If your diet is enzyme deficient that can trigger or aggravate uncomfortable symptoms. These common symptoms often signal digestive insufficiencies that can lead to more advanced metabolic challenges. Various factors determine our requirement for digestive enzymes
Enzymes are involved in every chemical reaction in our body
Processed foods drain our enzyme supply- as cooking destroys the enzymes in food
Some foods are antagonistic to enzymes, or inhibit their action e.g. peanuts
Extra demands on our body (e.g. stress, illness, cold temperatures etc.)
Ageing-reduces our body’s stocks
Better digestion can be achieved by adding a pancreatic blend of food grade multi-enzymes and synergistic co-factors to optimize digestion of fats, starches, carbohydrates, proteins (including gluten, casein and soy) and sugars (including lactose) along with prebiotics that help maintain digestive health through a wide pH range (3-9). This can help overcome metabolic challenges and reward your bodies with the necessary digestive nutrients to achieve fuller health or reduce a health issue.
Digestive enzymes are all involved in the hydrolysis (breakage of a bond with the addition of water) of large food molecules. There are 3 major types of digestive enzyme: those digesting proteins, fats and carbohydrates. Despite their importance in metabolism, according to Dr. Edward Howell, considered the father of enzyme research, the number of enzymes each cell can produce is limited. Today's diet can be deficient in enzymes. This puts the body's digestive system under stress, which can manifest itself in fatigue, headaches, excess weight, heartburn, bloating, constipation, gas, allergies and other digestive disorders. The role of digestive enzymes is to break down the foods that we eat into smaller compounds that can be readily absorbed and put into the bloodstream. The body will then be able to reassemble these components into specific forms it needs. If this process does not function properly, the body will lack the building blocks needed for growth and health maintenance and result in health problems elsewhere in the body (e.g. eczema). Another consequence is that the food not absorbed will trail down to the bowels and provide nutrient rich materials that foster the growth of unhealthy bacteria and yeast.
A good enzyme formula is a complete food grade multi-enzyme complex composed of all plant based enzymes. Look for an enzyme complex that is formulated to work in a wide pH range (from 3 to 9+, this is the most common range in the body). This complex should include:
- Carbohydrases (carbohydrate digesting enzymes), including amylase, cellulase, lactase, maltase, invertase or diastase.
- A proprietary acid stable lipase along with peptizymes SP (peptidase) or alpha-galactosidase.
- Bromelain and/or papain.
- Hemicellulase to assist in the breakdown of indigestible fiber and the cell wall of candida
- A prebiotic blend that helps cultivate healthy probiotics, which aid in digestion and absorption.
Enzymes Enzymes are protein molecules that are made by all plant and animal cells. All cells require enzymes to survive and function. Enzymes are catalysts, which means that they make chemical reactions go faster, but are not changed by the reaction. Research has shown that people who have a chronic disease or have low energy levels also have lower enzyme content in their blood, urine, and tissues. Hence enzymes are vital for immunity. Enzymes are required for your body to function properly because without enzymes you wouldn't be able to breathe, swallow, drink, eat, or digest your food.
Those people trying to improve their health prospects should consider three primary source of enzymes:-
Supplementary digestive enzymes to improve digestion, reduce bowel dysfunction and improve healing and immunity;
Digestive enzymes present in suitable raw foods, green or ‘superfoods’ in order to improve our basic stock of enzymes and covalent nutrients. Raw (certified) Manuka honey can benefit the digestion and immune system.
Protease enzymes taken to reduce inflammatory conditions (e.g. Serrazyme)
Each metabolic reaction is started, controlled, and terminated by enzymes. Without enzymes, no metabolic activity will occur. A body that does not consistently and efficiently metabolize the essential food nutrients necessary cannot maintain optimum health. Metabolic enzymes run the body. They exist throughout the body in the organs, the bones, the blood, and inside the cells themselves. It is estimated that the body has more than 3000 enzymes and maintaining this stock is vital for our health and our longevity. They can be lost through the digestive processes, through the skin and waste, and also damaged when defending the body. If our digestion uses too many enzymes providing new nutrients from food then it may compromise our immune system. Through constant use, enzymes lose their strength and ability to do their work. As we age, the organs responsible for producing our digestive enzymes become less efficient.
We can help maintain our stock of enzymes in two ways:-
Reduce the quantity of enzymes used during digestion by supplementing digestive enzymes or by eating raw food;
Eating raw foods (and particularly ‘superfoods’-rich in enzymes) as part of our staple diet
Digestive enzymes and food enzymes basically serve the same function, which is to digest our food so it can be absorbed through the walls of the small intestine into the blood stream. Supplemental digestive enzymes will deliver the necessary nutrients to fortify your body and can enhance your body's healing system often resulting in improved overall health and vitality.
Digestive enzymes: To properly process and metabolize the nutrients in food we need an adequate source of the major types of digestive enzymes: Proteases, Amylases, and Lipases. Ensuring that these food groups are properly digested will reduce the risks of bowel dysfunction or reduce the discomfort from those with bowel problems. Certain enzymes can be taken to relieve the burden on vital organs( i.e. the liver and pancreas) and the enzymes they produce for our digestion system. In this way some health issues with these organs can be assisted .
Not all foods can be consumed raw and some food groups can inhibit digestive enzymes and that is the prime reason for pre-soaking beans or lentils and for cooking meats. Fermented foods are rich in enzymes and prebiotics. There are some specific enzymes that can reduce food intolerances (e.g. lactase for milk lactose intolerance).
Protease enzymes have been shown to reduce inflammatory problems associated with strains, metabolic problems or auto-immune conditions. The enzyme class of proteases breaks down proteins into amino acids. Proteases help keep the intestines free of parasites, bacteria, yeast and protozoa.These enzymes are taken as supplements between meals to break down or inhibit the adverse actions of some proteins in the intestines and can reduce prostaglandins and some opioids which cause inflammation elsewhere in the body.