ENZYMES
By
Elaine
Cutler
In the seventies I became involved in healing with an emphasis on massage
and polarity therapy. I went on to study homeopathy and nutrition with various
doctors including Dr. Bernard Jensen at his ranch in Escondido, California.
Refusing to believe that my problem and other digestive problems were all
inherited, I was determined to find a solution. I studied every book about
natural healing available at the time. I tried every vitamin, explored
homeopathy, and experimented with diets including fasting. But nothing ever
changed my digestive abnormalities. At times I despaired of ever finding the
answer I was seeking.
After years of studying nutrition on my own, I decided to get a degree in
chiropractic. My twin brother had gone into conventional medicine, but I was
drawn to a more natural approach. Unlike medical school, Chiropractic College
offered a good course in diet and nutrition. I enrolled in 1972.
During my first year there, probably because of the stress of the study,
my symptoms worsened. Everything I ate aggravated my digestion and I became
severely constipated and bloated. At the chiropractic clinic affiliated with the
school, I had X rays, barium studies and various blood tests, and I proceeded to
do colonics, fasting, and food rotation. I remember doing a grape fast for
almost three months. When I fasted, my symptoms seemed to improve slightly but I
would relapse after I began to eat regular foods. 1
tried different chiropractic treatments, homeopathy, and other new diets.
Nothing seemed to help.
After graduating from chiropractic school and practicing for a number of
years, I decided to enroll in a three-year post-graduate chiropractic
orthopedics-training program. This course changed my life, my health, and my
professional practice forever. It was here that I was introduced to enzyme
therapy by one of my instructors and the work of Dr. Howard Loomis, a
chiropractor and biochemist.
At my first seminar with Dr. Loomis I took exhaustive notes that I still
read over from time to time. He began the seminar by saying, "The most
profound thing we do every day is eat. " He went on to explain that the
body's ability to maintain homeostasis, crucial for the life of every cell, is
based on its ability to digest what it eats. A twenty-four hour urinalysis
examines how well the body digests and metabolizes food by looking at what the
body discards and keeps. The body strives to resist change and withstand disease
by maintaining its internal environment relatively constant. It does this,
Loomis said, by keeping the intracellular fluid within certain narrow limits of
temperature, volume, pH, and concentrations of various solutes. Laboratory tests
can detect deviations from normal homeostasis.
"By definition," Loomis explained, "if blood chemistries
are not normal, homeostasis has already been com- promised and the body is
evidencing exhaustion or an inability to adapt to an excessively strong or
persistent stimulus. In order to prevent disease, this process must be
identified before deviations in blood chemistry are evidenced."
Loomis told us that studies showed that significant digestion from
salivary enzymes alone occur in the stomach before hydrochloric acid and pepsin
begin their work. In fact, thirty-five to forty-five percent of starches can be
digested before HCl is secreted. The problem is that we do not chew our food
long enough to allow this to happen.
Loomis said, "Since the resting pH of the stomach is between 5.0 and
6.0, many nutritional and physiological tests do not consider predigestion in
man to be significant. The enzymes in plants will work in a pH environment of
3.0-9.0 and continue digesting until inactivated in the stomach when the pH
reaches 3.0. Therefore plant enzymes play a significant role in predigesting
food, offering a solution to many acute and chronic digestive disorders,
and a means of delivering food past an incomplete digestive system."
After his
talk, Dr. Loomis performed an abdominal palpatory diagnostic evaluation and a
twenty-four hour urinalysis on some of the doctors in the seminar, including me.
The next day I helped him to analyze the urine so I could learn the lab work
myself, and he helped me evaluate the test and compare it with the abdominal
palpation exam. The purpose was to uncover enzyme and nutritional deficiencies
and specific food intolerances. We discovered that I was carbohydrate
intolerant, a poor assimilator of sugar, and that I was unable to digest foods
containing sugars and other carbohydrates including grains and breads. We also
saw that I had moderate bowel toxicity that showed I had some fermentation and
putrefaction in the bowel and probably constipation. I was hypoadrenal and presented with a slight inflammation of the liver,
and I was deficient in calcium, potassium, magnesium, and Vitamin C.
Dr. Loomis recommended I take an enzyme consisting of disaccharidase,
cellulase, maltase, sucrase, and lactase to help me digest sugars and
carbohydrates. He also recommended I take an enzyme for calcium, minerals, and
Vitamin C and a bowel cleanser to help with the bowel toxicity. Two weeks after
beginning the enzymes, the bloating and constipation I had experienced my whole
life disappeared and they have never returned. It was miraculous!
After
this total regeneration of my digestive system, I studied enzymes and enzyme
therapy extensively with Dr. Loomis and began to utilize his work in my
practice. I performed an abdominal palpation on each patient along with a
twenty-four hour urinalysis. I then recommended enzymes and created diets for
each individual based on their specific food intolerances. These diets can be
found in Part VI of this book.
After
careful study, trial, and error, I developed a sugar-intolerant diet for myself.
I have found that eighty percent of the people who come to see me are sugar
intolerant. Aside from bloating and constipation, sugar intolerance can lead to
diabetes, adrenal dysfunction, asthma, attention deficit, depression, fatigue,
poor assimilation of foods, obesity or malnutrition, frequent sore throats, ear
infections, and colds. Sugar intolerance can be responsible for Crohn's disease, an inability to tolerate lactose (milk sugar) and
for celiac disease, an inability to tolerate gluten. Furthermore, it can also be
responsible for chronic yeast infections and chronic food and environmental
allergies. I suffered from many of these problems myself, and the
sugar-intolerant diet I developed has changed my life.. This diet is low in
carbohydrates, grains, fruits, and sweet vegetables and high in protein. I
recommend this diet for all sugar-intolerant people.
This
regeneration occurred almost thirteen years ago and I continue to be grateful to
Dr. Loomis' research and his enzyme formulas. Since I seem to have inherited
this sugar intolerance, I will always need supplementation for the predigestion
of sugars. Therefore, these enzymes are essential to my health and the health of
many of my patients. Indeed, I believe enzymes have saved my life and made me a
happier and healthier person. We will hear more and more about enzymes and their
miracles in the twenty-first century. This book is only the beginning.
What Are Enzymes?
