Is most of the food you eat cooked or microwaved?
Do you eat a lota of fast foods"?
Have you tried various diets but can't lose weight?
Do you suffer from indigestion, gas or bloating?
Do you have lots of chronic aches and pains?
Are you recovering from chronic illness or fighting a virus?
If so, you may be enzyme deficient.
Learn how to enhance your enzymatic "spark plugs"
Jump Start Your Body's "Engine" with Enzymes
Perhaps you've heard the saying, "You are what you eat?" Well, that's only partially true. In reality, you are what you eat, digest and metabolize. You can eat the best food in the world, but if your body can't digest and utilize it properly, it isn't going to do you any good.
You see, your body needs to break down proteins into amino acids before it can use them. Your body can't utilize fats, either. It has to break them down into fatty acids. And it can't use starch without breaking it down into simple sugars first. And you aren't done yet, because the body also has to be able to reassemble these nutrients into the compounds it needs.
How does the body do this? With enzymes.
Just as your car can't burn the fuel you put into it without a spark plug to unite it and release the energy it contains, the body can't release the energy found in the food you eat without enzymes. So, enzymes are the "spark plugs" that "ignite" the food we eat to produce energy. But, they do much more than this. Enzymes also catalyze all of the life processes, not only in human beings, but in all living things.
So, just like a car can't run efficiently when the spark plugs are worn or damaged, when we're deficient in enzymes, we won't get the energy and benefit we need from the food we eat. And unfortunately, most Americans are "driving" their body with deficient spark plugs. Why?
There are a couple of reasons. First, as we just mentioned, all living things contain enzymes. This includes the plant and animal life we utilize for food. However, enzymes are destroyed by heat! So, when we cook, can, microwave or otherwise process food, we destroy enzymes. Since most Americans eat very few fresh, raw foods, they are getting very few enzymes in their diet.
Of course, the body makes its own enzymes, but the fact that these enzymes aren't being supplemented from our diet means we're placing a great deal of unnecessary stress on our digestive organs. This rapidly depletes our digestive systems, which is why most Americans develop problems with digestion as they age.
But, that's not all! In order to increase shelf life, food manufacturers often add preservatives to modern food. Many of these preservatives act as enzyme inhibitors, which means they actually interfere with our own digestive function. Also, all seed-based foods, which includes grains, nuts and legumes, contain natural enzyme inhibitors. This can make these foods difficult to digestive if not prepared correctly.
If you suffer from fatigue, indigestion, excess weight, infections, parasites, cancer, auto-immune disorders or chronic illness of any kind, there is a good chance you may be enzyme deficient. If so, supplementing your nutritional intake with more enzymes may be just the "spark" your body needs to increase your energy, catalyze tissue healing and repair and otherwise, put your "metabolic" engine back on the road to better health.
Enzyme Supplements to Spark Up Your Life
Western eating habits have changed substantially over the past 50 years. At one time, people lived primarily on food they grew or gathered locally. Much of this food was eaten raw or was fermented for preservation.
Traditional diets were not only more nutritionally dense (i.e., had higher levels of vitamins and minerals), they were also richer in natural enzymes.
Today, almost all the food we eat has been baked, fried, boiled, steamed, pasteurized, microwaved or otherwise cooked.
Unfortunately, this cooking and processing destroys many nutrients, including vitamins and enzymes. Enzymes are inactivated in water that is heated above 118 degrees. They are also deactivated with a dry heat of just 150 degrees. (For reference, remember that water boils at 212 degrees at sea level.) This is unfortunate, because this lack of enzymes in our diet results in a lot of unnecessary stress on one's digestive system.
When food is not properly digested, it can begin to rot in the digestive tract - proteins putrefy and fruits and vegetables ferment. The result is ingestion, gas, bloating, bad-breath and body odor. These toxic by-products of poor digestion cause inflammation in the colon and weaken our immune system.
Enzyme production that could be utilized for other purposes is diverted to try to deal with the toxic overload. This results in depleted energy throughout the body and can lead to chronic pain and illnesses like arthritis and hardening of the arteries.
