Enzymes are critical to good health.
Enzymes and aging: Quite a concept to consider!
A critical factor in aging, enzymes are the spark of life... a critical energy that runs the entire body. Automatically, as we grow older, our bodies produce less and less enzymes, and as the body becomes depleted of enzymes, nutrients essential to maintaining a young and healthy body become more and more scarce.
Water, oxygen, minerals, fatty acids, vitamins, enzymes - each of these are important, and cannot be ignored. To approach our well-being in a holistic way we must understand that no single aspect can be ignored or dismissed and that a proper balance of each vital ingredient is necessary. Digestive health is vital to assimilation of nutrients, and that is solely predicated on the body's ability to produce enzymes appropriate to our environment and diet.
Enzymes are essential activators of chemical reactions that continually take place and act as catalysts, joining with coenzymes (vitamins and minerals). We're all familiar with vitamins and minerals but may not know that they're not activated, until they are processed by enzymes. Our enzymes supplement digestion and proper assimilation of nutrients assisting your body's natural inner healing powers restoring health and vitality.
We begin life with enzyme reserves that decrease with aging and from an enzyme deficient diet. As we become enzyme deficient, we age more quickly. The more we feed our enzyme reserves, the healthier we'll become. A nursing mother provides her baby with all the enzymes it needs to digest her milk. Have you ever noticed that the stool of a breast-fed baby is almost odorless until it starts eating cooked, processed food. Cooked food (especially meats) don't digest properly, and travel undigested into the small intestine. As we cook foods at temperatures above 118 degrees F., enzymes are destroyed and digestion is hampered, beginning the cycle of toxemia.
Toxemia results from undigested food putrefying in the bowel tract and poisoning the blood, the root of all disease. It's estimated that 80% of diseases are caused by improperly digested foods and their by-products being absorbed into the body ("Survival into the 21st Century" by Viktoras Kulvinskas).
The saying 'You are what you eat' is only partly correct. The truth is, you are what you digest. We cannot expect good health if our digestive system isn't functioning properly. Enzymes are essential to healthy digestion and perform specific tasks such as:
a. Digest food
b. Break down toxins
c. Cleanse the blood
d. Strengthen the immune system
e. Build protein into muscle
f. Contract muscles
g. Eliminate carbon dioxide from the lungs
h. Reduce stress on the pancreas and other vital organs.
Lack of enzymes is the reason for most body malfunctions. Enzymes are the workers in your body -- they carry out every chemical reaction. To have a healthy body we require both workers (enzymes) and building materials. The building materials are proteins (amino acids), minerals, and vitamins. These are necessary to build a healthy body.
Intestinal health is most commonly undermined by:
1. Antibiotic usage
2. Excessive Sugar Consumption
3. Stress
4. Drinking Chlorinated Water
5. Long term diet of Acid Foods
When the ecology of the human gastrointestinal tract becomes disrupted, beneficial microorganisms can no longer flourish in numbers necessary for proper balance. Furthermore, harmful toxin producing bacteria and fungi begin to take over, changing the ecology of the gastrointestinal tract. Medical researchers have revealed that the #1 health complaint received by doctors worldwide is poor digestion, malabsorption and constipation, or its opposite, irritation and diarrhea quickly followed by complaints of tiredness, lack of energy, slow recovery, etc. The use of laxatives to relieve constipation can be avoided by supplementation of vital intestinal flora when there is evidence of imbalance such as gas and bloating. This condition is the result in part because of poor choice and combining of foods, and poor digestion of them usually due to lack of enzymatic activity. Here, we go full circle back to the need to balance enzymes with critical bowel flora for healthy digestion. The progressive results of imbalance causes energy to be radically reduced compromising the immune system. Chronic indigestion, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, muscle pain, candidiasis, arthritis, colon cancer and poor immune response are becoming more common, all resulting from imbalances in digestive processes and consumption of processed foods.
Below are portions of an article published in the Herald News, March 22, 1995
by Marcus Weller
Ever since the Bubonic Plague in 1350 which killed over 50% of the people in Europe (over 25 million), scientists and doctors have wondered why some people survived and others died.
Finally, thanks to the advance of technology, scientists have concluded that most people succumb to disease and illness due to weakened immune systems.
What weakens the immune system? Stress, poor nutrition, drugs (prescription or illegal), chemical pollution, but most of all lack of enzymes!
We Would Die Without Enzymes!
