Digestive Enzymes

The human body produces some 22 different digestive enzymes. Many more are found in the fruits, vegetables, meats, grains and other foods, many people are lacking enzymes because of inadequate diets, over refined foods, environmental toxins and poor health.

Because of the above factors the food we eat is not properly digested and because of this poor digestion our bodies create "Digestive Luekocytosis" in which your white blood cell count increases in response, our bodies treat these "Digestive Luekocytosis" as foreign objects and attempts to destroy them. This can cause symptoms including but not limited to bloating, gas, heart burn, indigestion, headaches, fatigue, heartburn, mood swings, constipation, severe body odor, excessively oily skin, arthritis, sinusitis and general body aces and pains.

After about the age of 30 our bodies ability to manufacture enzymes in the stomach, pancreas and small intestine decreases not to mention that cooking, processing, adding preservatives and extended shelf life's of foods destroys enzymes in the foods we eat.

Digestive enzymes - as mentioned earlier are critical to proper digestion and a healthy digestive system, but it doesn't stop there, scientists and the medical community are finding new ways to use enzymes over and above their traditional value as digestive aids. Research shows that enzymes are important to maintaining health, preventing and fighting many diseases and extending life. For instance digestive enzymes are essential for tissue repair, they reduce swelling and pain, decrease the duration of inflammation process and helps speed up the recovery process.

Natural healers often prescribe enzymes supplements to treat the following conditions: indigestion, heartburn, gastric disorders, hypertension, nervousness, nightmares, stress, brittle hair and hair loss, flatulence, gout, weight problems, gall bladder stress, flu, colds, sinus congestion, breast lumps, parasites, cholesterol, hiatal hernias, duodenal ulcers, hyper activity, chronic fatigue syndrome, hepatitis, diverticulosis, crohns disease, colitis, back pain, canker sores, herpes, mucous congestion, arterial plaque, fatty acid balance, obesity, diabetes, yeast, pms, epstein barr virus, osteoporosis, aching joints, fungal infections, hypoglycemia, eating disorders, lack of energy, nutritional disorders, immune system problems, hormonal imbalances, bone density loss, slow tissue repair, heavy metal detoxification, etc. From the list above digestive enzymes can act as an equalizer or adaptogen within the body restoring imbalances and helping the body heal itself.

Below you will find a list of digestive enzymes and a short descriptions of their function.

Hydrochloric acid (HCL) works in the stomach on tough foods, such as fibrous meats, vegetables and poultry. It digests protein, calcium and iron. without HCL problems such as pernicious anemia, gastric carcinoma, congenital achlorhygen and anxiety before eating as well as deficiencies of some vitamins (B Complex Primarily) and minerals can all cause a lack of HCL, more of us are short of it than we realize it. If you think that you have an over acid problem or heart burn, for which you are dosing yourself with an antiacid, you need to be aware that the symptoms of having to little acid are exactly the same as having too much, In which case the taking of antiacids could be the worst thing you can do.

Some physicians recommend supplementing HCL if you are over the age of 40. Betaine HCL And Glutamic HCL are considered by most to be the best forms of Hydrochloric acid.

Mylase dissolves thousands of times its own weight in starches so you can more easily assimilate them.

Papain is a protein digesting enzyme (from Papaya).

Pepsin is a vital digestive enzyme that breaks up the proteins of ingested food, splitting them into a usuable amino acids without pepsin, protein could not be used to build healthy skin, strong skeletal structure, rich blood supply and strong muscles.

Renin is a digestive enzyme which causes coagulation of milk changing protein, casein, into a usable form in the body. Renin releases the valuable minerals from milk, calcium, phosphorus and iron that are used by the body to stabilize water balance, strengthen the nervous system and produce strong teeth and bones.

Lipase splits fat, which is then utilized to nourish the skin cells, protect the body against bruises and blows and wards off the entrance of infectious virus cells and allergic conditions.

Bromelain, an enzyme derived from pineapple juice, has powerful anti-inflammatory and protein - digesting properties. An excellent digestive aid, bromelain enhances the absorption of nutrients from foods and supplements. Bromelain can also be taken to reduce pain and inflammation following injury and in at least on respect it offers a decided advantage over non steroidal anti - inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen and naprosyn.

Bromelain is also growing in popularity among athletes who suffer frequent wear and tear injuries, because of its effect on fibrinogen, bromelain may also prevent an even more serious problem - bood clots. Fibrinogen is necessary for proper clotting and blood so that we don't bleed to death when we are injured, but abnormally high levels of fibrinogen can cause blood clots to form spontaneously, which can lead to a heart attack or stroke. Smokers have higher then normal levels of fibrinogen and are at greater risk of having a heart attack. According to one German study a dose of 1000 to 1400 mg per day of bromelain helped to completely relieve angina, or chest pain, in 14 heart patients. Some patients saw results in as little as three days while other within 90 days.

DISCLAIMER: This information is not presented by a medical practitioner and is for
educational and informational purposes only.  The content is not intended to be a
substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.  Always seek
the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions
you may have regarding a medical condition.  Never disregard professional medical
advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read.

Since natural and/or dietary supplements are not FDA approved they must be
accompanied by a two-part disclaimer on the product label: that the statement
has not been evaluated by FDA and that the product is not intended to "diagnose,
treat, cure or prevent any disease."
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