Udo's
Choice Digestive Enzymes
A Blend of Nine Vegetable Source Enzymes
Many enzymes on the market today are either created by chemical synthesis or made from animal organs - hog stomach, bovine pancreas, lamb forestomach, etc. Plant enzymes, however, are derived from actual plants, cultivated on a plant medium.
Individual animal enzymes work in a narrow pH range and are, usually, only capable of digesting protein or fat. A broad-based plant enzyme supplement has a wider pH range of activity, allowing it to function throughout the entire digestive tract. It begins working in the upper stomach, thus decreasing the enzyme secretion needed for digestion. Temporarily inactive in the lower stomach, plant enzymes return to their active state in the intestines, helping to complete the digestive process. Plant enzymes can also digest a wider range of food types.
Not all plant enzyme supplements are created equal! Many were originally developed to help preserve food for storage and shipping. Udo's Choice Digestive Enzyme Blend was specifically designed for human consumption and is most active in the pH and temperature range found in the human body. It contains all the enzymes required to digest the full range of food types, but is especially good at digesting protein because of its high protein content. Protein that hasn't been fully digested is the major cause of food-related digestive complaints in our society.
Udo's Choice: The Superior Choice
Protein, Precise and Balanced
Udo's Choice Digestive Enzyme Blend contains high potency enzymes intended for use as a replacement for enzymes lost in the cooking and processing of food. It provides enzyme activity combinations which are precisely balanced to optimize the body's utilization of food nutrients.
A Full Range of Enzymes
In addition to five protein-digesting enzymes, the Digestive Enzyme Blend contains all the enzymes required to break down and metabolize fat, carbohydrate, soluble fiber, starch, milk sugar and complex sugars.
Guaranteed Enzyme Activity
Enzyme potency is best defined in terms of activity, not weight. Weight measurements can be misleading as there is no direct relationship between weight and activity. Low potency enzymes may weigh as much as high potency ones, and filler may add to the weight (but, not the activity) of an enzyme supplement.
The foremost international standard for measurement is Food Chemical Codes (FCC) units. The Digestive Enzyme Blend is made according to the FCC method and uses the FCC measuring system to define enzyme potency. Supplements expressing enzyme potency in other units often perpetuate the confusion over enzyme potencies and prevent the consumer from making an informed choice through comparison of the activity, not the weight, of enzyme products.
100% Vegetarian Source
The Digestive Enzyme Blend is made from 100% vegetarian-source aspergillus using the solid state fermentation method recommended by the FCC. Aspergillus enzymes have a strong record of safe use in the food industry.
The Convenience of Vegicaps
The Digestive Enzyme Blend comes in easily digested vegetarian-source Vegicaps.
Beneficial Buckwheat
Maltodextryn, the usual filler, has been replaced with buckwheat powder which contains bioflavonoids. It is unrelated to wheat and safe for those allergic to gluten.
Maximum Results
To get the most from the Digestive Enzyme Blend, open the capsule and mix it with the food. Otherwise, it may be taken prior to and/or during the meal. Heat destroys enzymes, so avoid mixing directly into hot food. Results should be noticeable within a week.
Suggested Reading
Enzymes, The Fountain of Life, Dr. D.A. Lopez, et al. (Neville Press, 1994)
Enzyme Nutrition - The Food Enzyme Concept, Dr. E. Howell (Avery Publishing, 1989)
"Intestinal Permeability in Patients with Eczema and Food Allergy". O.G. Jackson, et al. (Lancet i:1285-86, 1986)
Pottenger's Cats: A Study in Nutrition, F. Pottenger, M.D. (Price-Pottenger Nutritional Foundation, 1983)
Why Digestive Enzymes?
What are digestive enzymes?
Digestive Enzymes are catalysts which break down food into its basic components so our bodies can absorb the nutrients they require to build cells, tissues and organs.
Where do they come from?
Digestive enzymes come from two sources: internal and external. Internally, the digestive system secretes the enzymes found in saliva, the stomach, pancreas and intestines. Externally, raw food is the primary source. Nature endows all food with the enzymes required for its digestion. Chewing raw food releases these enzymes and digestion begins. our own enzymes assist in this process.
Why don't we have enough?
Caffeine, alcohol, illness, pregnancy, stress, severe weather and exercise all take their toll on our enzyme reserves. Our bodies also produce less as we age. But, the main reason we don't digest food well is due to the processed food in our diets. Our diets don't contain as much raw food as they once did, and modern food processing techniques and cooking destroy nearly 100% of the enzymes naturally present in food. Even raw food doesn't contain as many enzymes as it once did due to environmental factors, depleted soil, and preservation techniques. The body tries to compensate by producing more internal digestive enzymes to make up for the lack of external plant enzymes.
What can go wrong?
Enzyme-deficient food puts a burden on the digestive system that it wasn't designed to handle. Incomplete digestion can lead to poor nutrient absorption, fatigue, digestive upset, food allergies, and other health conditions. Partially digested food particles escaping from the gut can cause an immune response, flogging the immune system. The body may also "steal" enzymes from the immune system, compromising it even further.