Supplementing with enzymes to replace those missing from the diet can have far-reaching benefits on health. Among other things, enzyme therapy can:
*Enhance digestion
*Promote weight loss Reduce allergic reactions
*Detoxify the body Enhance immunity Decongest lymphatics Ease pain
*Increase energy
That's a pretty impressive list of benefits for one supplement. So, to help you choose the enzyme supplement (or supplements) that are right for you, here's some information on some of the valuable enzyme supplements available for our use.
Amazing Enzymes
Enzymes are molecules, composed of amino acids (the building blocks of protein), which are created by all living organisms. Enzymes are the catalysts for all the metabolic processes oflife. Since the 1930's, over 5,000 enzymes have been discovered in nature, with over 3,000 found in the human body.
There are three basic kinds of enzymes as follows.
Plant Enzymes. This first group consists of the enzymes we get from out diet when we eat fresh, raw food or consume fermented foods. These enzymes have an enzyme-sparing effect on the body because they take stress off our digestive tract by partially digesting food for us. Plant enzymes have also been shown to have beneficial effects such as reducing inflammation and enhancing immunity.
Digestive Enzymes. These are the enzymes released by glands in the mouth, stomach and intestines to break down (digest) the food we eat. This second kind of enzymes break down starches and complex sugars into simple sugars, fats into fatty acids and proteins into amino acids.
Metabolic Enzymes. This is a third class of enzymes which regulates numerous chemical reactions in the body. Metabolic enzymes take sugars, fatty acids and amino acids and reassemble them into hormones, neurotransmitters, cell membranes and other components the body needs. Metabolic enzymes are also used to break down substances the body no longer needs, such as excess hormones, metabolic by-products or toxins.
Proactazyme Plus
For most people, Proactazyme Plus is the best enzyme supplement to take. It contains the plant-based enzymes that are missing from our modern diets. It contains enzymes that assist the body in breaking down all three major types of foodstuffs-proteases to break down protein, lipases for fats and amylases for carbohydrates. It also contains enzymes that break down the complex sugars in beans and vegetables that cause intestinal gas. The formula also contains herbs that stimulate natural digestive functions, including: beet root, caraway seed, fennel, gentian, dandelion root.
Food Enzymes
For more serious digestive problems, Food Enzymes are a better choice. This formula supplies the digestive secretions and enzymes normally produced by the human body to break down food. It contains hydrochloric acid and pepsin (secreted by the stomach to break down proteins), bile salts (secreted by the gall bladder to emulsify fats) and pancreatic enzymes (which break down fats, proteins and carbohydrates). The blend also contains bromelain, an enzyme from pineapples, and papain, an enzyme from papayas, both of which help to break down proteins.
Food Enzymes is particularly helpful for elderly people whose digestive systems often produce less digestive fluids and enzymes. It is also beneficial for people who are suffering from chronic illness and "wasting" because they are having a difficult time absorbing nutrients.
Papaya Mint Tablets
This blend contains papaya, a fruit containing the enzyme papain which breaks down protein. It also contains the essential oil of peppermint, which is traditionally used for gas and indigestion. Sweetened with fructose and sorbitol, these tasty, chewable tablets will help to relieve acid indigestion, acid reflux, belching, bloating, gas, heartburn and poor digestion. They are a safe enzyme remedy, even for children, and make excellent natural breath mints, too.
Digestive Bitters
This isn't an enzyme formula, but it is a blend that will stimulate your own body's enzyme secretions and digestive fluids. Liquid bitters have traditionally been used to settle digestive upset and stimulate the appetite. Taken about 15 minutes prior to meals, it will increase the flow of digestive secretions and stimulate appetite. Taken after the meal, it will setde digestive upset and enhance fat and protein metabolism.
Protease and PDA
When people have specific problems with breaking down proteins, there are three products that may be helpful. PDA Combination supplies bemaine hydrochloric acid (HCI) and pepsin, the digestive secretions produced by the stomach to break down proteins. As we age, HCI production tends to diminish, making this a very good supplement for the elderly.