Enzymes
are complex proteins in the body that cause chemical changes in other substances
in order to provide the labor force and energy necessary to keep us alive. They
are energy catalysts that are essential to the successful occurrence of over
150,000 biochemical reactions in our bodies, particularly involving food
digestion and the delivery of nutrients to the body. Enzymes help convert food
into chemical substances that pass into cell membranes to perform all of our
everyday life-sustaining functions. By supporting normal function, enzymes keep
our immune system strong enough to fight off disease. Enzymes help to nourish
and clean the body, making possible the human body's miraculous capacity for
self-healing. They also make available the energy needed for a normal body to
burn hundreds of grams of carbohydrate and fat every day. Without enzymes, life
could not be sustained.
Enzymes
perform so many important functions in the body that they have been called the
basis of all metabolic activity. Some of their responsibilities are as follows:
In other
words, enzymes deliver nutrients, breakdown and carry away toxic waste, digest
food, purify the blood, deliver hormones, balance cholesterol and triglyceride
levels, feed the brain, build protein into muscle, and feed and fortify the
endocrine system. They also contribute to immune system activity. White blood
cells are especially enzyme-rich in order to digest foreign invading substances.
While one
of the advantages of enzymes is that they can cause a chemical reaction without
being destroyed or changed in the process, the number of enzymes we can produce
is limited. Every person is born with an enzyme potential or number of enzymes
he or she can produce in a lifetime. This number is determined by the DNA code.
In addition, each enzyme can only perform a certain amount of work before it
becomes exhausted and must be replaced by another. Along with digesting
processed food, enzyme supply can be diminished by caffeinated and alcoholic
beverages, colds and fevers, pregnancy, stress, strenuous exercise, injuries,
and extreme weather conditions. If we do not eat an enzyme-rich diet, we deplete
our enzyme potential without replenishing it. This is why supplementation and a
good diet are essential. When all enzyme activity stops, the body stops
functioning and the person dies. However, humans have the capacity to store
external food enzymes to ensure the body's ability to metabolize the needed
nutrients. This explains an abundance of new enzyme health products and the
recommendations from experts that people supplement their diet with raw foods
and manufactured food enzymes.
Enzymes
save peoples lives by restoring energy and homeostasis, reversing the aging
process, turning a dysfunctional digestive system into a healthy one, and
strengthening the immune system. In my fifteen years of working with enzyme
therapy, I have witnessed enormous success with a variety of illnesses. The most
noticeable and immediate change in each case has always been in the energy
level. Patients no longer feel that "crash" after meals, especially
after lunch, the most common time.
Enzymes
also have been utilized by many industries in various products and processes
including laundry detergents, skin care, meat tenderizers, agricultural
processes, and waste conversion.
What is the Function of Enzymes?
When I
began the study of enzymes many years ago, I encountered the phrase
"acid-base balance. " I did not really understand it until I met Dr.
Howard Loomis and learned about the urinalysis and its nutritional evaluation.
One of the first evaluations done on urine is the pH level, the degree of a
solution's acidity or alkalinity. An alkaline pH is 7.0 or above; an acid pH is
below 6.5. To maintain homeostasis, the blood has to have a neutral pH of 7.5.
The body keeps it from becoming too alkaline or too acid by buffering it with
hydrogen or bicarbonate ions. In doing this, it can rob the digestive system of
substances necessary to digest foods or perform other tasks efficiently.
For
example, alkaline urine indicates that the blood does not have adequate
quantities of hydrogen and chlorine to aid digestion in the stomach in the form
of hydrochloric acid. This condition is called hypochlorhydria, or HCl
deficiency, and is characterized by difficulty digesting protein and severe
bloating immediately after eating. The opposite is true when the urine is acid:
the blood is not capable of supplying enough bicarbonate ions to the pancreatic
secretion for proper digestion of starches and fats.
Asthmatics
usually have chronically acid urine that leads to flatulence and bloating two
hours after a meal. A twenty-four-hour urinalysis determines how the body
compensates to maintain homeostasis. The pH is calculated over the twenty-four
hour period because if urine is checked over the course of a day, the pH varies
with waking and after meals. The twenty-four hour catch indicates the overall pH
for an entire day and gives more accurate information on the compensations the
body is presenting. This incredible tool provides information on tendencies
toward certain illnesses and imbalances including respiratory problems,
diabetes, anxiety, chronic bowel problems, and poor thyroid and adrenal
function.
Stanley,
a professional pilot, came to see me a few years ago suffering from chronic
fatigue and chronic allergies that greatly affected his performance. He loved to
fly but was afraid he would fail the physical and lose his job. I did a thorough
evaluation and prescribed an enzyme for digestion and carbohydrate absorption.
Within two weeks he had so much energy that his coworkers were amazed.
He passed his physical easily. In fact, his physician said his health was
better than it had ever been. By predigesting foods, enzymes save the body's
energy to perform other metabolic functions effectively.
The pH is
one aspect of the useful information the urinalysis provides. The urine pH also
reflects a person's diet and basic dietary imbalances. For example, an alkaline
pH is usually representative of a vegetarian who eats mostly vegetables and
fruits and is perhaps deficient in grains, meats, eggs, and proteins. Alkaline
urine can also represent more serious problems including insomnia and anxiety.
On the other hand, acid urine usually reflects an excess of protein in the diet
and possibly a deficiency of vegetables and fruit. Acid urine causes
sluggishness and lethargy. Respiratory acidosis, emphysema, and asthma produce
persistently acid urine by interfering with respiration and causing an
accumulation of carbon dioxide in the body (pH below 6.0). Carbon dioxide
becomes carbonic acid and the excess acid causes a loss of hydrogen in the
urine. The body holds bicarbonate to buffer the acidity, and the loss of
hydrogen limits HCl production for proper digestion. If it is possible to
discover this aspect of the nutritional makeup early on, a person can be given
enzymes that prevent late-onset asthma and other chronic respiratory problems.
We treat people both to prevent and to heal existing respiratory problems.
The
best way to handle patients with respiratory spasms is to alkalinize them with
enzymes. Over the years, we have seen many asthmatics and patients with chronic
coughs helped with the use of enzymes that change the pH of the urine. Enzymes
soothe an asthmatic's respiratory problems, help with insomnia, increase energy,
and create long-lasting excellent digestion.
