Enzymes Equal Life
Enzymes are the sparks that start the essential chemical reactions our
bodies need to live. They are necessary for digesting food, for
stimulating the brain, for providing cellular energy, and for repairing
all tissues, organs, and cells. Humbart Santillo, in his book Food
Enzymes, quotes a Scottish medical journal that says it well: "Each
of us, as with all living organisms, could be regarded as an orderly,
integrated succession of enzyme reactions."
Three types
There are three types of enzymes:
- Metabolic enzymes
- Digestive enzymes
- Food enzymes.
Metabolic enzymes catalyze, or spark, the reactions within the
cells. The body’s organs, tissues, and cells are run by metabolic
enzymes. Without them our bodies would not work. Among their chores are
helping to turn phosphorus into bone, attaching iron to our red blood
cells, healing wounds, thinking, and making a heart beat.
Digestive enzymes break down foods, allowing their nutrients to
be absorbed into the bloodstream and used in body functions. Digestive
enzymes ensure that we get the greatest possible nutritional value from
foods.
Food enzymes are enzymes supplied to us through the foods we
eat. Nature has placed them there to aid in our digestion of foods. This
way, we do not use as many of the body’s "in-house" enzymes in
the digestive process.
This is important to remember. Dr. Edward Howell, who has written two
books on enzymes, theorizes that humans are given a limited supply of
enzyme energy at birth, and that it is up to us to replenish our supply of
enzymes to ensure that their vital jobs get done. If we don’t replenish
our supply, we run the risk of ill health.
In the Enzyme Nutrition axiom, Howell postulates that "The length
of life is inversely proportional to the rate of exhaustion of the enzyme
potential of an organism. The increased use of food enzymes promotes a
decreased rate of exhaustion of the enzyme potential."
In other words, the more food enzymes you get, the longer, and
healthier, you live.
The key is to remember that food enzymes are destroyed at temperatures
above 118 F. This means that cooked and processed foods contain few, if
any enzymes, and that the typical North American diet is enzyme-deficient.
When we eat this type of diet, we could well be eating for a shorter and
less-than-healthy life.
Enzymes Equal Life
This points back to the importance of eating raw fruits and vegetables
because they are "live foods"; that is, foods in which
the enzymes are active. The more enzymes you get, the healthier you are.
And the more raw foods you eat, the more enzymes you get.
Another Frontier?
One of the roles of enzymes in the body is detoxification - breaking down
toxic substances so that they are excreted and cannot build up to possibly
cause harm. Although this is done by metabolic enzymes, research shows
that enzymes found in the foods we eat "although not food
enzymes" may help our bodies do this.
This has such potential that the U.S. Army is looking into it. The U.S.
Army Edgewood Research, Development, and Engineering Center has isolated
enzymes that neutralize chemical warfare agents. The center’s Dr. Joseph
J. DeFrank believes the enzymes can be used to rapidly decontaminate
facilities, equipment, and vehicles.
The Frank M. Raushel Research Group is looking at ways to exploit the
properties of enzymes for a variety of chemical and medicinal uses. One
project is studying enzymes that catalyze the detoxification of
organophosphate insecticides.
Other research points in the same direction. Research at the University
of California, Davis is showing that green barley extract may accelerate
the body’s breakdown of malathion, an organophosphate insecticide used
heavily throughout the world.
Six different experiments measured the ability of barley leaf extract
to "detoxify" this insecticide. All revealed positive results.
Interestingly enough, one more test was run after subjecting the green
barley extract to high heat. This, the researchers believe, denatured and
removed the proteins. Detoxification ability was again measured, and this
time, did not take place. This indicates that the detoxifying agent in
green barley is an enzyme, and when heated, the enzymes are destroyed. It
also points out that green barley extract is "alive", that is,
that the enzymes are intact.
The article "Enzymes" is reproduced with the
permission of AIM International.
© 1997, 1998, 1999 by AIM International
It's certain death for
enzymes when we cook our food!!!
