/oxidation that causes the enzymes to die...I'm good with that. We typically read all kinds of things like this:

>>>Prolonged exposure to the air will destroy the enzymes in the juice.<<<

Okay, so now tell me THIS: if exposure to air KILLS enzymes, then why are we all *dehydrating* our produce and grains to 'save the enzymes'?

Theory (???) - When frozen, enzymes only 'go to sleep' and upon thawing they come back to life (supposedly) - which is something I've read fairly consistently (but I'm not sure I believe/understand). Perhaps 'drying' the sprouted grains/produce doesn't technically result in total 'enzyme death', but causes them to 'go to sleep' (dormant), and they can be re-awakened in our body ???

But that doesn't mesh with "exposure to air kills enzymes".

I do know/understand, that unsprouted grains contain enzyme INHIBITORS (which is the very last thing ANY of us need!!!), and soaking/sprouting the grains, removes/kills the enzyme inhibitors. So even if dehydrating kills the 'new enzymes' from the recently sprouted grains, it's still MUCH better than ingesting grains with enzyme inhibitors (ACK!).

Also, on the Dr. Christopher videos I have... (the only videos ever recorded of Dr. Christopher speaking - there is an audio CD entitled 'Dr. John R. Christopher's Herbal Lectures', but only one video set - entitled 'Dr. John R. Christopher Herbalist Seminar Course' - one just sold on eBay for $80 yesterday - it's 8 VHS tapes - recorded in the late 1970's I believe, he died in 1983) ...a student asks a question about soaking/sprouting grains, grinding them and them baking or dehydrating them. His response indicated that he didn't seem familiar with the procedure (of sprouted, ground, and then baked or dehydrated breads or crackers), and you could tell the concept didn't seem to 'sit quite right' with him.

Dr. Christopher believed that grains should only be ingested ONLY in their 'wholesome form'...and he defined wholesome as 'capable of bearing life'. And he was very specific that 'flour' (whether organic or not) was a mucous forming food that is not desirable. He suggested that WHOLE grains (for example, the entire wheat berry, the entire 'oat groat', etc) be "low cooked" (soaked overnight or not, I believe) and then cooked for hours in a double boiler at 130 degrees or less. He also recommended (for ease) to fill a thermos 1/3 of the way with whatever grain you wanted, then fill the thermos with BOILING water, and let it sit overnight for the perfect 'breakfast grains'.
Guess what folks? these would SPROUT after being cooked like this, if kept moist & at room temperature.

But of course, if they'd been in any way ground or altered, that would be impossible. So neither (what we would consider) high heat, nor exposure to air, kills the enzymes in WHOLESOME grains.

So...are the raw foodists that dehydrate everything AFTER it's been ground, cut, sliced and exposed to air - deceiving themselves about the presence of live enzymes in the dehydrated grains & produce?

Let's put on our thinking caps and research shoes and get this figgered out!

Inquiring minds (and bodies starving for enzymes) want to KNOW!!!

Unyquity

(Just fyi, I've crossposted this in two other forums, so our answers & other responses from different forums will be visible in other forums)