Bob, age fifty-three, came to see me recently for chronic insomnia. He
had been on medication for over nine years. Because of the severe side effects
of the medication, he went to see an Asian physician and herbalist in New Mexico
who helped him to get off drugs and detoxify his body. Unfortunately, his
insomnia slowly re- turned, and with one to two hours of sleep a night, he
became weaker and more depressed each day. Palpation showed poor protein and fat
utilization and digestion as well as low levels of calcium. A urinalysis
revealed a pH of 8.1, metabolic alkalinity, indicating a nervous individual,
with possible insomnia. We put him on enzyme supplements to lower his pH, raise
his calcium, and help digest protein and fats. Within two to three weeks he
began to sleep five to six hours a night. Today he sleeps six to seven hours
without interruption and is able to function with clarity and peace of mind.
Why Do We Need
Enzymes?
Enzymes enable our bodies to digest the food we eat. They break down the
various foods we consume - proteins, fats, carbohydrates, and vitamins - into
smaller compounds that the body can absorb. They are absolutely essential in
maintaining optimal health.
Enzymes are present naturally in raw foods but are destroyed in the
cooking process. It is important to eat as much raw food as possible, to subject
food to as little heating as possible, and to chew food well because enzyme production begins in the mouth. Because we often fail to follow
these guidelines, we do not receive all the enzymes we need to do the job of
digestion. Enzyme supplements provide the missing pieces.
Maintaining the body's enzyme levels is critical today when so much of
the food in a typical American diet is processed or cooked, as much as
eighty-five percent ac- cording to recent studies. Enzymes are only found
naturally in raw foods such as vegetables and fruits that contain the very
enzymes needed to digest them. Food enzymes are extremely heat sensitive,
especially at or above temperatures of 118 degrees Fahrenheit. When raw foods
are processed or heated in any way (steamed, baked, boiled, stewed, fried,
microwaved, and canned), they may lose one hundred percent of their enzyme
activity and up to eighty-five percent of their vitamin and mineral content.
Even the raw food we eat could be enzyme deficient if it was grown in
nutrient-lacking soil. In addition, enzyme deterioration begins the moment the
food is picked or killed. For all these reasons, supplementing with enzymes is
crucial to achieve a more efficient digestive process and better utilization of
our food's nutrients.
When digestion is not properly completed, partially digested proteins
putrefy, partially digested carbohydrates ferment, and partially digested fats
turn rancid. These toxins remain in the body, harming the system. Fermented
toxins in the digestive tract can be absorbed into the blood and deposited as
waste in the joints and other soft-tissue areas.
The results of enzyme deficiency include digestive disturbance, fatigue,
headaches, constipation, gas, heartburn, bloating, colon problems, excess 'body
fat, and problems as serious as cardiovascular or heart disease. Enzyme
deficiencies have been linked to premature aging and degenerative diseases as
well. Research has also shown that white blood cells are increased to compensate
for an enzyme-deficient diet. Making use of the immune system to
aid in digestion whenever enzymes are lacking compromises the body's ability to
defend itself from disease.
Digestion has first priority on the limited number of internal enzymes
available; metabolic enzymes must be satisfied with whatever is left. When food
enzymes are introduced from outside the body, the body does not need to
manufacture as many digestive enzymes, allocating more of the enzyme potential
toward the production of the metabolic enzymes needed for growth, maintenance,
and repair. Studies have shown that diets deficient in enzymes cause a thirty
percent reduction in animal life span and low enzyme levels are associated with
old age and chronic diseases. Cancer research has discovered that certain
enzymes are completely lacking in the blood and urine of cancer patients.
When we eat food that is devoid of enzymes, the body must draw on its own
internal supply of enzymes, both metabolic and digestive. Eventually we deplete
our limited reserves, forcing the immune system to aid in digestion instead of
rebuilding the body and fighting illness. The pancreas, salivary glands,
stomach, and intestines all might contribute the enzymes needed for digestion,
robbing the body of metabolic enzymes needed for muscles, nerves, blood, and
other glands.
Enzyme supplements help create more energy, pro- mote faster and easier
digestion, and encourage superior nutrient absorption. It is the responsibility
of our digestive system to release the nutrients that are trapped in our food by
breaking the food down. But our digestive system works best when enzyme
supplements assist in setting the nutrients free for the body to absorb and use.
Receiving all the nutrients in the food we eat is critical, because these
nutrients are needed to build and repair the body's tissue, produce energy, and
maintain a strong immune system.
In my practice I see many patients with chronic food intolerances. For
example, people can inherit or develop intolerances to proteins, sugars, fibers,
complex carbohydrates, or fats. These patients lack the enzymes they need to
break down the food that causes them trouble. Through palpation examination and
testing (described at the end of this chapter), I am able to ascertain which
food a person cannot tolerate and which enzymes they should take as supplements
to restore homeostasis. With the proper enzyme supplements, these patients
regain the ability to digest their food properly and thoroughly. Human saliva
contains the necessary factors needed to activate plant enzymes in the food we
eat but because we fail to chew foods well, we are unable to digest foods. We
need to chew each mouthful at least seventy times for complete predigestion!
Protein Intolerance
People who do not digest proteins crave sugars. They tend to experience
anxiety, osteoporosis, edema, eye or ear inflammation, endometriosis, or bone
spurs. Many of these patients also have an allergy to calcium that further
promotes Osteoporosis. When one is allergic to particular minerals or vitamins,
he or she is usually low in those same minerals or vitamins.
Carla, age fifty, came to see me with a family history of osteoporosis
and arthritis. Two years ago she was screened for osteoporosis and the results
suggested she might have already developed the disease. She was advised to eat
dairy products and take 1,500 mg. of calcium daily. After two years she was
tested again and the results were even worse. She also complained of bloating
and indigestion. Worried, upset, and afraid, she came to me for a nutritional
consultation. An abdominal diagnostic enzyme exam, twenty-four hour urinalysis,
and complete allergy test were performed. The results showed that she was
deficient in calcium and allergic to calcium and the dairy products she had been
eating. After putting her on an enzyme for the digestion of sugars that would
help ease the dairy allergy, I treated her with NAET for calcium and dairy and
prescribed calcium supplements with her enzymes. In one year her test results
were significantly better. I often wonder how many of the millions of women
taking calcium supplements to prevent osteoporosis and arthritis are allergic to
it.
Sugar Intolerance
People who are sugar intolerant tend to crave protein an suffer from
depression, malabsorption, bloating, acute food allergies, hyperactivity,
Crohn's disease, asthma chronic ear infections; and constipation. They usually
are very allergic to B vitamins as well.
