Cooking food is always like doing a chemical experiment in high school. Due to heat, cooking or preparing food creates new substances. Most of these new substances come from proteins reacting with carbohydrates. Some of these substances cause cancer or brain diseases and impair neurotransmitter function and metabolism.

Many of these new substances are heterocyclic amines (HCA). Many of these HCA are directly or indirectly physically addictive.(1) Due to the heat of cooking, these HCA originate from the interaction between protein and carbohydrates and / or creatine (in red meat) or nitrate (in vegetables). Some examples :

* tryptophan + form- / acet-aldehyde = 1-methyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-beta-carboline (pro-mutagenic) (2)
* tryptophan + glycolaldehyde = 1-hydroxymethyl-tetrahydro-beta-carboline (3)
* tryptophan + sugars (by freezing) = 1,1'-ethyliden-ditryptofaan (very toxic) (4)
* serotonine + formaldehyde = 6-hydroxy-tetrahydro-beta-carboline (5)
* serotonine + acetaldehyde = 6-hydroxy-1-methyl-tetrahydro-beta-carboline (6)
* tyramine + nitrite = 3-diazotyramine(4-(2-aminoethyl))-6-diazo-2,4-cyclohexadienone (carcin.)(7)
* salt + nitrite + protein / sugar = 2-chloro-4-methylthiobutanoate (mutagenic) (
* glutamate + sugars = 2-amino-6-methyldipyrido-(1,2-a:3',2')imidazole (carcinogenic) (9)
* glutamate + sugars = 2-aminodipyrido-(1,2-a:3',2')imidazole (carcinogenic)(9)

When aldehydes react upon cyclic amino acids or -amines (like tryptophan, tryptamine, serotonine, phenylalanine, tyrosine, dopamine, tyramine, aniline), mostly beta-carbolines and isoquinolines originate. When creatinine (from meat) is involved, mostly imidazoquinolines and imidaziquinoxalines originate. (10) (Glutamate and tryptophan are amino acids, tyramine and serotonine are amines, and aldehydes are sugars)

In What Foods?

Almost all cooked or prepared foods contain:

* 9H-pyrido(3,4-b)indole = beta-carboline = tryptophan / tryptamine + aldehydes (11)
* 1-methyl-9H-pyrido(3,4-b)indole = 1-methyl-beta-carboline = tryptophan / tryptamine + aldehydes (11)

These substances influence benzodiazepine receptors in the brain, and indirectly lots of other neurotransmitters. (12) If these substances further react upon amines like aniline, they even become mutagenic (23). How much HCA originate depends on how much protein the food contains and on how much the food is heated. (14) Because red meat contains both lots of protein and creatinine (creating creatine), prepared red meat contains the most HCA, especially when grilled (15). Besides prepared red meat, also prepared fish, soy and poultry contain lots of HCA. (16) Flavor-enhancers and bouillon contain protein-concentrates and therefore contain lots of HCA too. (11) But also prepared foods containing less protein contain HCA, like prepared grains (17) and -vegetables (18), and even foods like beer, soy sauce and canned orange juice. (19) For example:

Meat contains too much creatine (20):

* 2-amino-1-methyl-6-(4-hydroxyfenyl)-imidazo-(4,5-b)pyridine (mutag.) = creatine + tyrosine + glucose (21)

Soy contains globulins:

* 2-amino-9H-pyrido(2,3-b)indole (mutagenic) (22) = soy-globulins + sugars (23)
* 2-amino-3-methyl-9H-pyrido(2,3-b)indole (mutagenic) (24) = soy-globulins + sugars (23)

Prepared fish contains (25):

* 3-amino-1,4-dimethyl-5H-pyrido(4,3-b)indole (mutagenic)(26) = tryptophan + acetaldehyde (27)
* 3-amino-1-methyl-5H-pyrido(4,3-b)indole (mutagenic)(26) = tryptophane + acetaldehyde (28)

Cooked Vegetables contain nitrite:

* cancerous N-nitroso-compounds = amines + nitrite + sugars
* specific N-nitroso-compound ;
* 4-(2-aminoethyl)-6-diazo-2,4-cyclohexadienone (cancerous) = tyramine + nitrite + sugars (7)

Cooked Cabbages contain thiocyanates ;

* toxic (29) tetrahydro-beta-carboline-derivates = isothiocyanate + tyramine / serotonine etc.

Cooked vegetables contain also flavonoids:

* mutagenic glycosides (30) = flavonods + heat

Canned orange juice contains free amino acids, which easily combine with aldehydes to create heterocyclic amines.

What Can HCA Do?

