The conscientious housewife goes only to the produce section of her local supermarket. She would never buy anything that was canned, bottled or processed. She prides herself in taking really good care of her family. She doesn’t realize that the fresh produce she is buying is

1. probably already 4 to 5 weeks old since harvest
2. was grown on mineral deficient soil
3. was heavily sprayed with pesticides

Even if she has started out with high quality, organic produce, she will probably take it home and cook the remaining life out of it.

Many scientists have for years been trying to isolate the carcinogenic substances in foods. First they say, "soil depletion, then certain pesticides, then unknown factors." In reality it is probably a combination of these things. However, the most serious damage is done in the kitchen by the conscientious housewife – on her own cookstove. When she cooks this beautiful food the Lord has provided, she renders it chemically different than the way it was originally made. Amino acids, vitamins and minerals that had been chemically bound in a certain way to be assimilated correctly by the body are now just a pulpy mess that actually over a period of years does harm to the body.

Hard scientific evidence now exists that tells how and why the life force (enzymes) in the food we eat can make and keep us healthy and young and at a normal body weight all of our lives.

In his book, Enzyme Nutrition, Dr. Edward Howell points out that each person living is given a limited supply of bodily enzyme energy when he is born. This supply has to last a lifetime. The faster one uses up the enzyme supply, the shorter his/her life.

There are three classes of enzymes which operate our bodies: They are 1)digestive enzymes which include protease which digests protein, amylase which digests carbohydrates, and lipase which digests fat. The second class is 2) metabolic enzymes, which run our bodies (for example there are 98 distinct enzymes which work in the arteries, each with a particular job to do). The third class is 3) food enzymes found in raw food only. Heating or cooking food over ll8 degrees completely destroys the enzymes therein.

Our good health depends upon each of the metabolic enzymes doing its job in each and every tissue. Since Howell began his research over 50 years ago, thousands of different enzymes have been discovered. Some of the work of enzymes involves repairing damage and decay, fighting bacteria and viruses, and healing disease. It makes one realize that we are creatures of thousands of chemical reactions going on within us every day…every minute. Understanding that enzymes are not just the chemical reaction but the chemical reaction/life force reaction is important. Enzymes have been synthesized but are only considered catalysts, devoid of the life force.

Here is the key: Nature’s plan or should we say the Creator’s plan, calls for food enzymes to: "help with digestion instead of forcing the body’s digestive enzymes to carry the whole load. If food enzymes do some of the work, according to the Law of Adaptive Secretion of Digestive Enzymes, the enzyme potential can allot less activity to digestive enzymes, and have much more to give to the hundreds of metabolic enzymes that run the entire body."(Edward Howell). In other words, the body has a certain amount of enzyme power. In order to digest the heavy animal-protein based or cooked foods that we ingest the body changes metabolic enzymes into digestive enzymes, leaving some tissues of the body unprotected during the digestive process. For example, if the body takes some or most of the 98 different enzymes that protect and police the arteries and changes them to digestive enzymes to help digest a heavy protein/fat meal then the arteries are left unprotected during that time. Some heavy protein meals take as long as 8 hours to digest. Contrast this with wheatgrass juice and other fresh juices which takes 20 minutes or raw fruits and vegetables which take no longer than an hour to digest and at the same time furnish some if not all of the enzymes needed to implement that digestion.

Howell says, "If humans take in more exogenous (outside) digestive enzymes, as nature ordained, the enzyme potential will not have to waste so much of its heritage digesting food. It can distribute more of this precious commodity to the metabolic enzymes, where it rightfully belongs. This rightful distribution of enzyme energy will not only act to maintain health and prevent disease, but is expected to help cure established disease. The old saying that nature will cure really refers to metabolic enzyme activity, because there is no other mechanism in the body to cure anything. To get enzymes from food, one must eat raw food.’’

Edward Howell also says, "We are guilty of being careless with enzymes. They are the most precious asset we possess and we should welcome outside enzyme help. If we depend solely upon the enzymes we inherit, they will be used up just like inherited money that is not supplemented by a steady income."

He points out that extreme wastage of large quantities of enzymes is strenuously objected to by the body and that it can lead to serious illness and even death.

Howell goes on and on, chapter by chapter illustrating specific research that was done using animals, insects and even humans. We hope to cover some of this research in future issues of the Wheatgrass Habit however what interests us most are the enzymes that are found in wheatgrass and barleygrass and what they do specifically to help the body.

According to Steve Meyerowitz in his Wheatgrass, Natures Finest Medicine, over 80 enzymes have been identified in the grasses, some of which are peroxidase, phosphatase, catalase, cytochrome oxidase, Dnase, RnaseSuperoxide, Hexokinase, Malic dehydrogenase, Nitrate reductase, Nitrogen oxyreductase, Fatty Acid Oxidase, Phosolipase, Polyphenoloxidase, Dismutase, Transhydrogenase, and the phytochemicals: chlorophyll, and bioflavnoids. He says, "Barley and wheatgrass are both abundant, inexpensive sources of superoxide dismutase (SOD). This is a powerful antioxidant and anti-aging enzyme. SOD is a proven anti-inflamatory for arthritis, edema, gout, bursitis, etc. Dr. K. Kubota of the Science University of Tokyo found two glyco proteins D1G1 and P4D1 which work alongside with SOD but are more heat stable. All three have anti-inflamatory action that is superior to the much touted aspirin."

We highly recommend Howell’s book Enzyme Nutrition, and Meyerowitz’s book Wheatgrass, Nature’s Finest Medicine.