What are enzymes and why are they so important?
If you removed enzymes from the body, it would stop working and die! Enzymes are responsible for the functions of every organ. The body is a big efficient chemical factory and enzymes are needed for every chemical action and reaction.
Every genes program is associated with the actions of enzymes. Even vitamins and nutrients can't be used effectively without enzymes.
The immune system's function is to fight off all foreign invaders in the body such as bacteria, viruses, carcinogens and other chemicals. It relies almost totally on enzymes to do its job. A weakened immune system has a diminished volume of enzymes which includes those that are defective or worn out. Enzymes have a limited life and must be replaced regularly.
Where do we get enzymes? Nine basic enzymes come from food, and the body takes these and changes them into over 3,000 varieties for various purposes.
Cooking Food Kills Enzymes!
Unfortunately, if you cook food at temperatures exceeding 118 degrees Fahrenheit all the enzymes are destroyed. So you must obtain enzymes from raw foods or special enzyme supplements. The majority of all food is processed, so people get very few enzymes in their diets.
Aging Reduces Enzyme Production!
Tests have shown that 70 year old people have about half the enzymes of 20 year olds. Once illness or infection have invaded, the older body works overtime struggling to produce enzymes the immune system needs to overcome the problem. Often it cannot produce enough and chronic disease sets in, such as cancer, heart disease, arthritis, etc. Over 200 other diseases result from worn out or defective gene controlled enzymes such as: high blood pressure, hardening of the arteries, circulatory problems, diabetes, tuberculosis, psoriasis, dermatitis, prostatitis, cirrhosis, hepatitis, pruritis, cholecystitis, rheumatism, edema, varicose veins, sores, pancreatitis, etc.
No Side Effects!
Over 15,000 people in Europe and Japan have been given enzyme supplementation or therapy with enormous success, all with no important side effects! The reason there are no side effects is because enzymes are food forms, not drugs. Much of the serious scientific interest began when Dr. Ernst Freund noticed that most cancer patients get thrombolysis (blood clots that cause heart attacks), and most thrombolysis patients get cancer. He suspected that the common connection might be enzymes. On testing their blood, he found both patient groups to be lacking in three important enzymes. Recently researchers found that two of those enzymes destroy blood clots and the other creats macrophages which break down fibrin. Cancer cells hide under a coating of fibrin. Once the cover is removed, our bodies' killer cells destroy the cancer cells.
Everyone Has Cancer Cells -- Normally!
Normally, in our bodies there are 100 to 10,000 cancer cells floating around at all times, according to medical school professor and well-known immunologist, Dr. Michael Williams. But if your immune system weakens sufficiently, the cancer cells attach themselves to an organ, build a covering of fibrin so antibodies can't find them -- and you are in trouble!
The good news is that Dr. A.E. Leskovar reported that supplementation with enzymes increases the macrophages by 700% and killer cells by 1,300% in a short time. That's why people with healthy immune systems don't get cancer.
European doctors have had significant success in stopping early onset cancer by oral supplementation of enzymes and by injecting enzymes directly into the tumor.
Works Better Than Chemotherapy!
Dr. Chin Po Kim, a highly respected scientist and internationally recognized immunologist, cited a remarkable 23% overall mortality rate in cancer patients who took oral enzymes. This is about the same rate achieved by chemotherapy and radiation treatments -- but with none of the side effects.
Also, several studies conducted by European scientists show that oral enzymes taken with chemotherapy and radiation improve the response rate and reduces the side effects significantly.
In published reports in several medical journals, 141 physicians participated in multi-center controlled studies treating 1,004 patients with enzyme mixtures. Depending on the type, 76% - 96% were classified as improved. The enzymes reduced stiffness, joint swelling, improved ability to bend and slowed down or completely halted deterioration of the joints.
Circulatory And Heart Disorders!
Vascular and circulatory disorders also respond well to enzyme supplementation. This includes arteriosclerosis, thrombosis, coronary heart disease, phlebitis, and other circulatory problems that affect the brain, lung, kidneys and liver.
Former Fordham University Professor of Medicine, Dr. Max Wolf reported that tests of 347 patients with circulatory disorders showed 87% completely free or almost free of symptoms after taking enzymes. Dr. H. Dench, Austrian Professor of Medicine, conducted similar tests of patients who had problems with blood clots. 93% of the patients significantly improved after enzyme treatments.
