This post was written by Tracie Hittman, MS, and will cover a quick overview about digestive enzymes. Most people don’t spend any time thinking about how the foods we eat get converted into energy. Luckily, our enzymes do the job whether we think about it or not. However, as you will see, we need to give our bodies all the help they need to properly digest food as we continue our walk along the natural path.
Enzymes 101
Enzymes are the sparks of life. They are the biologically active proteins that speed up biochemical reactions in the body. Every living thing manufactures enzymes; for example the human body has more than 2000. Some experts say that up 80% of our energy goes to digesting our food, which leaves only 20% for immune, cardiovascular, neurological, respiratory and reproductive functions. (Bohager 40).
Having adequate enzyme output is really important to overall health because spared energy from a fully functioning digestive system can be used for other bodily functions. The problem lies in the fact that as we age the amount of enzymes produced in the body decreases. The pancreas produces most of our digestive enzymes. Look for the suffix “-ase” that is attached to the name of a food component, which indicates that it is an enzyme. For example, lipase breaks down fats, protease breaks down protein, amylase and cellulase breakdown carbohydrates. Enzymes can be also be found in raw (un-cooked) foods; that is why an apple turns brown when left out on the counter to long, it literally starts to digest itself.
The decreased consumption of enzyme rich raw foods and age are contributing factors that can lead to the depletion of enzyme activity in the body. If you are constantly feeling bloated after eating, eating large meals, passing gas, or taking antacids, it may be a sign that that you need enzyme support. When looking for a digestive enzyme supplement look for the following three characteristics:
- Work at a Broad pH Range- plant-based enzymes are the most effective for digestive purposes because they are active at a broad pH range and will survive the stomach acid.
- Has Multi-Strains– the more strains from the four categories of enzymes (amylase, celluase, lipase, and protease) the more bonds that will be broken.
- Active Units – enzyme effectives does not depend on weight but active units.
Many people use bromelain from pineapple and papain from papaya for digestive support but these two enzymes work at hot temperatures and are more effective at supporting reduced inflammation in the body.
Other ways to help your body digest your food is to include more raw, enzyme rich foods, such as, fruits and vegetables. Also, sitting down at meal time and completing chewing your food will ease some of the stress on the digestive system.
Since, enzymes are the sparks of life, support the body’s enzyme supply by either consuming more raw foods or adding an enzyme supplement to your next meal.
