Yes You Can Be Healthy

TO PROVIDE INFORMATION AND ADVICE ON NUTRITION

Aloha Everyone and Welcome,

My name is Luis Fuentes, and I am a Nutritional Consultant with the Global College Of Natural Medicine. Our health is the greatest treasure we have and through a combination of lifestyle changes, diet, and exercise we can not only preserve that treasure but increase it as well. Our health is a combination of lifestyle, diet, exercise, and emotional, spiritual, and physical health. Through cultivating these qualities, we can continue to be healthy as we grow older. For my first blog, I would like to discuss an often overlooked supplement but one that is very necessary to our health . . . enzymes.

Enzymes are necessary for a multitude of functions, including as anti-inflammatory, energy production, chemical reactions, and digestion and assimilation. There are over 2700 different enzymes that exist on our bodies, which decrease with age. This decrease can eventually compromise everything from our senses to

digesting that steak. Some enzymes are created within our bodies while others are derived through the foods we eat. Others are still ingested through supplemental form. The following is a listing of digestive enzymes and some of their functions.

AMYLASE: is an enzyme utilized for the digestion of carbohydrates and starches. Amylase is produced in our mouths via saliva and turns carbs/starches into glucose, allowing assimilation by our bodies. When carbohydrates and starches are poorly assimilated, they tend to ferment, creating gas and a bloated feeling.

PROTEASE: is an enzyme utilized for the digestion of proteins. Proteins are considered foods, such as, red meat, foul/poultry, fish and nuts. Protease can also serve as an anti-inflammatory for arthritis and reduce inflammation due to allergies. When proteins are not properly digested, proteins can cause indigestion and toxicity. Some studies have shown that this kind of toxicity can adversely affect the kidneys.

LIPASE: is an enzyme that assimilates fats. Lipase enzymes are sometimes used to lower cholesterol levels. This is useful in conditions involving hypertension or high cholesterol. When improperly digested, fats can turn rancid, create pungent odors and disrupting proper cholesterol balances. Depending on your digestion, you may want to include digestive enzymes while consuming Omega oils to increase absorbability.

CELLULASE: is an enzyme that breaks down fiber from vegetables and other plant sources. This particular enzyme is not produced by the body and must obtained from outside sources. Fiber is necessary to clean the large intestines, lower cholesterol, and push out fecal matter from the body. Without proper digestion of fiber, constipation and toxicity can occur.

LACTASE: is an enzyme that consumes milk sugar from dairy products. A lack of this enzyme is what leads to lactose intolerance , which is an ailment that affects a great deal of the populace. Gas and stomach upset and are common symptoms of lactose intolerance, as well as, some allergic reactions. Sub-enzymes of lactase are sucrase and maltase.

Food enzymes are derived from of either plant based foods or animals. Plant enzymes are best consumed in their natural raw state and are derived from fruits and vegetables. When exposed to heat, such as, during the cooking process much of the enzymes are destroyed. You can find plant based enzymes in supplemental form, but they must be extracted from plant sources in the laboratory to be any benefit. Some common plant enzymes are bromelain and papain. Bromelain is derived from pineapples and is for digestion of proteins. When taken in between meals, bromelain has also been used to decrease inflammation associated with arthritis and allergies. Papain, another plant enzyme derived from papayas, is also used as an anti-inflammatory and is a protein-based enzyme. As it’s not recommended to eat raw meat, except in the case of really good sushi, animal enzymes when exposed to heat are destroyed. Pancreatin is a digestive enzyme that comes from slaughterhouse pigs and requires an alkaline atmosphere for digestion. The pancreatic process occurs during the last part of digestion in the small intestine. Pepsin derived from the stomach of pigs begins digestion in the stomach and requires an acidic atmosphere. I hope this provides some more insight into the importance of enzymes in our everyday health. There’s a great deal more of information about the subject of enzymes, so I would definitely recommend everyone to implements these supplements in your everyday diet. Thank you for your time.