Enzymes

Digestive enzymes are in fact special proteins that the body releases when you chew and bring food into the stomach. The body produces over 20 different digestive enzymes, all of which break down food into nutrients that your body can digest and utilize. There are other types of digestive enzymes contained in the foods we eat. Pineapple and papaya are two fruits well known for their potent content of digestive enzymes.

Although your body produces digestive enzymes every time you eat, there are environmental, dietary and health conditions that might compromise their production or release. Many people choose to supplement their diet with enzymes. If you suffer from indigestion, try a digestive enzyme supplement before reaching for the Rolaids. Anti-acids neutralize digestive acids in the stomach, so if your indigestion is not related to an over-acid condition but rather to a lack of digestive enzymes, your anti-acid tablets will only make the matter worse.

There are many dozens of digestive enzymes on the market today made from a wide variety of sources. Animal based enzymes sound like exotic potions from a primitive medicine man: beef pancreas, lamb stomach, pig pancreas are a few. The animal based enzymes usually digest protein, starch and fat.

Plant based enzymes typically derive from fruits like pineapple and papaya. These enzymes have a broader range of digestive power than the animal based enzymes.

Types Of Enzymes

There are 3 basic types of enzymes and they each perform unique functions and are supplied from different sources. The 3 types of enzymes are metabolic enzymes, food enzymes, and digestive enzymes.

Metabolic enzymes perform the functions of cell growth and repair and tissue maintenance. Metabolic enzymes are crucial to a healthy, well-functioning body. They are found everywhere in the body, in our cells, blood, bones, muscle tissue and organs.
Digestive enzymes break down and metabolize the food we eat, making the nutrients available for our body. Our body secretes digestive enzymes in the mouth via the salivary glands, as well as in the stomach, pancreas and small intestine. Inadequate digestive enzymes results in left-over wastes which toxify our body system.

Food enzymes exist naturally in the raw fruits and vegetables that we eat. These natural food enzymes assist the digestive enzymes in breaking down and metabolizing our food. Eating foods rich in enzymes at every meal will boost your body's digestive function while reducing the need to take enzyme supplements.

Enzymes Supplements

Digestive enzymes are vital in order to benefit from the nutrients in the food we eat. Enzymes make it possible for the vitamins, mineral and phytonutrients to be absorbed into our blood and nourish our body. If our bodies don't produce adequate digestive enzymes for the foods that we eat, indigestion results as well as malabsorption and, ultimately, malnourishment.

Many factors can inhibit proper digestive enzyme production, including stress, illness, overeating, eating while doing other things, and aging. The consumption of alcohol and caffiene while eating can also diminish the production of digestive enzymes.

Eating a diet rich in a variety of raw fruits and vegetables will provide additional digestive enzymes. If your diet is clean (organic, unprocessed, free of additives and unnatural ingredients), and you include ample amounts of raw food at each meal, chances are you don't need to take a digestive enzyme supplement. If your diet doesn't meet that description, and especially if you suspect your digestive enzyme production is impaired, then taking a digestive enzyme supplement with each meal is a good idea.

When shopping for a digestive enzyme supplement, keep your diet in mind, look for what might be called a broad spectrum enzyme. The more ingredients, the wider the range of digestive action you'll get from your enzyme. Here are the basic enzymes to look for in your enzyme supplement:

Amylase – carbohydrates, starches, sugars
Bromelain – proteins
Cellulase – vegetable and fruit fiber
Lactase – milk products
Lipase – fats and oils
Maltase - starches
Papain – proteins
Pepsin – proteins
Protease – proteins
Sucrase - sugars