Re: Enzymes, from David

Enzyme Tour #3: Types of Enzymes

For the purpose of this discussion, enzymes are classified into
three categories.

DIGESTIVE, FOOD and METABOLIC ENZYMES.

Metabolic enzymes run the body. They exist throughout the body; in the
organs, the bones, the blood, and inside the cells themselves. These
Enzymes are instrumental in the growth of new cells and the maintenance
of all tissue. Every organ and tissue has its own group of specialized
enzymes. They are trained to run and maintain their host. When these
enzymes are healthy, robust, and present in adequate numbers, they do
an excellent job carrying out their mission.

The two kind of enzymes we are concentrating on here are:
DIGESTIVE ENZYMES - and - FOOD ENZYMES.

These two are active only within our digestive system.
These enzymes hav e only one job, both types digest our food!

DIGESTIVE ENZYMES are made by our body's organs. Digestive
enzymes are secreted by the Salivary Glands, Stomach, Pancreas,
and the Small Intestine. [Technically, digestive enzymes are also
considered to be metabolic enzymes whose metabolic role is to
digest food. We are specifically distinguishing these particular
enzymes here, because they deal with digestion and they can
be supplemented from an outside source. More will be said of
supplemental digestive enzymes later.]

FOOD ENZYMES are already present WITHIN the food we eat.
Food enzymes exist naturally in raw food. If the food is cooked,
however, the high temperature involved in the cooking process will
destroy the enzymes.

IMPORTANT: Digestive enzymes and food enzymes basically serve
the same function, that is to digest our food so it can be
absorbed through the walls of the small intestine into the
blood stream. From this viewpoint the only real difference
between food enzymes and digestive enzymes is where they
came from; from inside our body or from the food we eat.

A closer look at FOOD ENZYMES and
DIGESTIVE ENZYMES in digestion:

Most food, when it is uncooked contains enough natural food enzymes to
digest that food. When you cook the food the enzymes are inactivated
(denatured) and can no longer assist in the digestive (breaking down)
process. Eating raw food in some cases is totally acceptable and quite
unacceptable in others. We eat raw fruit and many raw vegetables,
but less often do we eat raw meat, raw fish (not withstanding sushi),
or raw pork.

Eating uncooked rice is nearly a guaranteed trip to your dentist! So,
obviously we cook our f ood.

Here's where the problem occurs. Cooked food contains no enzymes
because they have been destroyed. If you eat a meal consisting of a
salad, a steak and baked potato, there is likely enough food enzymes
contained in the salad to digest it (break it down so your body can
use its nutrients). But, there are no extra enzymes available to help
digest the steak or the baked potato. Because the steak and potato are
cooked, there are no FOOD ENZYMES available to digest them, our body
must take over and internally create the needed amount of DIGESTIVE
ENZYMES to handle the digestive task.

The more we depend on our internally generated DIGESTIVE ENZYMES
the more stress we put on our body's systems and organs and the less
time these systems and organs have for rebuilding and replacing worn
out and damaged cells and tissue and for keeping our i mmune system
strong. It has often been said that eating too much will kill you. The fact
is there is a lot of truth in this statement. Your body is programmed to
try to be a survivor. Its top priority is making sure it has enough
nutrients
to run its own systems. This means digesting food and converting it into
nutrients. There is no activity more important to the body than this. This
takes a lot of energy and enzymes, particularly if the body must make
most or all of these enzymes. Remember, no food can be digested without
digestive enzymes.

Dr. DicQie Fuller in her book The Healing Power of Enzymes states the
situation quite clearly:

"Eighty percent of our body's energy is expended by the digestive process.
If you are run down, under stress, living in a very hot or very cold
climate,
pregnant, or are a frequent air traveler, enor mous quantities of extra
enzymes
are required by your body.

Because our entire system functions through enzymatic action, we must
supplement our enzymes. Aging deprives us of our ability to produce
necessary enzymes. The medical profession tells us that all disease is due
to a lack or imbalance of enzymes. Our very lives are dependent upon them!"

When our body is stressed by a shortage of digestive enzymes two things
can happen and both are bad:


1. Our body continues to work overtime to create the needed enzymes
required to digest our food. The extra stress and pressure created impacts
our immune system and lowers our ability to protect ourselves from and
fight off disease.

2. Because our body finally becomes so overworked, it can't keep up
making enough enzymes to PROPERLY digest our food. As this undigested
f ood begins to pollute our body, the chances of chronic disease becomes
even greater.

Here's The Bottom Line:

Most illness, pain and suffering is the result of a digestive
malfunction in or causing toxemia inside of the body.

This malfunction is the direct result of not enough DIGESTIVE
ENZYMES to properly digest and metabolize our nutrients.

Significant short and long term health problems develop when
these nutrients are not digested.

If you supplement your diet with natural digestive enzymes
your life and health will change dramatically.

If you are over 40 you will feel, look, and be able to act younger.

If you are challenged by illness you will find that enzymes
will make that easier and in some cases make you symptom free.

Lifestyle problems like high blood pressure, kidney disease,
liver probl ems,indigestion and heartburn, adult onset diabetes,
fibromyalgia, migraines, PMS, even hyperactivity in children,
often have their starting point in nutritional problems.

Supplemental digestive enzymes will deliver the necessary nutrients to
fortify and enhance your body's healing system resulting in remarkable
improvement and often dramatic results.

Next we will look at which digestive enzymes are needed to digest
which food; those that digest protein, those needed for carbohydrates,
and the ones that digest fat. And we will learn how they do their work,
and the short term and long term effects to your health, wellness, and
longevity when there are not enough of each type. But first . . .


Tour 3 Summary

The three types of enzymes are:

Digestive Enzymes - digests food, created inside the body
Food Enzymes - digest s food, reside in raw food
Metabolic Enzymes - run the body, created internally

We must have adequate enzymes available to digest our food; if we
don't our body's systems try to work overtime to create them; this
puts stress on our organs and immune system; and when we are no longer
able to maintain the necessary enzyme levels our body becomes toxic and
illness and disease follows. Sometimes the toxemia is felt sooner,
often later, but always eventually felt.

Tour #4 begins tomorrow and covers the three major and necessary
enzymes needed for proper digestion and health.

See you then,
David