Title: Enzymes and Nutrition, Part I

Author: Loring A. Windblad

Article:
 This compilation of information is Copyright 2005 by
http://www.organicgreens.us and Loring Windblad. This article
may be freely copied and used on other web sites only if it is
copied complete with all links and text, including this header,
intact and unchanged except for minor improvements such as
misspellings and typos.

It is important in understanding enzymes and nutrition to really
have a firm grasp of what enzymes are, where they come from,
what role they play in nutrition. So lets ask a few key
questions about enzymes and look at the answers. This will give
us a much better perception of the importance of enzymes to our
nutrition and our overall health.

What is the role of enzymes in nutrition? 

To better understand digestive enzymes, we must first understand
the role of NUTRITION in our health. The Oxford American
Dictionary defines “nutrition” as simply “nourishment”. Another
definition of Nutrition is the body's ability to use and
metabolize food. 

There are 45 known essential nutrients required in specific
amounts in order for the body to function properly. The term
"essential," as used here, means the body cannot synthesize them
internally. Therefore all essential nutrients must come from
outside the body – from food and other vitamin and mineral
sources. In addition to carbohydrates, fats (lipids), complete
proteins, and water, there are at least 13 kinds of vitamins and
at least 20 kinds of minerals required for proper metabolic
function. 

Once consumed, the food containing these nutrients must be
digested, meaning they must be broken apart and reduced to a
state that the nutrients can be absorbed into and transported by
the blood stream to all parts of the body. 

Our cells are genetically programmed to direct these nutrients
to combine and interact with other nutrients and chemicals to
create still other chemicals and compounds which, in turn, are
used to build and repair the body's cells – bones, tissue, and
organs. This process is called metabolism. Each metabolic
reaction is started, controlled, and terminated by enzymes. 

Without enzymes we will have no metabolic activity. A body that
does not consistently and efficiently metabolize the essential
food elements necessary for life will be unhealthy, out of
balance, and this condition will result in a severe
susceptibility to disease. Many illnesses are the result of a
dietary problem that causes toxemia inside of the body, a
natural condition resulting from malnutrition – whether from a
malfunction of the body or from a lack of proper dietary intake.

How many different kinds of enzymes are there? 

For our purposes, there are three major types or categories of
Enzymes: 

•DIGESTIVE ENZYMES •FOOD ENZYMES •METABOLIC ENZYMES 

The two kinds of enzymes we are concerned with here are
DIGESTIVE ENZYMES and FOOD ENZYMES. These two are active only
within our digestive system. They have one main job — to digest
our food. 

But the third type is important. They are the Metabolic enzymes
which run the body. They exist throughout the body in the
organs, the bones, the blood, and inside the cells themselves.
They are “genetically programmed” to regenerate and maintain
their host. These enzymes do a great job carrying out their
metabolizing mission as long as they are health and there are
enough of them. 

Digestive enzymes are manufactured within 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. 

In fact, these digestive enzymes become depleted when we eat too
many overcooked foods, when we eat foods which are laced with
antibiotics, when we eat foods which have traces (or more) of
artificial fertilizers, fungicides and pesticides. Nor do those
foods contain any systemic replenishing enzymes. Our body’s
stock of beneficial organisms (metabolic and digestive enzymes)
also becomes depleted when we are ill and must take antibiotics.
In these instances we must have outside sources of enzyme
replenishment. 

Digestive enzymes and food enzymes basically serve the same
function, which 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 whether they come from inside
our body or from the food we eat.

This is accomplished in one of two ways. Food enzymes are
already present within the foods 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. An alternative source, then, of enzymes is required.
Such food sources as “enzyme rich” supplements, i.e., “greens”
(not the leafy stuff like lettuce, etc.), is called for. 

Why are enzymes so important for 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 is totally
acceptable in some cases 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 food. 

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 a baked potato, there are 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, so 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 keeping
our immune system strong. Your body’s top priority is making
sure it has enough nutrients to run its 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 that no food can be digested
without digestive enzymes.

Dr. DicQie Fuller, in her book The Healing Power of Enzymes,
emphasizes the importance of enzymes for digestion: "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,
then enormous 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!" 

In Part II of this article we will discuss which enzymes digest
which type of food, whether I have an infinite supply of
enzymes, what happens when I start to run low on digestive
enzymes, what I can do to maintain my enzyme level and whether
there are certain enzymes I can take for specific health
conditions.

Disclaimer: These articles in no way should be taken as medical
advice on any product or condition, nor do they constitute in
any way medical advice endorsing any specific product, specific
result, nor any possible cure for any condition or problem. They
are meant as a source of information upon which you may base
your decision as to whether or not you should begin using a
greens product as a dietary supplement. If in doubt, or if you
have questions, you should consult your physician and, if
possible, consult a second physician for a possible different
opinion. The author bears no responsibility for your decisions
nor for the outcome of your actions based upon those decisions

Loring Windblad