Starch,
Fiber, or Fat Intolerance
People who are starch and fiber intolerant tend to crave fat and suffer
from spastic colons, high blood fats, obesity, irritable bowel, ulcerative
colitis, and occasionally constipation. People who are fat intolerant tend to
crave sugar and suffer from eczema, liver and gallbladder disease, and toxicity.
Types
of Enzymes
There are three main
categories of enzymes: metabolic, digestive, and food.
Metabolic
Enzymes
Metabolic enzymes are produced internally and are responsible for running
the body at the level of the blood, tissues, and organs. They are required for
the growth o new cells and the repair and maintenance of all the body's organs
and tissues. Metabolic enzymes take protein, fat, and carbohydrates and
transform them into the proper balance of working cells and tissues. Metabolic
enzymes also remove worn-out material from the cell and keep them clean and
healthy.
Digestive Enzymes
Digestive
enzymes also are produced internally and deal with the digestion of food and the
absorption and delivery of nutrients throughout the body. The most commonly
known digestive enzymes are secreted from the pancreas into the stomach and
small intestine. Each enzyme is specific to a particular compound, which it can
break down, or synthesize. The three most important enzymes for digestion are
protease, amylase, and lipase. They digest protein, carbohydrate, and fat,
respectively.
Food Enzymes
Food
enzymes, the only ones produced externally, are derived solely from raw fruits,
raw vegetables, and supplements. They help the digestive enzymes break down
food. Food enzymes must also have the presence of vitamins and minerals, called
coenzymes, for proper functioning. Unlike raw enzymes, coenzymes are not
completely destroyed by cooking. Because raw food enzymes be-come useless after
heat processing, coenzymes in our diet are not utilized to their full
potential.
Enzymes perform best at a certain pH. For example, animal enzymes perform
best at a pH of 6.5-9.0. On the other hand, plant enzymes have a broader pH
range of 3.0-9.0. I prefer to use plant enzymes because they can survive
transport through the acid pH of the stomach (pH 2.0) and can be used in the
pancreas and small intestine to further digestion.
Some of the reported benefits of consuming food enzymes are the
elimination of:
Some
people have claimed that supplemental enzymes cannot survive the strong acids in
the stomach. However, manufacturers reply that these enzymes might disintegrate
when mixed with acid in a laboratory test tube but not in a living human body.
The stomach normally allows salivary, food, and supplementary enzymes to digest
food for up to an hour after eating. When they have finished their job of
performing predigestion, food and supplementary enzymes that function at a low
pH continue digestion of protein, carbohydrate, and fat for a longer time than
salivary or pancreatic enzymes. As the stomach acid level increases, the acid
enzyme pepsin continues the digestion of protein where the others left off. This
information has been elicited after the stomach and upper intestinal contents
have been pumped out and examined at various intervals following meals.
Some of the products on the market have a natural enteric coating to
protect the enzymes from stomach acids thereby allowing them to pass through the
stomach into the small intestines for assimilation. Taking enzymes on an empty
stomach minimizes the presence of damaging stomach acids. The following list
contains the names of the main digestive enzymes that are used therapeutically
to help restore the body's homeostasis and strengthen the immune system, along
with a brief description of each enzyme's function:
Protease breaks down protein into amino acids; acts on
pathogens such as bacteria, viruses, and cancer cells; works best in the high
acidity of the stomach; also found in pancreatic and intestinal juices.
Amylase breaks down carbohydrates (starches) into simpler
sugars such as dextrin and maltose; found in our saliva, pancreas, and
intestines; secreted by the salivary glands and the pancreas.
Lipase along with bile from the gallbladder, breaks down
fats into glycerol and fatty acids and the oil-soluble Vitamins A, D, E, and F;
helpful in losing weight and for cardiovascular conditions.
Cellulase breaks down fiber and cellulose found in fruits,
vegetables, grains, seeds, and plant material; increases the nutritional value
of fruits and vegetables; foods high in cellulose must be chewed well to allow
cellulase to do its work to prevent putrefaction, bloating, and gas.
Pectinase breaks down pectin-rich foods such as citrus fruits,
apples, carrots, potatoes, beets, and tomatoes.
Lactase breaks down lactose, the complex sugar in milk
products; ideal for lactose-intolerant individuals; production usually decreases
with age; NAET treatment for lactose combined with lactase enzyme effectively
takes care of lactose intolerance.
Cathepsin breaks down meat from animals
Antioxidant enzyme protects
us from the negative effects of free radicals, highly reactive compounds that
can damage almost any cell in the body.
Bromelain breaks down food protein into smaller peptones by
hydrolysis; helps the body to fight cancer, improves circulation, and treats
inflammation; after a musculoskeletal injury it can reduce inflammation as well
as, or even better than, any anti-inflammatory drug; said to improve the effect
of some antibiotics; assists in the absorption of nutrients from foods and
supplements; reduces swelling after dental surgery and helps in dysmenorrhea;
increases tissue permeability; prevents the narrowing of arteries that
contributes to heart attacks.
Papain breaks down food protein into smaller peptones by
hydrolysis; aids the body in digestion.
Glucoamylase breaks down maltose (the sugar in all grains that may
cause cravings for breads and carbohydrates) into two glucose molecules,
allowing greater absorption of this energy-giving sugar.
Invertase helps to assimilate and utilize sucrose, a sugar that
contributes to digestive stress if not properly digested.
Some herbs also aid digestion. Aloe vera provides relief from peptic
ulcers and helps with constipation, and slippery elm is good for hiatal hernias
and acid reflux. Both are common symptoms in asthmatics.
Therapeutic Use
One
of the most common complaints I hear from my patients is "I don't have
enough energy." Before I discovered enzymes, I had no response. Now I know
they can change the situation immediately. For the most part, low energy occurs
because people are not digesting their food properly and they cannot benefit
from the energy that food provides. Instead of deriving the needed enzymes
directly from the food itself, the body has to borrow enzymes from metabolism.
Energy is required to accomplish this. In fact, digesting food without an
adequate amount of enzymes actually uses more energy than the food provides.
Reversing this situation can free up the body's energy for other tasks because
the stealing of enzymes from other parts of the body causes certain metabolic
dysfunctions as the enzymes are distributed among other organs and tissues.
Chronic degenerative diseases, as well as energy depletion, can be the result of
metabolic dysfunction.
