It is important in understanding enzymes and nutrition to really have a firm grasp of what enzymes are, where they come from, what role they play in nutrition. We have already covered this area of nutrition in Part I. Here in Part II we will discuss which enzymes digest which type of food, whether I have an infinite supply of enzymes, what happens when I start to run low on digestive enzymes, what I can do to maintain my enzyme level and whether there are certain enzymes I can take for specific health conditions.

Which digestive enzymes digest food?

Proteins, carbohydrates, and fats are three main food groups that make up bulk of our daily diet. A "balanced" diet means we consume proper proportions of these three basic food groups on a daily basis. This balance, when combined with assurance that we also get essential nutrients, can help provide a healthy life — if we properly process and metabolize these nutrients. To do this we also need an adequate source of major types of digestive enzymes: Proteases, Amylases and Lipases.

Let’s build a small chart and take a look at just what these food groups and enzymes are:

FOOD GROUP% OF DAILY DIETENZYME CLASSENZYME FUNCTION Proteins20-25%ProteaseDigests Protein Carbohydrates50-60%AmylaseDigests Carbohydrates Fats20-30%LipaseDigests Fats (Lipids)

There are numerous categories of digestive enzymes, but for purpose of this discussion, we will cover three primary classes of digestive enzymes that digest our food. [NOTE: generally speaking, enzymes end with suffix "ase."]

If proper QUANTITY and required TYPE of enzymes are not present, your body becomes TOXIC from left over WASTE of incomplete digestion. This is reason why most illnesses and diseases are initially a dietary mistake. This can be prevented and it can be reversed. It’s all a matter of having right amount and right kind of enzymes available at right time to prevent your body from becoming a receptacle for pollution and waste — a receptacle that then breeds and harbors disease.

Do I have an infinite supply of enzymes?

No. Until recently, many within scientific community labored under misconception that digestive enzymes in our body are constant and last forever; that they can be used and reused; that they never get old and never wear out.

Researchers now know that we lose digestive enzymes through sweat and body waste. Through constant use, enzymes lose their strength and ability to do their work. As we age, organs responsible for producing our digestive enzymes become less efficient. Today's environmental pollution, overly processed fast foods, genetically modified foods, high anti-biotic content and microwave cooking can result in free radical damage, which lowers body's effectiveness to produce enzymes. To offset this loss, we need to supplement our system with oral digestive enzymes. One such enzyme supplement is an organic greens, Bio 88+ (Plus).

What are some of causes of low enzyme supply?

When our bodies are nutritionally out of balance, which may lead to chronic illness. Also, our digestive enzymes become depleted when we go on long-term restrictive diets which cut out one basic food group for too long a period, when we eat too many overcooked foods, when we eat foods that are laced with antibiotics, when we eat foods which have traces (or more) of artificial fertilizers, fungicides and pesticides.

It is important in understanding enzymes and nutrition to really have a firm grasp of what enzymes are, where they come from, what role they play in nutrition. So lets ask a few key questions about enzymes and look at answers. This will give us a much better perception of importance of enzymes to our nutrition and our overall health.

What is role of enzymes in nutrition?

To better understand digestive enzymes, we must first understand role of NUTRITION in our health. The Oxford American Dictionary defines “nutrition” as simply “nourishment”. Another definition of Nutrition is body's ability to use and metabolize food.

There are 45 known essential nutrients required in specific amounts in order for body to function properly. The term "essential," as used here, means body cannot synthesize them internally. Therefore all essential nutrients must come from outside body – from food and other vitamin and mineral sources. In addition to carbohydrates, fats (lipids), complete proteins, and water, there are at least 13 kinds of vitamins and at least 20 kinds of minerals required for proper metabolic function.

Once consumed, food containing these nutrients must be digested, meaning they must be broken apart and reduced to a state that nutrients can be absorbed into and transported by blood stream to all parts of body.

Our cells are genetically programmed to direct these nutrients to combine and interact with other nutrients and chemicals to create still other chemicals and compounds which, in turn, are used to build and repair body's cells – bones, tissue, and organs. This process is called metabolism. Each metabolic reaction is started, controlled, and terminated by enzymes.

Without enzymes we will have no metabolic activity. A body that does not consistently and efficiently metabolize essential food elements necessary for life will be unhealthy, out of balance, and this condition will result in a severe susceptibility to disease. Many illnesses are result of a dietary problem that causes toxemia inside of body, a natural condition resulting from malnutrition – whether from a malfunction of body or from a lack of proper dietary intake.

How many different kinds of enzymes are there?

For our purposes, there are three major types or categories of Enzymes:

•DIGESTIVE ENZYMES •FOOD ENZYMES •METABOLIC ENZYMES

The two kinds of enzymes we are concerned with here are DIGESTIVE ENZYMES and FOOD ENZYMES. These two are active only within our digestive system. They have one main job — to digest our food.

But third type is important. They are Metabolic enzymes which run body. They exist throughout body in organs, bones, blood, and inside cells themselves. They are “genetically programmed” to regenerate and maintain their host. These enzymes do a great job carrying out their metabolizing mission as long as they are health and there are enough of them.

Digestive enzymes are manufactured within our body's organs. Digestive enzymes are secreted by salivary glands, stomach, pancreas, and small intestine. Technically, digestive enzymes are also considered to be metabolic enzymes whose metabolic role is to digest food. We are specifically distinguishing these particular enzymes here because they deal with digestion and they can be supplemented from an outside source.