Date: Fri, 26 Mar 1999 08:07:26 -0800
From: "David L. Porter" <dlporter@marin.k12.ca.us>
To: Pinhole Listserv <pinhole@exploratorium.edu>
Subject: Re: Steak and Potato Enzymes
Kathy,
I remember in the late 70's early 80's certain nutritional "experts" advocated combining
foods together based on how and where in the digestive tract they are digested; also in
which order to eat them. Eating a steak, whose proteins are broken down primarily in the
stomach, would deactivate the enzymes in our saliva used to breakdown the potato's
carbohydrates and hence, it would be better to eat the potato first, not the other way
around. Since most of us don't chew our food enough, I doubt this makes much difference.
It is true, however that carbohydrates get a head start in the mouth while proteins don't
start the breakin-down until the stomach. However, I have always wondered about the
validity of this food combining theory. There is another, unrelated food-combining
theory, advocating the mixing together of complex carbohydrates in a way that creates a
"complete" proteing, i.e., all the necessary amino acids. I'm interested in hearing
someone respond a little more definitively.
David