What Are Digestive Enzymes?
Digestive enzymes play a crucial role in helping us digest food. These enzymes are produced by the body and released in the upper gastrointestinal tract. Their main job is to break down food so that nutrients can be easily absorbed into the bloodstream. Different types of enzymes are responsible for breaking down different kinds of food: lipase handles fats, protease tackles proteins, amylase breaks down carbs, lactase deals with sugars, and cellulose takes care of fiber.
What Are Systemic Enzymes?
Unlike digestive enzymes, systemic enzymes work throughout the entire body, not just in the digestive tract. These enzymes are vital for supporting the immune system, breaking down fibrin in the bloodstream, removing toxins, reducing blood clots, and neutralizing allergens. By doing so, they help cells regenerate faster and assist other body processes in quicker recovery times. Systemic enzymes are also known as proteolytic enzymes.
What Are the Best Natural Sources?
Even though our bodies naturally produce enzymes like trypsin and chymotrypsin, our modern diets are often overloaded with non-digestible foods, toxins, and harmful organisms. There are two natural enzymes — papain and bromelain — found in papaya and pineapple, which are well-known for aiding digestion. Raw and organic foods also provide both digestive and systemic enzymes that become activated in the stomach’s acidic environment.
Are Enzyme Supplements Needed?
The pancreas is responsible for creating enzymes naturally. However, with the increased intake of toxins and processed foods, the body can become easily overwhelmed. While raw foods supply enzymes, processed and over-cooked foods lack these essential nutrients due to the processing they undergo. Simply put, the modern diet doesn’t provide enough enzymes to support digestion and immune activity.
What Are the Symptoms of Poor Enzyme Levels?
When there aren’t enough digestive enzymes, food can start rotting in the intestines, leading to bloating, indigestion, gas, and abdominal discomfort. A deficiency in systemic enzymes allows waste to accumulate in the bloodstream and lymph system, putting extra stress on the immune system.
How Do They Reduce Inflammation?
Many people choose systemic enzymes over NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) to manage pain and inflammation. These enzymes specifically target harmful circulating immune complexes (CICs) while leaving beneficial immune cells intact. Systemic enzymes focus on the root causes of inflammation in the body. Although inflammation is a natural response to injury, too much of it can hinder the healing process. Research has shown that proteolytic enzymes can reduce swelling and alleviate pain in conditions like rheumatic arthritis, a chronic autoimmune disorder that causes joint inflammation.
Are There Additional Benefits to Enzyme Supplementation?
Research has shown that proteolytic enzymes can boost immune health following treatments like radiation and chemotherapy. Some studies even suggest these enzymes can slow tumor growth by removing unwanted cells. Other reported health benefits include eliminating bacteria, viruses, and fungi, dissolving scar tissue, cleansing the blood, improving circulation, reducing pain and bruising, supporting heart health, and lowering blood pressure. Digestive enzymes enhance digestion and maintain natural bowel flora, which increases nutrient absorption from foods and reduces the chance of food irritants entering the bloodstream.
A Final Thought
Given today’s challenges of dealing with a toxic and processed-food-laden diet, supplementation with a blend of systemic and digestive enzymes can be an effective solution for many common health issues. Such supplementation can support digestion and promote cardiovascular, immune, and metabolic health. When the body’s core systems function well, the aging process slows down, offering yet another significant benefit. Have you tried digestive and systemic enzymes? Share your story with us!
