Enzymes: They’re
Everywhere!
Originally published July, 2008 by Cambridge Naturals: www.cambridgenaturals.com
First,
for those of you who want it, here’s a definition of enzymes: A protein
catalyst that is produced by living cells to allow chemical reactions. We have two kinds of enzymes in us: metabolic
and digestive. Metabolic enzymes do their work all over our bodies. Digestive enzymes deal with what we eat and
drink. Of these, food enzymes arrive
with the food we’ve eaten and the others we produce, mostly in the pancreas, to
help digest and absorb what we need from our food.
Nature
is endlessly marvelous in how it manages things. Enzymes are another example/proof in that
they are highly specific each for its own job.
An enzyme tailored for a given task won’t fill in for a fellow enzyme
who happens to be absent. It doesn’t work like that. One of nature’s genius maneuvers is to
provide necessary enzymes in the very food we eat. But will we actually get those enzymes? The raw food proponents say that cooking
depletes food enzymes thus making digestion harder. Sally Fallon (Nourishing Traditions, New Trends, 2001) points out that fermented
food like sauerkraut and kimchi is still raw and therefore enzyme sufficient.
Edward
Howell (Enzyme Nutrition, Avery,
1985) pioneer in the enzyme field back in the 1930’s, learned something useful
through indigestion and watching squirrels bury nuts. He translated burying
into soaking -- and then toasting -- them so as to mimic nature’s preparation
for germination by eliminating what he called “enzyme inhibitors.” These are built in to keep nuts, seeds, and
legumes from sprouting before they find the moist soil they must have to grow
in.
This
reminds me to remind you to chew – though I know you’ve heard it before. The initial stage of carbohydrate digestion
happens in your mouth thanks to the enzymes in your saliva and in the food.
To supplement or not to
supplement?
When
we move into the world of enzyme supplements/therapy, we move smartly away from
allopathic medicine. With a deferential
nod to yogurt and its two or three more famous bacteria (which use enzymes to
convert lactose to lactic acid), you will probably find your doctor dismisses
the claims. However, there are
persuasive healthcare practitioners who attest to the help that supplemental
enzymes can provide. There seems to be
agreement among them that, if digestive enzymes are lacking, the body will make
up the loss with metabolic enzymes. This
borrowing from Peter to pay Paul can result in temporary fatigue or even more
serious conditions because of metabolic enzyme depletion.
If
you decide to go the supplement route, what kind of enzymes? Animal or
vegetable? Enteric-coated or not? These
questions are debated. The Textbook of Natural Medicine
recommends enteric-coated to get the enzymes safely past your stomach acid and into
your small intestines. However, Ellen
Cutler (Micromiracles: Discover the
Healing Power of Enzymes, Rodale, 2005) claims that “coated enzymes were
less effective than those without coatings.” (p.30) She prefers vegetable enzymes, i.e., not from
an animal’s pancreas, because they will function over a bigger pH range and
that could make a difference for those with digestive difficulties.
Another
question is when to take your supplements.
If digestive, then at the start of a meal. If metabolic, then on an empty stomach
between meals. Both Cutler and Tom
Bohager, author of Everything You Need to
Know About Enzymes (Greenleaf, 2008), agree on that. Their books are informative, but it’s hard to
put aside the fact that both are in the enzyme supplement business. He gives a list of places to obtain
supplements/them, including the place he works for. She gives her own website.
Remember
that over 5,000 enzymes have been identified and there may be more to come.
Each one is highly specific. Which might
you need? Will it get to the right place
at the right time? Both the Cutler and
Bohager books give guidance for specific complaints. If you have the patience
of a scientist, their advice plus trial and error may well lead you to better
health through enzyme supplementation.
|