The regular consumption of enzyme supplements brings numerous positive
benefits in terms of ongoing general health, including:
The prevention of toxic waste buildup in the
intestines
More efficient assimilation of fats and proteins in
the body
More comfortable and efficient absorption of
nutrients
More comfortable digestion of large amounts of
carbohydrates
Accelerated digestive process because of catalyzation
from enzymes
According to Dr. Edward Howell who researched the effect of enzymes for
more than fifty years, it is very likely that every degenerative disease could
have its origin in a raw food enzyme deficiency. In response to this research,
enzyme advocate William E. Frazier, M.H.P, N .C. remarked, "Not to realize
that most, if not all, degenerative diseases are traceable to a common
denominator, and that common denominator being the food that we eat for
nourishment, is an insult to human intelligence." In my fifteen years of
practice with enzyme therapy, I have seen
many different illnesses helped by the addition of enzymes.
Digestive
Aids
After
a large meal, one might notice a sudden feeling of sluggishness and energy loss.
The body is faced with an overload of calories and nutrients to break down and
deliver to the bloodstream. If the food eaten was cooked,
there are no enzymes included to assist in the energy-consuming task of digestion. If an enzyme supplement
is taken at the beginning of a meal, the body is armed and prepared to handle
the new food entering the digestive system. Without this additional supply of
enzymes, it can take the body up to sixty minutes to gather the needed enzymes,
sometimes borrowing them from other metabolic processes. When supplemental food
enzymes are used, time and energy is conserved, allowing for more complete
absorption of nutrients from the food consumed. When enzymes are taken between
meals, they are absorbed into the bloodstream and distributed throughout the
body instead of being used for digestion.
Enzymes
and the Immune System
Enzymes play a vital role
in building and strengthening a healthy immune system, one of my major goals
when working with patients. A strong immune system enables a body to be less
vulnerable to viruses, bacteria, parasites, and other toxic invaders. It also
helps the body stay healthy during times of stress or when a complete and
balanced diet is not followed.
Circulating Immune Complexes (CICs)
According to the theories of Dr. Anthony
Cichoke, a well-known enzyme therapist, when digestion is poor and substantial
amounts of food remain undigested, these undigested food residues seep into the
bloodstream. There they are viewed as antigens and quickly become attached to
tiny antibodies and form antigen-antibody complexes known as circulating immune
complexes (CICs). These tiny immune complexes float freely in the blood or the
lymph until they are eaten by the large macrophages, the "Pac Men" of
the body. If these CICs are overlooked by the macrophages, or if
chemotherapeutic drugs, steroids, or excessive antibiotics suppress the
macrophages, the CICs grow in size and latch themselves onto body tissue. Then
the backup immune defense sys- tem, T and B cells produced by the bone marrow,
start destroying their own tissue cells in an attempt to destroy the CICs.
Unfortunately, the body's noble effort backfires and an autoimmune response
occurs, creating inflammation, redness, and swelling. Glomerulonephritis,
colitis, arthritis, fibromyalgia, migraines, and asthma are examples of
autoimmune activity at work. Certain enzymes, especially protease, can break up
the CICs. When I put an asthmatic on protease, the immune system is enhanced and
there is an immediate decrease in chronic bacterial and viral infections as well
as chronic mucus.
Inflammation
Characterized
by heat, redness, swelling, and pain, inflammation has a variety of possible
causes from a minor cut or sunburn to a major infection such as appendicitis.
All inflammatory conditions respond well to enzyme therapy. Inflammation is a
sign that many bodily processes are occurring in sequence. The first is the
body's fight against the infection, the second is the reparation of the
destructive tissue, and the third phase of the inflammation process is the
clearing and cleaning up of debris and dead tissue.
Whenever there is an injury, there is an invasion of white blood cells to
repair and clean up the area. These white blood cells circulate in the blood and
lymph all the time. During the dynamic process of inflammation and repair, blood
flows to the area, causes blood clots, and obstructs blood flow that, in turn,
causes swelling and oozing. A barrier of fibrin is formed to encircle the area
of inflammation.
Supplemental enzymes such as proteolytic enzymes and amylase can help
bring more oxygen to the area and reduce swelling by breaking up the fibrous
tissue and eating up the dead and infected tissue. This speeds healing and
reduces pain. Enzymes remove foreign bodies such as bacteria, viruses, and other
microorganisms and help to clean up the area so new nerve tissue and new cells
can be formed.
Both acute and chronic inflammation is helped with the use of enzymes.
Taking high amounts of amylase with bromelain reduces inflammation. Many acute
inflammatory processes such as colitis can become chronic when there are
repeated cycles of damage and repair. Enzymes, by restoring digestion, cleansing
the area, and preventing the formation of circulating immune complexes and
autoaggressive reactions, can be beneficial to sufferers of colitis, Crohn's
disease, and irritable bowel syndrome. In conventional medicine, cortisone
therapy is often used to treat chronic inflammatory problems such as Crohn's.
Cortisone helps stop inflammation but in the long run, makes the situation worse
because it blocks the body's natural immune function. Bacteria, parasites,
fungi, or other pathogens cause irritation and continue to destroy and invade
the body, but the immune system is paralyzed by the cortisone and unable to
fight. Even though the inflammation is curtailed, the pathogenic process still
prevails and can worsen, causing more irritation and other autoimmune problems.
Unlike cortisone, enzymes do not inhibit the immune system. Instead, they
promote the healing process by attacking the pathogens and ultimately reducing
swelling and inflammation. Enzyme preparations can be used to treat a wide
variety of chronic inflammatory conditions including candidiasis, bronchitis,
asthma, bacterial infections, kidney infections, ear infections, sinusitis,
herpes zoster, and herpes simplex 1 and 2.
Asthma
Antioxidant
supplements and enzyme therapy have been used to strengthen the immune system of
asthmatics. Dr. Howard Loomis and I have both observed that asthmatic children
are sugar intolerant, not surprising given that the annual sugar consumption in
the United States is now 150 pounds per capita. In fact, recent studies indicate
that eighty percent of the population is sugar intolerant. Sugar intolerance
involves all sugars including sugars found in fruits, vegetables, and grains and
artificial sugars such as sorbitol, Equal™, NutraSweet™, and mannitol.
Asthma is frequently characterized by a B vitamin deficiency, caused by an
overabundance of sugar and an allergy to B vitamins.