Protease enzymes, which break down protein, are also available in two potencies, Protease Plus and High Potency Protease. High Potency Protease is about three times stronger than Protease Plus. These supplements are very beneficial for people with poor protein metabolism, food allergies and immune problems. Taken between meals, they can help rid the intestines of parasites and assist the body in fighting cancer. Caution: Protein-digesting aids should nor be taken with gastric ulcers or by those with blood clotting disorders.
Other Digestive Enzymes
If you suffer from gas after drinking milk or eating dairy foods like ice cream, you may be lactose intolerant. Lactose is a sugar found in milk that requires the lactase enzyme to digest. Lactase Plus will help those who have difficulty digesting dairy produet5 as it contains both lactase and protease enzymes that break down milk sugar and milk proteins.
Lipases are a class of enzymes produced by the salivaty glands, pancreas and stomach that assist in the breakdown of dietary fats. For individuals who have had their gall bladder removed or for those with difficulty digesting foods containing fats, such as nuts or fried food, Hi-Lipase can be a useful enzyme supplement.
Nattozimes Plus
A relatively new enzyme supplement on the market is Nattozimes Plus. The enzymes in this formula help to dissolve fibrin and prevent platelet aggregation. This provides a safe, natural blood-thinning
effect for the prevention of cardiovascular disease. The formula also contains hawthorn berries, capsicum fruit, dandelion leaf and resveratrol, which also support the cardiovascular system. This formula should not be used by those with clotting disorders, an aspergillus allergy, or anyone taking anti-coagulant medications.
Nature's Fresh
One final product that utilizes enzymes is Nature's Fresh. This versatile product contains six different classes of enzymes, which not only can be used to remove stains and odors from your home, but can also be used therapeutically to enhance health. Many people have found that spraying these enzymes on topically has helped to clear up skin problems, reduce pain and inflammation and promote healing.
Should I Eat Everything Raw?
When some people learn about enzymes, they draw the erroneous conclusion that everything we eat should be raw and that all cooked food is bad. This isn't really true.
Traditional diets did incorporate raw foods, but they also contained cooked foods. Because human beings lack the enzyme cellulase (which breaks down the cellulose in grass and other vegetables), it is difficult for the human digestive system to break down many plant foods. Steaming or stir-frying these vegetables breaks down the cell walls and makes these nutrients available to us.
Also, nuts, grains, beans and other seeds contain enzyme inhibitors. This is why seeds and nuts can remain viable for many years (sometimes hundreds or even thousands of years) . The enzyme inhibitors are preventing premature breakdown of nutrients. These foods must be soaked or "sprouted" in order to deactivate the enzyme inhibitors and activate their enzymes. Seeds and nuts are not "alive" as there's no enzymatic activity. Soaking or sprouting nuts, grains and seeds before eating will make available the enzymes needed to digest these nutritious foods.
Fermented Foods
Traditional cultures where a lot of cooked foods were eaten typically supplemented their enzymes with cultured foods. This provided natural enzyme supplementation for their diets. Cultured dairy products, such as unpasteurized yoghurt, cheese and kefir, supply both probiotics (friendly bacteria) and additional enzymes. Other fermented foods which supply both probiotics and enzymes include cultured soy foods (miso, Nano), pickled vegetables (sauerkraut, cucumbers, Kim Chi), naturally fermented beverages, fermented fish and sourdough bread.
Unfortunately, in modern society most of these pickles, sauerkraut, fermented beverages (beers and wine), etc. are cooked or pasteurized after the fermentation process, which destroys both the probiotics and the enzymes. This increases shelf life, but destroys many of the benefits traditional societies derived from these foods. Fortunately, many health food stores sell "raw" fermented products which are enzyme-rich. You can also learn to make your own or take enzyme supplements.
Many fresh foods also supplement enzymes and will help to digest cooked foods. Foods that are excellent sources of plant enzymes include avocado bananas, dates, figs, grapes, kiwi, mango, papaya, pineapple as well as extra virgin olive oil and raw honey. Eating these foods in an un-pasteurized and un-processed form will aid in proper digestion and absorption.
For More information Contact:
Karen Olerich, Herb Specialist
Phone: (719) 495-4930
E-mail: herblady@a-renewedhealth.com
Web: www.a-renewedhealth.com
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