Enzymes Can Help With Many Ailments

Food enzyme deficiencies are America’s number one nutritional problem and are responsible for more disease than all other nutritional issues combined. Some experts consider this deficiency the most serious oversight in health.

Life does not exist without enzymes.  Each one of us was born with an adequate but limited supply of enzymes. In general, there are three categories of enzymes. There are the digestive enzymes that help us break down the foods we eat, metabolic enzymes help our bodies run, and food enzymes from raw foods that start the digestive process.

Each organ system depends on the function of about one hundred different enzymes; so in order to maintain a state of health, we must make sure that nothing interferes with the function of these enzymes.

Unfortunately, those that consume most of their daily diet in a cooked or processed form are not supporting or supplying their body with what it needs to maintain and function properly.  Simply put, if we do not supply our body with enzymes from raw foods, our own supply runs out (heartburn anyone?) leaving us to borrow from the metabolic type. Our body is then robbed of energy needed for growth, maintenance, and repair of all its tissues and organ systems.  A simple example that most can relate to, is the person who becomes tired or feels as if they could take a nap right after eating.

One of the best ways to help maintain a healthy supply of enzymes is to eat raw foods daily. Some suggest that 40% of the diet should be raw to prevent a breakdown in health. Not only do raw foods contain enzymes themselves, they contain vital co-enzymes (vitamins) that the body needs. This is not as hard as you think.  A salad once or twice a day, a piece of fruit or two, and snacking on some raw veggies make it easy to accomplish.

When you chew raw food, enzymes are released that help digestion begin by helping to balance the workload of the rest of the digestive system. Unfortunately, foods containing preservatives or that is heat processed have no living enzymes. Research has proven that a diet of cooked and processed foods accelerates the aging process and leads to premature death.

Avoiding enzyme deficiency is a great way to improve health, reduce issues of chronic allergies, and even maintain a healthy body weight. So how do we begin to replace our depleted enzyme pools? Most importantly—by eating raw foods. There are many books dedicated to raw food diets and recipes if you want to elaborate.  No dinner table should exclude a raw salad.

For those who are unlikely to eat 40-50% raw, digestive enzymes can make a significant impact. A high quality enzyme will contain specific enzymes to digest proteins (protease), fats (lipase) and sugars or carbohydrates (amylase). Taking these enzymes with your cooked meals will facilitate healthy digestion and even support weight loss.

By incorporating enzymes into your life, or more importantly, consuming more raw foods, you are taking a pro-active approach to your health, longevity and disease prevention.

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