Linda and Neil, eight-year-old twins with asthma, came to see me a
few years ago. A thorough enzyme evaluation indicated they were sugar
intolerant. I took them off all refined sugar, limited their intake of grains
and fruits, and prescribed large amounts of amylase and protease. Their asthma
almost disappeared entirely, and their wheezing and coughing stopped completely.
Overconsumption and underdigestion of protein adds to the excess acidity
caused by respiratory distress in asthmatics. Hypothyroid, hypoadrenal, and
chronic intestinal toxemia also contributes to asthma. Most asthmatics benefit
from an enzyme that contains the four food enzymes plus three disaccharidases -
sucrase, lactase, and maltase - and a respiratory formula containing enzymes and
herbs that nourish the lungs, help expectorate mucus, and relieve coughing and
wheezing.
Arthritis
Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease characterized by pain,
heat, and swelling. Rheumatoid arthritis is a systemic disease of unknown origin
with similar symptoms.
Rheumatoid arthritis is thought to be related to the invasion
of the joints by circulating immune complexes and the autoimmune reactions that
occur as a result. By interrupting the immune complexes and causing their
elimination from the body, enzymes-particularly protease, bromelain, and
lipase-can be extremely beneficial in reducing symptoms and restoring a balanced
life.
Enzyme therapy, in conjunction with NAET treatments for allergies, can
also benefit those with osteoarthritis. In particular, I focus on allergies to
foods that have an acid by-product such as meats, nightshade family vegetables,
certain fruits, and sugars. I also treat bacteria as an allergy in working with
arthritis and other joint problems. Enzymes that digest proteins and sugars can
also be helpful, as can lipase (for fats) and protease. Lipase also helps soothe
the inflammation.
Jan, a woman in her fifties, came to see me with chronic severe hip pain
and stiffness. She had tried everything from anti-inflammatory drugs to
homeopathy and acupuncture with no relief. Reluctant to depend on drugs, she
decided to see me for nutritional and enzyme evaluation. My examination revealed
that she was sugar intolerant, hypothyroid, deficient in the essential minerals
potassium, phosphorus, calcium, and magnesium, deficient in Vitamin C, and very
acidic (low pH). I immediately gave her a sugar-digesting enzyme and created a
diet low in sugar and acid forming foods. I treated her with NAET for calcium,
Vitamin C, and acid from the acid-producing foods. Within days of rigorously
adhering to the diet and taking the enzymes, she was free of stiffness and pain
and looked ten years younger. Needless to say, she was elated.
After one year, she is doing quite well. Because her hip joint had
already degenerated, she might have to have it replaced. But in the meantime,
she can continue to work and enjoy participating in her children's activities
without distraction.
Hypoglycemia
Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) has a number of causes and
eating protein is not always the answer. In fact, the most common cause of
hypoglycemia is a problem with protein consumption. Fifty percent of the protein
we consume is converted to sugars in the body to provide nourishment and energy.
When intolerant of or allergic to protein, the body cannot utilize the amino
acids needed to make sugar, and we become hypoglycemic. We must digest and
tolerate protein in order to make use of the amino acids. Although elimination
of the allergy or intolerance to protein is crucial, enzymes, particularly
protease, can also be helpful.
Sugar intolerance or allergy is also important in understanding
hypoglycemia. If one cannot digest and absorb the sugars, then hyperglycemia
(high blood sugar) and hypoglycemia can develop. When blood sugar levels are too
high as a result of overconsumption and poor digestion of sugar, the pancreas
secretes too much insulin that brings blood sugar levels crashing. Ultimately,
this can exhaust the pancreas and cause diabetes.
Cathy, a twenty-six-year-old aerobics instructor, came to see me for
severe hypoglycemia. She had moments of low energy during the day that created
difficulties conducting her classes. She turned out to be both protein
intolerant and protein deficient. I put her on an enzyme high in protease and
treated her for her allergies to sugar and amino acids. Her hypoglycemia
disappeared, her day-to-day energy level was restored, and those dark circles
under her eyes vanished.
Environmental Toxins
Toxins in our environment, chemotherapy treatment, radiation, and
unhealthy lifestyles contribute to the break- down of the immune system. Enzymes
interrupt the damage and inflammation to the immune system that go along with
these stresses.
Prevention Of Aging
By observing my patients, I have come to believe that enzymes help retard
the aging process by breaking up the circulating immune complexes and restoring
energy and vitality. People feel more vibrant and have more clarity after
working with enzymes. I can see changes almost immediately when my patients
begin enzyme therapy. A healthy diet not properly assimilated cannot benefit the
body and keep it vital.
Woman’s Health
Enzymes playa role in many health issues affecting women such as PMS,
unpleasant symptoms of menopause, vaginal infections, fibrocystic breasts,
endometriosis, menstrual irregularities, and infertility.
The Endocrine System
Enzymes play an important role in maintaining normal, healthy adrenal and
thyroid glands by reducing autoimmune reactions and conserving the metabolic
enzymes needed for glandular function.
Other Systems
Enzymes help maintain a proper electrolyte balance by regulating the
retention of water. Enzymes are excellent for
reducing swollen lymph nodes and the fatigue related to lymphatic congestion.
Enzymes also prevent the formation of kidney and gallstones by breaking up the
oxalic acid that is the most common cause. In this case, NAET can be used as a
complimentary therapy to help desensitize a person to oxalic acid and calcium.
When a person is allergic to these nutrients, their absorption ability is
reduced and there is a crystallization of calcium and oxalates and a formation
of stones.
Intestinal Toxemia
Intestinal toxemia causes many symptoms; among which are fatigue,
allergies, asthma, arthritis, nervousness, gastrointestinal conditions, impaired
nutrition, skin disturbances, low back pain, sciatica, and many more. By
restoring proper digestion, enzymes prevent intestinal toxemia and help restore
normal intestinal flora.
A diet high in protein causes a predominance of proteolytic putrefactive
bacteria in the intestine that produce toxic compounds, some of which are
absorbed. If these compounds are incompletely detoxified by the liver, they
enter the systemic circulation and cause or aggravate many diseases. The
products of the putrefactive flora include indole and skatole from tryptophan,
phenol from tyrosine, and hydrogen sulfide from the products of protein
breakdown. A widely used measure of intestinal putrefaction is the amount of
indican (a form of indole) in the urine. Skatole formed from bacterial action on
tryptophan causes bad breath.
