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Selecting Enzyme Products
There are two main considerations in getting the best
results with digestive enzymes:
(adapted excerpt from book 'Enzymes
for Autism and other Neurological Conditions')
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Type of Enzyme
Enzymes are very specific. Each has a particular
job it does and it does only that job. So you want to get the right
type of enzymes for the right type of food or job you want the enzyme
to work on. Enzymes must have the right shape and chemistry to function.
Here are some animations that shows how the shape of the enzyme and
the substrate are important:
http://resources.ed.gov.hk/biology/english/virtual_lab/flash/enzyme_lab.html
http://old.jccc.net/~pdecell/metabolism/enzymes/enzymes.html#example
http://virtual.yosemite.cc.ca.us/lmaki/Chem150/Chapters/Biochemistry/enzyme.htm
http://www.google.com/search?q=%27lock+and+key+animation%27+%2Benzyme&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&start=10&sa=N
http://www.google.com/search?q=%27lock+and+key+animation%27+%2Benzyme&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&start=10&sa=N
Specific enzymes work on specific foods. You need
the right type of enzyme for the foods you want it to break down. Think
of the foods you have problems with and then choose a product that contains
at least those types of enzymes. Here is a list of the common enzyme
types and foods they act on.
Digestive enzymes are enzymes that break down food
into usable material. The major different types of digestive enzymes
are:
• amylase – breaks down carbohydrates,
starches, and sugars which are prevalent in potatoes, fruits, vegetables,
and many snack foods
• lactase – breaks down lactose
(milk sugars)
• diastase – digests vegetable starch
• sucrase – digests complex sugars and starches
• maltase – digests disaccharides to monosaccharides (malt
sugars)
• invertase – breaks down sucrose (table sugar)
• glucoamylase – breaks down starch to glucose
• alpha-glactosidase – facilitates digestion of beans,
legumes, seeds,
roots, soy products, and underground stems
• protease – breaks down proteins found
in meats, nuts, eggs, and cheese
• pepsin – breaks down proteins into
peptides
• peptidase – breaks down small peptide proteins to amino
acids
• trypsin – derived from animal pancreas, breaks down
proteins
• alpha – chymotrypsin, an animal-derived enzyme, breaks
down proteins
• bromelain – derived from pineapple, breaks down a broad
spectrum of proteins, has anti-inflammatory properties, effective
over very wide pH range
• papain – derived from raw papaya, broad range of substrates
and pH, works well breaking down small and large proteins
• lipase – breaks down fats found in most
dairy products, nuts, oils, and meat
• cellulase – breaks down cellulose, plant
fiber; not found in humans
• other stuff
• betaine HCL – increases the
hydrochloric acid content of the upper digestive system; activates
the protein digesting enzyme pepsin in the stomach (does not influence
plant- or fungal-derived enzymes)
• CereCalase™ – a unique cellulase complex from
National Enzyme Company that maximizes fiber and cereal digestion
and absorption of essential minerals; an exclusive blend of synergistic
phytase, hemicellulase, and beta-glucanase
• endoprotease – cleaves peptide bonds from the interior
of peptide chains
• exoprotease – cleaves off amino acids from the ends
of peptide chains
• extract of ox bile – an animal-derived enzyme, stimulates
the intestine to move
• fructooligosaccharides (FOS) – helps support the growth
of friendly intestinal microbes, also inhibits the growth of harmful
species
• L-glutamic acid – activates the protein digesting enzyme
pepsin in the stomach
• lysozyme – an animal-derived enzyme, and a component
of every lung cell; lysozyme is very important in the control of infections,
attacks invading bacterial and viruses
• papayotin – from papaya
• pancreatin – an animal-derived enzyme, breaks down protein
and fats
• pancrelipase – an animal-derived enzyme, breaks down
protein, fats, and carbohydrates
• pectinase – breaks down the pectin in fruit
• phytase – digests phytic acid, allows minerals such
as calcium, zinc,
copper, manganese, etc. to be more available by the body, but does
not break down any food proteins
• xylanase – breaks down xylan sugars, works well with
grains such as corn
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Timing
Enzymes work on contact. So the enzymes must be in
physical contact with the food or substance in order to work. Enzymes
usually come in capsules you can open or swallow, or as enterically
coated tablets. The capsules are preferable because they can either
dissolve in the stomach releasing the enzymes, or you can open the capsules
and mix the enzymes with any food or drink and take at the beginning
of a meal. This allows the enzymes to be breaking down food in the stomach
before it passes in into the small intestine.
Capsules are either vegetable-based (veggie) or gelatin-based.
Both types will dissolve in your gut. Some people find that they get
much better results from veggie capsules if they wait about 20-30 minutes
to allow more time for the veggie capsules to dissolve. This has not
been an issue with gelatin capsules because they dissolve right away
at body temperature, whereas the veggie capsules may not. Other people
find they get best results by opening the capsules and mixing the enzymes
with the food before eating. You may want to experiment a little to
see which method gives you best results.
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