Enzymes

Enzymes, The Keys to Life*
By Eva Herr
www.evaherr.com

An enzyme is literally the key to lock or unlock an activity of a cell. Unlike hormones, they do not direct the activity of the cell, but rather are catalysts for the cellular activity. For example, if a cell needs to digest, a digestive enzyme will place this activity into motion. If the thermostat in your body needs to be adjusted, a metabolic enzyme will begin this process. If you eat a piece of food the enzymes in your saliva prepares this piece of food to be digested in your stomach and later absorbed in your intestines.
There are three main categories of enzymes: (1) metabolic enzymes, which are produced within the body and are the catalyst for cellular activities in the blood, organs and tissues; (2) digestive enzymes which aid in the digestion of food and the absorption and delivery of nutrients. Each enzyme is very specific to the type of food it will digest, i.e., protein, carbohydrates, fats, etc.; and (3) food enzymes, the life force of the food itself. In other words, that thing within food that provides its nutrition .
Within these three categories of enzymes, there are thousands of different individual enzymes and enzyme combinations, each enzyme, or enzyme combination, performing a distinct and unique function that it and it alone can perform.
The body cannot produce all of the enzymes it needs so one must supplement the diet by eating raw organic food and/or take enzyme supplements. Many people think because they eat several servings of vegetables each day they are getting the nutrition they need. However, enzymes are extremely sensitive to heat and when foods are cooked, most of the enzymes are killed off and the food is basically rendered useless to the body. It is also important to remember that pasteurization of food destroys enzymes so fresh, organic food and juice are essential.
Enzymes are not only sensitive to the heat of cooking , but also to the heat of your body, meaning if a basal metabolic temperature problem exists… if your resting body temperature is too low or too high, even by a degree or two, certain enzymes simply will not be able to function which can cause many, many problems for the vital organs and nervous system. There is a simple test that you can do at home using a good thermometer. Keep a thermometer on your bedside table and in the morning before you put your feet on the floor, take your temperature and keep a log for several days. If you find after several days that your temperature is consistently below 98.6 or so, (usually falling within the 95.0 to 97.5) then you can safely assume that you have a low metabolic temperature and most probably hypothyroid issues… meaning that your body temperature is too low to activate many of the necessary enzymes throughout your body. Even one degree too low or too high is important! Watch for an upcoming article on thyroid issues for suggestions on what to do about this problem.
Enzymes are also affected by changes in pH. The most favorable pH value - the point where the enzyme is most active - is known as the optimum pH with this optimum pH value being different for each enzyme. Extremely high or low pH values generally result in complete loss of activity for most enzymes. Human blood stays in a very narrow pH range right around 7.3. Below or above this range means you are too acidic or too alkaline, each having its own set of problems which will ultimately lead to disease. You can purchase standard pH test strips at most any health food store or drug store to give you an idea of your overall pH. You can also find pH strips that measure specific enzymes.
The pH of the non-deficient and healthy person is in the 7.0 to 7.1 slightly alkaline range. The range from 6.5 is weakly acidic to 4.5 which is strongly acidic representing states from mildly deficient to strongly deficient, respectively. A pH of 4.5 or below is of significant concern specifically with acute inflammatory diseases such as cancer. Alkaline minerals include calcium, potassium , magnesium, and sodium such as high quality sea salts.
The general "rule of thumb" is to eat 20% acidic foods and 80% alkaline foods. Avoid the "strongly acid" foods.
A lack of digestive enzymes can cause, or contribute to, many problems such as abdominal bloating and cramping, constipation, Crohn's disease, gallbladder disease, diarrhea, heartburn, indigestion, irritable bowel syndrome, leaky gut syndrome and food allergies all due to undigested food in your intestines becoming rancid and turning into toxic waste. It is no different that pouring chemical poison into your yard, which seeps into your well water. Just because it is way down in the back of the yard doesn’t mean it is not seeping into the well and that it doesn’t have a mean and nasty effect by the time it reaches your faucet! These toxic byproducts from rancid and impacted waste products seep through the intestinal wall and into your bloodstream causing many, many problems that can be undiagnosed by many caregivers for years to come.
Certain types of enzymes called systemic proteolytic enzymes such as seaprose, nattokinase and serrapeptase can attack proteins such as cancer, scar tissue, inflammation and arterial plaque. One must consult their treating health care practitioner before using proteolytic enzymes because they cannot be taken with blood thinners or by people who are prone to bleeding problems due to thin blood.
Probiotics and digestive enzymes can provide quick relief to bloating and digestive issues and the quality of the probiotic very important. Look at the bacterial count it should be in the billions with a blend of multiple strains. Probiotics need to be a way of life and not just “when you feel like it.” If you have ever taken an antibiotic, I can promise you that when the antibiotic killed the bacteria causing you to suffer, it also killed off the good bacteria in your gut. Your gut will not remain healthy without proper flora and proper flora requires probiotics.
If you suffer from food allergies and digestive problems, enzymes such as amylase (breaks down carbohydrates, starches and sugars); bromelain (breaks down proteins); lactase (breaks down lactose in milk products); lipase (breaks down fats); papain (breaks down protein); protease (breaks down protein into amino acids) are all available in fruits and vegetables if they have not been destroyed by cooking and can assist tremendously with these problems. Every time I see a man at the grocery store with one of those stomachs that people refer to as “beer belly” I think, man, that poor fellow needs some digestive enzymes and some probiotics! Boy, would he feel better and his wife would probably be able to get her arms around him again because that big, bloated out stomach would probably go away.
I personally use products from Enzymology Research Center and have found the products to be of superb quality with superb results.
http://www.ercprobioticenzymes.com/probioticbacteria.html
The bottom line to a healthy digestive system and many health issues is a healthy gut which requires enzymes and a quality probiotic.
Remember, natural supplements are powerful medications. It is important to use them with care and under your doctor’s supervision.

Using nutrition to prevent and heal disease is a long and complicated process. Educate yourself, ask questions from experts. Most of the experts are more than happy to share their information. In fact, if you have a question and you don’t know who to ask, write Kinetic Magazine’s new monthly column with your questions and we’ll try our best to get you information to move you along your conscious health path.

* The information on this site is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. All content, including text, graphics, images and information, contained on or available through this web site is for general information purposes only. Eva Herr makes no representation and assumes no responsibility for the accuracy of information contained on or available through this web site, and such information is subject to change without notice. You are encouraged to confirm any information obtained from or through this web site with other sources, and review all information regarding any medical condition or treatment with your physician. NEVER DISREGARD PROFESSIONAL MEDICAL ADVICE OR DELAY SEEKING MEDICAL TREATMENT BECAUSE OF SOMETHING YOU HAVE READ ON OR ACCESSED THROUGH THIS WEB SITE.