Histamine, another toxic decomposition by-product of tryptophan, causes
headaches, head congestion, nervous depression, and nausea. Tyramine, a toxin
decomposed from tyrosine, can cause high blood pressure.
When I was a young student of nutrition, I studied with Dr. Bernard
Jensen. His lectures always included a discussion of intestinal toxemia (bowel
toxicity), which he believed was the cause of many
chronic health problems. Because the intestines were the hub of the body, he
taught, a toxic colon could leak toxins into the bloodstream and cause anything
from arthritis to early aging and cancer.
A seventy-year-old friend of mine named John came to see me about five
years ago with frequent urination, pain, and burning associated with urination.
A complete twenty-four hour urinalysis and abdominal diagnostic exam revealed
that his pH was 4.5 and his indican level was 14, the highest I had ever seen.
The indican measure usually represents a value that has been there for many
years. His bowel toxicity had been poisoning his system for a long time and I
suspected he had bladder cancer. Because he had other serious problems beyond my
level of expertise, I referred him to another practitioner. He died a year later
of bladder cancer. I always wonder had we done the test earlier and corrected
his condition with enzymes, would things have turned out differently? Bowel
toxicity is usually an inherited condition but it can certainly be' reversed
with enzymes and dietary changes.
A twenty-four hour urine test is a useful nutritional assessment of
chronic enzyme deficiencies and digestive intolerances. It is effective in
evaluating intestinal toxemia and excess protein, sugar, or fat in the urine
that reflects poor digestion. It analyzes assimilation, calcium and vitamin
deficiencies, as well as kidney, adrenal, and thyroid activity. With all these
clues to a person's nutritional makeup, we can detect a predisposition to
diabetes, heart disease, and osteoporosis. The supplementation of enzymes to a
proper level can help prevent these chronic problems in the future.
Parasites
Enzymes help the body rid itself of parasites. With the addition of
magnesium and other herbs, parasites can be eliminated as well as prevented.
Herpes and Other Viruses
I have used protease in treating children's illnesses such as runny nose,
sore throat, and flu-like symptoms. Early detection and treatment with enzymes
eliminates troublesome viruses, including herpes, and prevents recurrence.
Because enzymes prevent infections, my family and I take protease every day.
Whenever a child or an adult asthmatic reports any symptoms of infection,
I immediately give them high doses of protease every half hour until their
symptoms subside. I also recommend NAET treatment with their saliva every two to
five hours (refer to the Self-Treatment section of Chapter 5). This usually
eliminates the symptoms and prevents further complications or the progression of
the infection.
Skin and Joint Problems
Enzyme therapy controls and treats psoriasis, eczema, joint swelling and
back problems. As a chiropractor, I have seen how enzyme therapy
(protease, bromelain, lipase speeds up recovery when used to treat
sprains, strains, misalignments, swelling, and inflammation.
Margo, a woman in her twenties, came to see me for severe psoriasis, a
condition she had been plagued with her whole life. After a thorough enzyme
evaluation, I found that her pH was very acid (indicating an inability to digest
fats and oils), chronic Candida, and another fungus. I recommended an enzyme for
digesting fats (high lipase), a liver enzyme, and an acidophilus enzyme with
cellulase for Candida, fungi, and intestinal toxemia. After eight months her
psoriasis had almost completely disappeared. She has been on enzymes for years
now and her condition is hardly noticeable. She would never be without her
enzymes. They changed her life.
Chronic
Diseases
Autoimmune diseases such as Crohn's disease, colitis, lung disorders, and
systemic Candida infections all react to enzyme therapy. Enzymes restore
digestion and free up a compromised immune system. Then those living defender
cells can do their job fighting organisms and maintaining a clean inner
environment, one that is not involved with diseases such as heart disease,
malignancies, skin problems, low and high blood sugar, stomach and colon pains,
eye trouble, and headaches. Enzymes destroy toxins and free radicals and
antigens in the liver and bloodstream.
Research has found that the impaired ability of an enzyme to protect
against free radicals may lead to damage to motor neurons in the brain and
spinal cord. This research sheds some light on nervous systems disorders such as
Parkinson's disease and ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease). Researchers now report early
promise in treating a devastating childhood immune deficiency disease with
injections of a manufactured form of the missing enzyme that causes the disease.
In addition, recent research in Germany has found that MS can be held in check
and in some cases improved through the use of enzyme therapy. Children
previously treated unsuccessfully for acute lymphoblastic leukemia have achieved
complete or partial remission with a newly developed enzyme: one hundred percent
of the young patients responded favorably to treatment.
Allergies
Many allergies today are actually related to a lack of certain enzymes
needed to digest the substance that causes the allergic reaction. Joint pain and
gout often result from undigested proteins, fats, and minerals that form uric
crystals that get caught in the joints. Yeast and fungal growth starts with
undigested foods in the bloodstream
and can be compounded by the white flour and sugar we
eat. Extreme fatigue might be a consequence of an inability to digest proteins
and fats that cause poor circulation. When blood cells clump together, they
cannot carry as much oxygen, which leads to slow and muddled thinking. It is
also more difficult for white blood cells to travel where they are needed.
Proteolytic and lipolytic enzymes found in some supplements help break
down unwanted toxins and irritants partially responsible for allergies and
inflammation. The enzymes break the toxic substances into smaller, more
manageable components that are then eliminated from the body.
Higher Energy
About half of the body's energy is spent digesting food. Studies find a
definite correlation between the amount of enzymes a person has and their energy
level. For example, athletes who take enzyme supplements have been able to work
out more often with greater intensity and require less recovery time.
Obesity
There is a connection between eating a diet full of cooked,
enzyme-deficient food and problems with excessive weight. Raw foods rich in
enzymes aid the body in reaching and maintaining its normal weight and firmness.
I have had wonderful results with enzyme therapy. Correcting digestive
intolerances with enzymes and adjusting the diet based on the specific food
intolerances help with either weight reduction or weight gain, whichever is
desired.
Doctors throughout the United States have been researching the effects of
plant enzymes on various clinical conditions including poor digestion,
malabsorption, pancreatic insufficiency, celiac disease, lactose intolerance, arterial obstruction, and thrombotic disease. Results
have shown that enzymes are effective for treating a wide range of conditions.
