Benefits of Dehydrating
Dehydrating is the world’s oldest form of food preservation, it requires no preservatives, and it yields great tasting food with months of shelf life. As water is removed, taste is deliciously concentrated.
If you’re on a raw food diet, or just trying to eat more raw foods, a dehydrator provides a good way to prepare food at temperatures below 115° F, which is considered the threshold temperature where enzymes and nutrients are maintained.
Enzymes are affected by various temperatures. Dr Edward Howell (Enzyme Nutrition) recognized that when temperatures go above 118ºF all enzymes are destroyed.
Enzymes are biological molecules (typically proteins) that significantly speed up the rate of virtually all of the chemical reactions that take place within cells. They are vital for life and serve a wide range of important functions in the body, such as aiding in digestion and metabolism
They are essential for respiration, digesting food, muscle and nerve function, among thousands of other roles.
Enzymes are built of proteins folded into complicated shapes; they are present throughout the body.
The chemical reactions that keep us alive – our metabolism – rely on the work that enzymes carry out.
Enzymes speed up (catalyze) chemical reactions; in some cases, enzymes can make a chemical reaction millions of times faster than it would have been without it.
What do enzymes do?
- The digestive system – enzymes help the body break down larger complex molecules into smaller molecules, such as glucose, so that the body can use them as fuel.
- DNA replication – each cell in your body contains DNA. Each time a cell divides, that DNA needs to be copied. Enzymes help in this process by unwinding the DNA coils and copying the information.
- Liver enzymes – the liver breaks down toxins in the body. To do this, it uses a range of enzymes.