1. Act like Neurotransmitters

Some HCA, like beta-carbolines, can directly influence neurotransmitter-receptors, like benzodiazepine receptors. Simply because the body also composes beta-carbolines to function as neurotransmitters. HCA can also occupy receptors of other neurotransmitters, like serotonine- and dopamine receptors. Especially when they are composed of the same amines. Some examples ;

* 3-methoxycarbonyl-beta-carboline acts through different receptors (31) and increases secretion and decomposition of dopamine, like physical stress does. (32) It enhances 'irrational' aggressive behaviour (33), and decreases social interaction (34).
* 3-ethoxycarbonyl-beta-carboline, is hypnotic and anaesthetic (35), and inhibits investigative behaviour (36) and social interaction. (37) In dominant types it enhances aggressive behaviour, but inhibits sexual appetite. (38) It increases epinephrine- (39) and cortisol-level, blood pressure and heart rate (40), and increases secretion and decomposition of dopamine (41), like physical stress does.
* 3-Hydroxymethyl-beta-carboline ; though hypnotic (42), it negatively affects sleep (43).
* 3-N-methylcarboxamide-beta-carboline enhances reckless- (44) and aggressive behaviour (45), and inhibits sexual appetite. (46) It generally inhibits (47), but locally stimulates norepinephrine secretion. (48) It increases glutamate- (49), ACTH- and Substance P-secretion (50), increases blood pressure (51) and though anaesthetic (52), causes physical stress. (53).
* 3-Methylcarbonyl-6,7-dimethoxy-4-ethyl-beta-carboline blocks GABA receptors (54), increases GABA- and glycine-level, decreases glutamate- and aspartate-level (55), increases corticosterone-, epinephrine- and norepinephrine-secretion(56), decreases serotonine-secretion (57) and increases norepinephrine-receptor-activity. (58) It enhances the effect of cocaine (59), causes anxiety (60) and suppresses immune system activity. (61)
* 3-Ethylcarbonyl-6-benzyloxy-4-methoxymethyl-beta-carboline is sedative (62), causes amnesia (63), and blocks beta-oestradiol-LH (lutinizing hormone) interaction. (64)
* 3-Ethylcarbonyl-5-benzyloxy-4-methoxymethyl-beta-carboline strongly stimulates appetite. (65)
* 3-Ethylcarbonyl-5-isopropyl-4-methyl-beta-carboline causes restlessness (66), sleeplessness (67), and decreases social interaction. (68)

Besides 'normal' beta-carbolines, prepared foods also contain tetrahydro-beta-carbolines. (69).

* Tetrahydro-beta-carboline stimulates craving for alcohol (70), increases heart rate and blood pressure (71), and like 5-methoxy-tetrahydro-beta-carboline and 5-hydroxy-tetrahydro-beta-carboline increases prolactine-level and affects serotonine receptors. (72)
* 6-methoxy-tetrahydro-beta-carboline increases norepinephrine- and ACTH- secretion, and decreases serotonine- and growth hormone secretion. (73)
* 2-Fenylpyrazolo(4,3-c)quinoline-3(5H)-one is sedative (74), increases corticosterone-level (75) and decreases specific benzodiazepine-receptors in the brain. (76)

2. Cause Cancer

Part of the process causing cancer is mutagenic substances damaging cell-DNA. (see site5) Some HCA in prepared food are mutagenic.DNA-damage increases linearly with intake of HCA. (77) How cancerous HCA are is partly dependent on how much nitrogen they contain. (78) Salt, protein and nitrite (from vegetables) can supply nitrogen to react upon HCA. And nitrosated HCA are even more cancerous. (79) Some of the most widespread mutagenic HCA in prepared foods are:

* pyridoindole (80) (amino-gamma-carboline)
* 2-amino-9H-pyrido(2,3-b)indole(81) (amino-alpha-carboline)
* 2-amino-3-methyl-9H-pyrido(2,3-b) (82)
* 3-amino-1,4-dimethyl-5H-pyrido(4,3-b)indole(83)
* 3-amino-1-methyl-5H-pyrido(4,3-b)indole(84)
* 1-methyl-3-carbonyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-beta-carboline(85).
* 4-aminobiphenyl(86)
* 4,4'-methylenedianiline (87)
* 3,2'-dimethyl-4-aminobiphenyl(88)
* 1,2-dimethylhydrazine(89)
* phenyl-hydroxylamine (90)
* O-acetyl-N-(5-phenyl-2-pyridyl)-hydroxylamine(91)
* 2-amino-3-methylimidazo(4,5-f)quinoline(92)
* 2-amino-3-methylimidazo(4,5-f)quinoxaline(93)
* 2-amino-3,4-dimethylimidazo(4,5-f)quinoline (94)
* 2-amino-3,8-dimethylimidazo(4,5-f)quinoxaline (95)
* 2-amino-3,4,8-trimethylimidazo(4,5-b)pyridine(96)
* 2-amino-3,4,8-trimethylimidazo(4,5-f)quinoxaline (97)
* 2-amino-3,7,8-trimethylimidazo(4,5-f)-quinoxaline(98)
* 2-amino-n,n,n-trimethylimidazo-pyridine(99)
* 2-amino-n,n-dimethylimidazopyridine (100)
* 2-amino-4-hydroxymethyl-3,8-dimethylimidazo-(4,5-g)-quinoxaline(101)
* 2-amino-1,7,9-trimethylimidazo-(4,5-g)-quinoxaline (101)
* 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo-(4,5-b)-pyridine(102)