The
Value Of Enzymes And Antioxidants
According to Hippocrates, "Man is not nourished by what he swallows,
but by what he digests and uses. " With the increasing pollution and
depletion of healthy soil, the foods we eat today have only a fraction of the
nutrition our ancestors consumed in centuries past. At the same time, we now
have an advanced technology that allows us to replenish the nutrients we lose
through food processing by producing enzyme supplements to be taken with every
meal. Once known only to alternative health professionals, enzyme therapy has
achieved such amazing results (measured by patient evaluations as well as by
microscopic blood analysis) that the treatment has recently excited even the
medical mainstream.
Superoxide Dismutase (SOD)
Superoxide dismutase (SOD),
a copper/zinc-containing enzyme found in all body cells, is a primary defender
against free radicals. SOD eliminates destructive superoxide molecules, a common
free radical produced in the body, and soaks up free radical oxygen molecules in
the bloodstream. Reactive oxygen molecules, or oxygen radicals' can destroy
healthy tissue. Normally, the body makes enough SOD to hold oxygen radicals in
check. But when the immune system destroys bacteria or other infectants and
invaders, the surge in the number of white blood cells or antibodies triggers a
rapid proliferation of oxygen radicals. In many autoimmune diseases, the white
blood cells or immune reactors identify certain tissues as foreign and attack
them. SOD scavenges the free radicals
and interrupts the progress of this autoimmune reaction.
SOD also inhibits fats in the cells from becoming rancid which helps
prevent premature aging. It also helps wounds to heal and alleviates symptoms
related to radiation sickness. People deficient in this enzyme should use a
supplement. The food sources of SOD are green vegetables, yeast, sprouted seeds,
and grains.
Coenzyme Q10
Coenzyme Q1O is important for the production of energy by all cells in
the body because they help activate enzymes. For example, copper, iron, and
other minerals and vitamins, including the B complex, are coenzymes. We need to
absorb those important vitamins from our foods so that our enzymes and coenzymes
can function optimally. Coenzyme Q1O, which occurs naturally in the body, has
been found useful for heart problems, high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer,
obesity, tumors, and Candida. Athletes take CoQ1O for increased endurance.
Streptokinase is an enzyme that, according to recent research, helps
establish blood flow to the heart. Administered as an injectant into the
patient’s coronary artery, this enzyme acts to dissolve clots and has
contributed to an encouraging survival rate among heart attack victims.
Enzymes help the body to build new muscle tissue, nerve cells, skin, and
glandular tissue. For example, one enzyme assists in converting dietary
phosphorous into bone. Other enzymes aid in digestion, regulate respiration,
facilitate better elimination, and stimulate the immune system. There is another
enzyme used for burn patients that helps reduce scarring and blood loss. The
enzyme acts on dead tissue to expose tissue better able to accept skin grafts.
Abdominal Palpation
and Twenty-Four Hour Urinalysis
The abdominal palpation examination that I learned from Dr. Howard Loomis
is based on the recognition of superficial pain or tenderness found in the
muscular abdominal wall. When palpated or stretched, these muscles elicit a
reflex contraction in the body. This contraction is measured through applied
kinesiology or postural deviation, indicated in pelvic leg measurement and leg
length discrepancy. These are all reflexes used by chiropractors and health
practitioners in many fields to determine and correct areas of imbalance.
Each area of the abdomen, when stretched or palpated, relates to a
specific organ or tissue function by means of sensory nerve affiliation. When
the palpated area elicits a reflex, a possible inflammation, deficiency, or
imbalance is evident. These areas and a brief description of symptoms are
discussed below:
Abdominal Palpation
Reference Chart
Positive
Reflex in:
Problem:
Epigastrium
Excess acidity or alkaline deficiency
Upper
Right Quadrant
Fat
Intolerant
Upper Left Quadrant
Sugar
Intolerant
Lower Right Quadrant
Protein
Intolerant
Lower Left Quadrant
Fiber Intolerant
I use this palpation examination with patients to help me decide on the
appropriate enzyme to aid them in the digestion of their food. As discussed
earlier in this chapter, good digestion is the key to health. If digestion is
poor, undigested food residues are deposited in the blood and lymph, creating an
immune reaction that leads to the creation of CICs. These immune complexes
inhibit the immune system from working adequately and they inhabit tissue and
organs of the body that cause autoimmune reactions including inflammation,
swelling, pain, and increased activity of pathogenic organisms in the body.
Health declines, the liver overworks, and stress is internal as well as
external.
Every one of our patients is put on a digestive enzyme formula to
predigest food. I determine the appropriate formula by using the abdominal
diagnostic enzyme evaluation. For example, many asthmatics elicit a reflex
related to the upper left and lower left quadrants meaning they are unable to
digest sugars and fibers. The improper digestion of sugars and starches causes
much of the mucus created in an asthmatic. Probably the asthmatic's diet, like
the diets of most people, is made up largely of sugars including dairy products
(lactose), fruit (fructose), pasta (maltose), breads, crackers, rice (rice
sugar), and other grains. With this information, I put the asthmatic on an
enzyme that helps digest and utilize sugars and starches and that includes
cellulase, sucrase, lactase, disaccharidase, amylase, protease, and lipase. I
also put the person on a diet low in sugars and starches since he or she is
intolerant to these foods (refer to Part VI for specific diets).
In combination with the abdominal palpation examination, I employ a
twenty-four hour urinalysis laboratory exam developed by Dr. Howard Loomis to
evaluate inherent food intolerances and dietary excesses, bowel toxicity, and
other critical areas such as kidney function and vitamin deficiencies. The
kidneys help the body maintain blood homeostasis by filtering the blood and
discarding excess waste in the urine. Careful monitoring of the urine reveals
what the body is holding and throwing away in its efforts to maintain
homeostasis.
For example, the body regulates the pH of the blood by discarding excess
acid and base. The inability to do this adequately is revealed in the urine,
which reflects the many stresses and strains the body experiences. Analysis of
the urine can point out sick individuals whose bodies are struggling to cope
better than can an analysis of the blood because the body maintains the
homeostasis of the blood at all costs. The urine reveals dietary excess in the
form of precipitated fat, carbohydrate, and protein that indicates poor
digestion of, and/or overreaction to, these foods. The urine shows mineral
deficiencies, anxiety, respiratory stress, sugar problems, pre-diabetic
tendencies, gallbladder problems, bowel toxicity, and sluggish or over-worked
kidneys. With this evaluation and the abdominal palpation, we are able to
recommend the appropriate diet and digestive enzymes to better serve an
individual's homeostasis and to reinforce or maintain a healthy immune system.