Enzymes are responsible for every biological function that takes place in all living organisms and are the determining factor between living and dead matter. From a dietary perspective, however, their primary function is the digestion of fats, protein, and carbohydrates.

Research has proven that heating, even at relatively low temperatures, destroys virtually all the naturally occurring enzymes in food, which is why supplementing with digestive enzymes can be a monumental aid in improving and maintaining human health.

Effects of Processing Food

As science continues to create new ways to extend the shelf life of food by removal or destruction of enzymes, society continues to suffer from the effects of an enzyme deficient diet. Although many of these practices are both pleasant and necessary in our modern world, we can no longer ignore the negative effects of enzyme deficiency. Any food that is cooked, steamed, canned, pasteurized, baked, broiled, or irradiated, has lost virtually all enzyme activity.

Digestion of food in the absence of naturally occurring enzymes negates the process of “predigestion” (the process by which food is naturally broken down prior to eating), forcing the body to bear 100% of the digestive burden.

As the body must provide digestive enzymes to sustain some level of dietary integrity, it must sacrifice metabolic enzymes to do so.

The result is poorly digested or undigested foods, some of which may pass into the system in an attempt to be utilized, but most of which will simply move into the colon and begin the putrefactive process before being excreted.

Effects of Poor Digestion

Consumption of enzyme deficient foods and the bypassing of natural predigestion promotes conditions conducive to degenerative disease. Materials that remain undigested, or eaten partially digested, bypass the uptake sites in the small intestine and collect in the colon. The limited enzyme contribution by the pancreas is soon exhausted and any possible assimilation is completed, leaving the undigested foodstuff to undergo the process of bacterial breakdown or putrefaction.

Unlike fermentative bacteria which are beneficial, putrefactive enteric bacteria produce extremely toxic by-products. These toxins, especially those related to protein putrefactive, are drawn from the colon filtered through the organs of elimination creating even greater strain on an already overtaxed system.

The first line of defense is the liver which, if functioning properly, can remove any of these harmful toxins only to empty them directly back into the intestine. Some of these toxic compounds are not removed by the liver, however, and are released into the general circulation where they travel throughout the body. Those which do not accumulate in weakened tissue, arteries, etc., are then filtered through the kidneys and excreted via the urine. This process is known as intestinal toxemia and has been associated with degeneration and disease.

With the help of supplemental enzymes, we can replace the lost enzyme factors so vital to predigestion and assimilation of nutrients. Doing so keeps daily food intake from becoming toxic to the system and increases nutritional efficiency.