Enzymes are the spark plugs of life. They catalyse reactions to make things happen in our body. Many people are aware of digestive enzymes, however the benefits of enzymes go far beyond digestive help. They’ve been touted as beneficial for everything from cardiovascular and joint health, to immune function, to pain and inflammation, anti-aging and more.
Food Enzymes
We make enzymes internally and we also get them from our food. A banana turning brown is one example of the work of enzymes. Some good foods sources include – pineapple, papaya and kiwifruit. Think of traditional cultures where they ate their pork with pineapple – because it helps with digestion! Seems there’s more to the story of the simple ham and pineapple pizza hey (even if you dont think pineapple belongs anywhere near pizza)!
Enzymes Supplements
Our enzyme production tends to decrease as we age, so taking a supplemental form can potentially bring great benefit to our body. Enzymes don’t build up, nor are they stored in our bodies. They are merely used, broken down and recycled or discarded, thus tend to be very safe to ingest. They wont do much in a body that has no need for them, though its always helpful to speak to someone well versed in this area before embarking on them.
Enzymes are essentially proteins that require vitamins and minerals as cofactors to do their important work. They are very specific, in that they perform very specific functions. Proteolytic enzymes for instance, are protein digesting ones that can even help to ingest scar tissue as an example. Lipase enzymes help you to digest fats and so forth.
Enzymes do not alter the physiology of our bodies. Instead they enhance and activate processes more effectively for us. They both promote and halt inflammation. They also activate and deactivate immune processes. They break down toxins and mucous. They are detoxifying to the blood, helping to clean the gunk out leaving behind cleaner blood.
We’ve recently started (re!)stocking a range of enzymes. Visit us in store to find out more!