How are enzymes utilized in the body?

Metabolic Enzymes: These are an essential component for optimal cellular function and health—they speed up chemical reactions within cells for detoxification and energy production enabling us to see, hear, feel, move and think. Each organ, every tissue and all 100 trillion cells in our body depend upon the reaction of metabolic enzymes and the energy factor they contribute. Without these metabolic enzymes, cellular life would cease to exist.

Digestive Enzymes: These are secreted along the digestive tract to break food down into nutrients and waste. Most digestive enzymes are produced by the pancreas. The liver, gallbladder, small intestine, stomach and colon also play pivotal roles in the production of these enzymes. Digestive enzymes allow the nutrients found in the foods we consume to be absorbed into the blood stream and waste to be discarded. Some human digestive enzymes include lipase, protease, amylase, ptyalin, pepsin and trypsin.

Food Enzymes: These are introduced to the body through the raw foods we eat and through consumption of supplemental enzyme products. Raw foods naturally contain enzymes, providing a source of digestive enzymes when ingested. However, raw food manifests only enough enzymes to digest that particular food. Cooking and processing of food destroys its enzymes, meaning our bodies have to pick up the slack. Since most of the foods we eat are cooked or processed in some way and because the raw foods we do eat contain only enough enzymes to process that particular food, our bodies must produce the majority of the digestive enzymes we require, unless we use supplemental enzymes to aid in the digestive process. A variety of supplemental enzymes are available through different sources. It is important to understand the differences between the enzyme types and make sure you are using an enzyme product most beneficial for your particular needs.