You’ve probably heard that enzymes are important for digestion, but did you know that there’s another category of enzymes called metabolic enzymes? In one way or another, enzymes influence everything that happens in your body, whether it’s energy production, growth, tissue rebuilding, breathing, immune function, or a multitude of other metabolic functions. Without enzymes, life could not exist!

Digestive enzymes are produced in various parts of the digestive tract and break down the food we eat. Raw food contains its own enzymes, which help in their digestion, but since we eat mostly cooked foods in our culture, our body has to produce the enzymes to digest them. As we age, the enzyme producing systems, especially the pancreas, become less efficient and our food may not be digested completely.

Undigested food particles can leak through the intestinal wall, into the blood stream. The immune system perceives these food particles as foreign invaders and attacks them, setting up inflammation in the surrounding area. We experience this as allergy, or when the inflammation affects surrounding tissue, it can result in autoimmune disorders like arthritis or lupus. So the first step in preventing or healing illness, is to make sure our digestive enzymes are in plentiful supply.

The good news is, there are now many excellent enzyme formulations on the market to replenish our depleted enzyme supply. Many people find that taking enzymes with every meal helps to improve digestion, as well as general well being.

Digestive enzymes are activated at different pH levels, which means that some enzymes (like those that work in the small intestine on carbohydrates, for example) require an alkaline medium and others (like those that digest protein in the stomach) need an acid medium for maximum activity. Some people may have adequate digestive enzymes, but their stomachs may not produce enough hydrochloric acid to activate the pepsin, and therefore their protein digestion is weak. They would benefit from supplementing with either a hydrochloric acid supplement with every meal, or from taking papain, an enzyme that digests protein in a more alkaline medium.

Enzymes are also important for keeping our systems clear of debris. When foreign particles get into our bloodstream, the immune system sends out enzymes to "digest" those particles. Enzymes can actually dissolve the protective coatings of viruses and bacteria, so that they are more easily eliminated.

The body needs protein in order to construct enzymes as well as other body tissues. This sets up rather a vicious circle when the enzymes necessary for breaking down the protein in our foods are missing or can’t function due to lack of stomach acid. No enzymesą no protein digestioną no raw materials for making enzymesą no enzymes. So making sure we have enough digestive enzymes is crucial for long-term health and rejuvenation.

When we have extra enzymes available, which can happen when we eat mostly raw foods or when we supplement with enzyme capsules, those enzymes aren’t wasted. The body can use those to enhance its other metabolic functions. In iridology (reading the eyes for determining the general health of the body) I often notice people have dots of yellow in their eyes, which can indicate a buildup of mucoprotein in the body. After taking enzyme supplements between meals for a period of time, these deposits often clear up and the person’s health usually benefits.

Some authorities feel that declining enzyme activity is one of the prime causes of aging. Every seven years, every cell in our body is totally renewed. That means, we are never really more than 7 years old at the cellular level! However, without enzymes we don’t have the raw materials necessary for proper rebuilding and we can’t get rid of all the waste products involved in the cellular breakdown. The end result is a system that is less and less efficient metabolically. Ensuring adequate enzyme levels may be one of our best protections against the so-called "diseases of aging."

~ Tys Dammeyer

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