A research paper in the March 1999 issue of Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism reported on 500 people who consumed raw food diets for an average of almost four years. Subjects reported losing 22-25 pounds, and about a third of the women stopped menstruating. Interestingly, those who consumed the higher proportion of raw food, were more likely to have stopped menstruating. Raw food diets are often promoted on the basis that we need enzymes that are present in raw foods. Yet most enzymes that we consume are inactivated by our stomach acid and digestive enzymes.
Cooking does destroy some vitamins, but heating foods has several, significant benefits.
Metabolife 356 is one such product. Metabolife, Meta-lite , Stacker 2 and Metabolift all contain ephedra and caffeine, either from guarana or kola nut. Caffeine exacerbates the effects of ephedra, and while the combination does curb the appetite, it also can raise blood pressure, cause cardiac arrhythmias and heart palpitations, insomnia, tremors, seizures, heart attacks and strokes. As a result, the FDA has proposed limiting ephedrine to less than eight milligrams per dose, or no more than 24 milligrams a day. Anyone who has diabetes, high blood pressure, thyroid disease, psychiatric disorders, or heart conditions should not take these ephedrine.