Enzymes and BS

[Guest guest]

Hi All,

Seems there is a lot of confusion and just plain BS out there on the subject of

enzymes. To be clear, there are

basically 3 types of enzymes:

1) Human metabolic enzymes.

2) Human digestive enzymes.

3) Enzymes in food (some which are just amino fodder and some which can assist

digestion in the gut).

Enzymes are strings of animo acids which may also need various cofactors (co

enzymes) to work and perform various tasks

as directed by their originating cellular DNA. Enzymes are NOT alive or carry a

life force anymore than hormones or

other proteins are alive. Once used up, they are degraded back into basic amino

acids. Enzymes can be made inactive

(turned off) and some foods such as seeds and nuts are rich in digestive enzyme

inhibitors which can slow down

digestion.

Food enzymes, just like food hormones and other proteins are broken apart by the

protein digestion enzymes in the gut.

While this process is not perfect, virtually no bio active enzymes, hormones or

proteins will survive to make it into

the blood and cause significant biological activity. However a lack of human

digestive enzymes can alter this picture

(and allow non human enzymes, hormones and proteins to enter the blood, be

attacked and hopefully destroyed by the

immune system) and it is here that food based digestive enzymes can effect

health in a positive way by assisting poor

pancreas digestive enzyme production.

The release of the various fat, carb and protein enzymes are under individual

regulatory system control and the

digestive system signals the body to make more digestive enzymes of the type

needed. So if your meal is high fat and

low carb, the body will make more fat digestive enzymes and less of the carb

ones. The body does NOT like to waste

energy.

Here is a good site (with moving graphics) to further study digestive enzymes:

http://arbl.cvmbs.colostate.edu/hbooks/pathphys/digestion/pancreas/exocrine.html

Seems some believe we are born with a finite capability to make enzymes of any

kind and once this capacity is used up,

we die. Most of the statements made by the author (who calls himself a doctor)

in this article are so far from reality

as to be delusional or worst.

http://www.living-foods.com/articles/enzymes.html

ly his theory is just that, a theory and without ANY medical proof. As

long as you supply a wide range of complete

amino acids from the proteins in your diet, the body can make ALL the enzymes

(both metabolic and digestive) it needs,

assuming the cells are healthy.

However fill up your gut with too much food, especially manufactured food and

you will experience enzyme deficiency but

so what as you can overload any system and push it to a breaking point.

The secret to good digestion?:

1) Eat some raw food with each meal. Try to make this the first food you eat.

2) Chew your food into very small pieces to increase surface area.

3) Eat slowly.

4) Don't drink a lot of fluids with your meal as you will dilute your stomach

acid and enzymes.

5) Eat smaller meals, more often.

6) Eat complete proteins to supply your enzyme factories with adequate amino

acids building blocks.

7) Don't overcook food.

8) Eat nutritionally dense foods to get the various cofactors (minerals & vits)

your enzymes need to work.

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Good health & long life,

Greg ,

http://optimalhealth.cia.com.au