Although heat processing makes vegetables, fruits, and grains more digestible, it has the reverse result on proteins. Not only are cooked proteins less digestible, but they become distorted, or “denatured,” by heating. Enzymes, special proteins that aid in thousands of chemical reactions in the body, are especially fragile, and are rapidly destroyed by heat, even at relatively low temperatures. The normal food enzymes that would help digest the food are destroyed. These irregular proteins may be a factor in the development of food allergies, as the immune system reacts to these unfamiliar and unnatural changes. More and more pet owners and veterinarians alike are discovering the health benefits of a raw diet made up of mostly meats. Shedding almost stops completely. Many health issues such as chronic allergies and inflammatory bowel disease can completely clear up on a raw diet. Raw is key.