3. Cause Brain Diseases

Some HCA are directly toxic to the brain, like common quinolines, which enter the brain through the dopamine-transport system. (103) Other common HCA (like pyridines (104) and beta-carbolines (105)) only become toxic to the brain after they have been partly decomposed by different enzymes (106) in the body. Originally , these enzymes have to, and do protect the brain against toxic substances, but part of the HCA are accidentally transformed into more toxic substances. (107) Obviously nature didn't count on 'strange' HCA from prepared food. Pyridines can only occupy dopamine-receptors (108), and therefore are toxic to thesereceptors only. Partly decomposed pyridines are more toxic than the originals (109), but the originals do decrease dopamine- (110), norepinephrine- (111) and mostly serotonine-level (112). The destruction of receptors in the brain causes brain-diseases like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and schizophrenia. Some toxic-to-the brain HCA are:

* 3-N-butylcarbonyl-beta-carboline (113)
* 3-N-methylcarboxamide-beta-carboline(113)
* 2-methyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-beta-carboline(114)
* 2-methyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-isoquinoline(114)
* quinolinate (115)
* quisqualinate (116)
* tetrahydroisoquinoline(117)
* 1-benzyl-tetrahydro-isoquinoline(117)
* N-methyl-(R)-salsolinol(118)
* N-methyl-6-methoxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-isoquinoline(119)
* 6-methoxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-isoquinoline(119)
* 2,4,5-trihydroxyphenylalanine(120)
* 6-hydroxy-dopamine(121)
* N-methyl-4-fenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine(122)
* 1-methyl-4-fenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine(123)
* 1-methyl-4-fenyl-1,2,5,6-tetrahydropyridine(124).
* 4-fenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine(125)
* 4-fenylpyridine(125)
* 3-acetylpyridine(126)
* 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,4-dihydropyridine(127)
* 1-methyl-4-cyclohexic-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine(128)
* 1-methyl-4-(2'-methylfenyl)-1,2,3,6--tetrahydropyridine (129)
* 1-methyl-4-(2'-ethylfenyl)-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (130)
* 1-methyl-4-(3'-methoxyfenyl)-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine(131)
* 1-methyl-4-(methylpyrrol-2-yl)-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine(132)

Though toxic pyridines create oxidative radicals (133) and decrease antioxidant-level (134), the intake of antioxidants cannot prevent brain damage by toxic pyridines. (135)
Additives

Food preparation is primarily there to make edible what is not so edible. Additives are primarily there to make fake food last longer, and to make you eat more. Taste enhancers for example are mostly concentrated protein, filled with lots of physical addictive beta-carbolines that make you eat more. Glutamate (popular in the Chinese kitchen) indirectly influences the same (Benzodiazepine) receptors.

http://www.rawfoodlife.com/Articles___Research/Toxins_Created_by_Cooking/toxins_created_by_cooking.html
Here is a forum for those suffering from withdrawal from benzodiazepines. Benzodiazepine Withdrawal

There's now a sticky-topic " Info on Toxins in Cooked-Foods" thread in the General forum. This covers many studies and links.

Thanks Nicola. I think this link should be posted in the links section of rawpaleodiet.com

i am now, have been for awhile, and probably mostly ever will - eat 100% raw beef.   To include actual butcher's-discarded pure fat trimmings, which I think there's not many of y'all doing.

however comma,  i am skeptical that cooking creates significant poisoning effect in a real human.  i am not very impressed by laboratory analysis of what it creates.    If you believe laboratory analysis,  tearing asbestos out of old buildings is worthwhile.  In the real world, it probably creates more morbidity than just sealing it up well, and leaving it in place.

i eat raw meat for purely practical reasons and laziness reasons.

I don't know exactly what you are trying to say here, but your asbestos analogy seems pretty pertinent to these kinds of decisions for me.

People faced with a situation of having an excessive backlog of structural decay (so to speak) but are otherwise functional (feeling well) arn't necessarily going to go with overhauling that situation to create something completely optimal, particularly if it takes years of work, dedication, possible discomfort or inconvenience, or potential to fuck up entirely. In that, they and you are right. For some it probably is better just to paint over whatever mess if it means something can remain livable without much serious effort. Unfortunately for some - and probably at a certain point for the cover-overs - this strategy becomes no longer feasible particularly with corresponding contemporary factors that were not in existence with our recent ancestors on 'cooked' diets. For many the integrity of the structure is basically defunct/polluted/in a rapid state of decay due to more than 'cooking'.

Many times someone in the situation of having a functional situation (questioning the value for them of raw), would probably be driven to such a revamp intellectually, based on others advice or their experiences, and might not have the reason to preservere with the other nonsense (even if they have less of it) then someone who has no choice (their space is basically not livable).

Luckily, with the right care and education towards that process, even someone in the worst of situations should/can be able to turn attention to those failings and turn them completely around. Ideally they can create a situation that others who have had an easier time with upkeep (for whatever reason) or are just reasonably attentive towards maintenance might be envious of. Will a person with severe and acute problems and having spent a good chunk of their lifetime eating SWD after switching to raw obtain the health of a generational HG on some cooked foods? Perhaps so or perhaps not, but in comparison within the same individual faced with the choice, the 'toxins' from cooking seem at least anecdotaly inefficient in the actual asbestos removal process (if that is what one desires).