[cleveryoutube video=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVOqY4GiVuw” vidstyle=”1″ pic=”” afterpic=”” width=”” starttime=”” endtime=”” caption=”” showexpander=”off” alignment=”center” newser=””]
When it comes to the way our bodies react to food and the breakdown that takes place, people think that they have no worries revolving around this natural process our bodies go through.
Our bodies were meant to do this. What do we have to worry about?
Plenty, keep reading.
The enzymatic process is a complex process our bodies use to break down the food we eat by using enzymes which are complex substances produced by animals and plants.
What these enzymes do is bind with other substances (called substrates) causing the substrate to split into a simpler form.
For example when you eat a banana your body starts to break it down once it’s in your mouth. Saliva contains enzymes that break down carbs into simpler sugars for the production of ATP (this is the raw energy our cells use for their daily functions).
And according to Joseph M. Kadans Ph.D, there are at least a dozen significant digestive enzymes in the secretions of the digestive juices and that’s exactly where most enzymes are found; in gastric juices like in the stomach, liver, and pancreas.
All the enzymes our bodies produce aid in digesting fats, proteins, and carbs (macronutrients)
I hope you’re starting to understand the importance of enzymes. Without them we have no way of breaking down macronutrients for our bodies to use.
This is how acidity in the blood occurs.
When we can’t break down food completely from lack of enzymes, food particles show up in our blood. This turns our blood acidic which can lead to a heap load of illnesses, including cancer.
Did that catch your attention?
I hope so cause if you eat a westernized diet of highly processed foods, more than likely you aren’t getting the enzymes necessary for the breakdown of that food.
So your body has to work extra hard in producing more enzymes to do the job.
After a while this takes a toll on your body and eventually you can’t produce enough enzymes to support the amount of food you’re eating.
Leading to undigested food in your blood stream.
So how do I get more enzymes?
The simple answer is by eating whole foods.
But unfortunately since enzymes are living cells they are very sensitive to temperature change. “The enzymes that digest food work best at the temperature of the body” (Kadans 25).
So by heating foods (pasteurization) you destroy a good chunk of the enzymes in that food
Same thing happens when your freeze food, you end up stopping the enzymes activity of splitting up substrates.
By eating foods that are raw you end up eating the natural occurring enzymes in that food that will help in digesting it.
Let’s use milk as an example.
When you buy milk at the grocery store there’s a good chance it’s been pasteurized and homogenized. This is a process used to kill the bacteria in the milk by heating it up to a certain temperature.
Well remember enzymes are sensitive. So by heating the milk you are also destroying the enzyme lactase which will help break down lactose (this is why most people can’t tolerate milk. Their bodies can’t break down the sugar lactose and since the milk has been heated there are no natural occurring enzymes in the milk to help with the break down either).
“When the enzymes ordinarily present in food are destroyed by cooking, the body is forced to manufacture more enzymes” (Kadans 26).
And like I mentioned before the production of enzymes occur in the stomach, liver, and pancreas.
But the pancreas is the largest producer of enzymes. Making it vulnerable to malfunction if it’s over worked by producing more enzymes than it needs too.
And according to Joseph M. Kadans Ph. D malfunctioning of the pancreas, due to overwork, upsets the digestion of protein, fats, and other substances.
Leading to undigested food left in your gut.
If you suffer from leaky gut syndrome this undigested food can get into your blood stream and cause inflammation and diseases.
According to Dr. Mercola leaky gut syndrome can lead to your immune system becoming confused and can actually start to attack its own body as if it were an enemy. This is referred to as an autoimmune disease.
Now I know this all sounds crazy, but you have to understand your body can only handle so much. It will do anything in its power to keep you alive but when you start taking advantage and not helping it out, eventually it’ll start breaking down.
And if you’re serious about your health eating more whole foods shouldn’t be hard but if it’s something you need to slowly start applying to your diet then I would recommend
Taking a digestive enzyme supplement in the meantime.
These are a great way to aid in digestion and save yourself from developing illnesses in the long run.
Stay healthy,
