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What is the role of enzymes in digestion? by Eric Darche

What is the role of enzymes in digestion? by Eric Darche

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Enzymes are proteins (or sometimes ribonucleic acids) whose role is to catalyze chemical reactions in living organisms. Like any catalyst, an enzyme increases the speed of a process without being consumed, thus not appearing in the reaction balance.

What are digestive enzymes?

An enzyme is a protein produced by the body that is essential for cellular biochemical activity. Digestive enzymes are essential for transforming food into nutrients. They act from the oral stage with amylases contained in the juice secreted by the salivary glands, then various digestive enzymes break down large molecules into smaller substrates that can be absorbed by the body.

A deficiency in nutritional enzymes (mainly due to a lack of raw foods), normally provided by a balanced diet, increases the workload of the pancreas to produce digestive enzymes.

If the situation persists over time, the synthesis of these digestive enzymes will be at the expense of molecules needed to ensure the body's overall metabolism.

Some nutrient deficiencies, or due to a "lazy" pancreas, can also contribute to an enzymatic deficit. Enzymes help, within leukocytes (or white blood cells), to degrade or phagocytize foreign bodies (or allergens). Their deficiency can therefore lead to sensitivity to atmospheric allergens. A typical histamine reaction may then often be observed, including redness of the eyes or local tissues, temperature, a runny nose, and pain, etc.

What is the role of enzymes?

Some enzymes have roles in blood purification, the elimination of toxic substances... No cellular operation can occur without enzymes. They have very diverse tasks but share a common denominator: their suffix -ase (amylase, anhydrase, polymerase...).

Amylase has an antihistamine role by blocking IgG antibodies. It helps to moderate and stabilize the action of mast cells and basophils (white blood cells) in releasing histamine in response to the damaged area.

One of the roles of enzymes is to regulate cholesterol levels in the body. Some enzymes specialize in cleaning intercellular and intracellular spaces.

There are 64 types of enzymes in our body that eliminate waste and prevent plaque formation. The body will then accumulate all sorts of substances that it would normally have evacuated, leading to premature aging and promoting diseases (such as diabetes, osteoarthritis, cardiovascular problems, chronic allergic reactions, certain cancers, etc.).

Research has shown that when highly stressed, the pancreas can triple its weight, but the brain compensates by reducing its volume.

The immune system, whose role is to neutralize any undesirable molecule (antigen, virus, bacteria, toxins, etc.), does so mainly thanks to enzymes. In case of enzymatic deficiency due to a lack of raw foods, for example, the immune system weakens. Dr. A.E. Leskover demonstrated through his work that enzyme supplementation allows an increase in the number of immune cells (macrophages and killer cells) by 700% to 1,300%.

The human body has a large number of different enzymes, and their roles are to:

  • Participate in the biochemical transformations of the body, such as the formation of urea, the elimination of carbon dioxide in the lungs, and the development of new tissues.
  • Contribute to bone synthesis and brain processes. Simply having a thought involves specialized enzymes.
  • Involve in many other processes: reproduction, immune defense, energy production, etc.
  • They are particularly involved in the assimilation of nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, and trace elements.

Note that in the case of enzyme deficiency, the intake of synthetic vitamin or mineral cocktails will have no effect due to the lack of assimilation. Only products or dietary supplements made from fruit and plant extracts that simultaneously provide these vitamins with the enzymes from their plant sources can be properly assimilated.

They are produced by the liver and pancreas for the digestion of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. Some digestive enzymes are produced by the villi of the small intestine (lactase, sucrase, fructase, maltase).

What type of digestion is produced by enzymes?

Among the digestive enzymes, there are four main types: salivary amylase (or ptyalin), protease, lipase, and cellulase.

Amylase deficiency: This enzyme is necessary for the digestion of starches. A lack of amylase can lead to constipation, diarrhea, fibromyalgia, attention deficit, etc.

Protease deficiency: This enzyme is necessary for the digestion of proteins. A lack of protease can lead to constipation, arthritis, various inflammations, anxiety, premenstrual syndrome, immune dysfunction, etc.

Lipase deficiency: This enzyme is necessary for the digestion of fats. A lack of lipase can lead to constipation, gallbladder problems, heart disease, hormonal imbalances.

Cellulase deficiency: This nutritional enzyme is necessary for the digestion of plant fibers. A lack of cellulase can lead to constipation, eczema, dermatitis, fungal infections, obesity, etc.

Provided by food, they are essential for the digestion of the foods that contain them.

A deficiency of these enzymes can be due to the cooking of food, certain preservation techniques (such as irradiation), the lack of consumption of raw foods, or chronic digestive disorders (such as bloating, gas, diarrhea...).

Currently, there are fewer and fewer enzymes in modern foods. Unlike all the others, cellulase (found in plants) cannot be produced by the body.

Thorough chewing is essential to release it. Otherwise, one may suffer from bloating and intestinal gas. At that point, one might be tempted to stop consuming raw vegetables to solve the problem. But this decision can only cause numerous health issues due to the lack of "living" nutrients and fibers.

Sensitivity of enzymes to heat:

Interesting results have been obtained in reducing certain risks at the rheumatic, tumoral, venous, arterial, skin, respiratory, digestive, inflammatory, and traumatic levels, thanks to enzyme complexes in the form of dietary supplements, combined with general and dietary hygiene measures.

If raw foods are so important in dietary balance, it is because of the great sensitivity of their components to the effects of heat:

  • From 40° to 75° C: Destruction of all enzymes
  • From 40° C: Hydrolysis of starches into maltose and stabilization around 80°
  • Then, above 100°: Caramelization with water loss
  • From 60° to 75° C: Destruction of vitamin C
  • From 70° to 100° C: Hydrolysis of proteins, coagulation of albumins, spatial destruction of amino acid molecules
  • At 90-95° C: Destruction of certain vitamins from group D and, largely, vitamin E
  • Around 100° C: Precipitation of minerals and trace elements by intracellular flocculation, making them unassimilable by the body. Loss or inversion of electron spin, partial deionization
  • Around 110° C: Oxidation of fat-soluble vitamins A and D
  • From 120° C: Destruction of remaining vitamins (B2, E, PP) and dissociation of lipids into fatty acids and glycerin, then into water and tar, with the formation of carcinogenic acrolein and benzopyrene (at the smoke point of oils).

What is the name of the enzyme secreted by the stomach?

The main enzyme secreted by the stomach is pepsin. Pepsin is a proteolytic enzyme produced by the gastric cells of the stomach. It is responsible for breaking down proteins into smaller peptides, which are then further broken down in the small intestine. Pepsin is activated by the hydrochloric acid produced by the parietal cells of the stomach, creating an optimal acidic environment for its function. Pepsin plays an important role in the digestion of protein foods in the stomach.

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