More Reasons For Enzyme Supplementation
A German scientist, Dr. Karl Maeder reported that a multi-center study of 216 patients suffering from various vein disorders were given oral enzymes. Their typical problems were edema and serious varicose veins. 94% either completely recovered or had significant improvement.
Better Than Drugs For Shingles!
In 1964, Dr. Robert Dorrer of the Prien Hospital tested 24 patients suffering from shingles with oral enzymes. Within three days the pain ceased and the blisters started healing. A German medical journal reported his impressive success.
Dr. Wilhelm Bartsch, the director of a cancer clinic in Germany took particular notice of his article. The reason was that very often cancer patients develop shingles. He began a double-blind study using enzymes and the then current drug prescribed for shingles. Halfway through the study, he abandoned the drug for ethical reasons because all those taking the enzymes were significantly improved in a short time.
Just recently, Dr. Michael Klein did a double-blind study with oral enzymes and the now-current drug for shingles: acylovir. He concluded that both were equally effective -- but the enzymes prevented the reoccurrence of neuralgia, had no side effects and cost much less!
Olympic Athletes Use Enzymes!
Injury is a common problem with all those that are athletic -- especially professionals and Olympians. Sports medicine doctors know they can't prevent injuries, so they look for methods to heal players as quickly as possible.
Karate fighters experience considerable injuries so doctors chose them as a test group for a double blind study using oral enzymes and placebos. Those taking enzymes 3 times a day in advance of the events healed 50% quicker.
The German Olympic team doctors conducted similar tests with all types of athletes. The results were comparable for 82% of the players, and soreness from strenuous events was considerably less.
Heal Faster From Injury Or Surgery!
Professor Raas of the University of Innsbruck, who is responsible for the health of Austrian athletes in the Winter Olympic games, also confirmed those findings. He stated that, "A good portion of the success achieved by the athletes under his care would not have been possible without enzymes."
He advises even casual athletes to take enzymes daily to lessen the effects of potential injury. Another benefit of enzymes is that they regulate your metabolism. The fewer enzymes in your body the lower your energy level. Those with chronic fatigue can improve with enzymes. Doctors elsewhere have found that oral enzymes taken prior to surgery accelerate healing, allowing patients to leave the hospital quicker and resume normal routines sooner.
Weight Loss And A Cause Of Obesity!
Lipase is an enzyme that aids the body in breaking down fats and removing fats from storage. Without this enzyme, fat stagnates and accumulates not only in the obvious places, but in the arteries. The fats in the arteries contribute to cholesterol and arteriosclerosis.
Dr. David Galton at the School of Medicine of Tufts University tested people weighing an average of 230 pounds. He found that every one of them was lacking enzymes in their fatty tissue.
Veterinarians conducted an experiment with hogs. One group of hogs was fed only raw potatoes, the other cooked. The group eating raw lost weight; the group eating cooked gained weight. This clearly shows the effect of enzymes on weight because even though potatoes are high in enzyme content, cooking destroys the enzymes.
Enzymes have so many functions that it takes an encyclopedia sized volume of books to cover all that is known today.
As we have shown, enzymes really are essential to life. As you age, the reduced ability of your body to produce the required amounts of enzymes from their limited sources in foods makes you more vulnerable to illness and disease.
Now You Can Fight Off The Worst Diseases
Many scientists have proven that oral supplementation of enzymes builds up the immune system to fight off the worst diseases as well as improve the function of the entire body.
End of Article
Two of my favorite enzymes:
Essentialzyme
Improves digestion of food and re-establishes proper enzyme function in the whole body and helps improve intestinal flora. Essentialzyme is particularly valuable for those with: pancreatitis, cystic fibrosis, and in conditions where the pancreatic or the bile duct is blocked or malfunctioning.
Gary Young created Essentialzyme to remove the hard encrusted protein shell around cancer cells, making it easier for the body to release the cancerous tissue. The essential oils included in Essentialzyme provide enhancements that are not found in other products. Essential oils of Tarragon, Peppermint, Fennel, Clove and Anise have anti-viral, anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal, anti-infectious and anti-parasitic properties and contain live cell activity that teach new cells how to function properly on their own.
Detoxzyme
Detoxzyme combines a myriad of powerful enzymes that complete digestion, help detoxify, and promote cleansing. The ingredients in Detoxzyme also work with the body to support the normal function of the digestive system, which is essential for maintaining and building health.
