Your diet may lack vital enzymes

October 6th, 2006

Enzymes are vital to the metabolic processes that take place in your body. They work as catalysts in assisting the chemical processes involved in converting one substance
into another.

For instance, a proteolytic enzyme will convert proteins into peptides and amino acids so that the latter being smaller molecules could be readily absorbed in your intestine.

Dr Jeremy Kaslov, a biochemist and Ellen Cutler have authored a book ‘Micromiracles: Discover the Healing Power of Enzymes.’ In the book they underline that our current diets and lifestyles lead to deficiencies of essential enzymes which in turn result into food cravings, weight gain, premature ageing, lowered immunity and food intolerances.

Being “essential to every bodily function including breathing, circulation and immune response,” says Cutler, “poor diet, digestive stress, metabolic imbalance, illness and medications lower the enzyme levels.”

The authors explain three basic groups of enzymes and their functions. The systemic enzymes maintain blood and tissues, keep your heart beating in the right rhythm and your senses, mood and memory in order. The systemic enzymes are made by your body when you are healthy. Your body faces deficiency of systemic enzymes during stress and sickness. Hence your healing power is affected.

The digestive enzymes help your body absorb food nutrients. Hence, the need for your body to keep producing digestive enzymes to help digestion.

The food enzymes are the enzymes which are present in the food naturally. They are vital supplements to the stock of enzymes present in your body. But if they are deficient in your food your body has to work so much more to make up for the deficiency, thus curtailing the supply of enzymes to some other vital bodily functions.

Your diet therefore needs to be watched for unhealthy attributes.

Since digestion of food starts in your mouth, the authors of the book recommend that you chew your food 30-40 times and not just 3-5 as normally done. This will help the food enzymes to help complete digestion in your mouth.

Entry Filed under: Healthy Foods