The Role of Enzymes in Health

Enzymes play diverse roles important in keeping one?s health. There are three major food enzymes found in our gastrointestinal tract and they are: the amylase, which breaks down starches into sugars; the lipase, which breaks down fats into fatty acids, and protease, which breaks down proteins into amino acids. Protease is also used therapeutically for digesting viruses and bacteria, and for eliminating allergies.

These enzymes are also found in many different plant foods, but the plant must be fresh and whole in order to contain live enzymes, unless it?s been specifically processed to retain the enzymes. Some foods that contain lots of enzymes include avocados, papayas, pineapples, bananas and mangos. Sprouts are one of the richest sources of enzymes. Many companies process these foods into enzyme supplements. Many pickled, or fermented foods, as well as miso paste, also contain enzymes. Unless at least 50% of your diet consists of organic, whole, raw plant foods that contain naturally occurring food enzymes, you may want to take a daily enzyme supplement for better absorption of the food you eat.

Flaxseed oil is another helpful source of healthy benefits. Flaxseed Oil is a source of for Omega-3 and omega 6 essential fatty acids.Flaxseed oil is one of the best sources for essential fatty acids, which are the basic building blocks of fats. Essential fatty acids are considered essential because they are needed for normal cell structure and function, yet our bodies do not manufacture them. They are categorized as omega-3 (n-3) and omega-6 (n-6) (the number describes the place of the first double bond in these poly-unsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs)) and are required for proper functioning of nerve cells and cell membrane walls.

All our cells are enveloped by a membrane composed mostly of essential fatty acid compounds called phospholipids, which play a major role in determining the integrity and fluidity of the membranes. The type of fat we consume determines the type of phospholipids in the cell membrane. Unfortunately, the Standard American Diet (S.A.D.) severely lacks essential fatty acids. Instead, it is high in animal fats, which are high in saturated fatty acids, cholesterol, and trans-fatty acids, also formed by chemical extraction or high-heat processing and hydrogenation of unsaturated plant oils, giving our cells the wrong ratio of fatty acids. This imbalance leads to cell membranes that contain less fluid, making it difficult for them to perform their primary function: acting as a selective barrier that regulates the passage of nutrients and wastes in and out of the cell.

Consequently, without a healthy membrane, the cells lose vital nutrients, electrolytes and their ability to hold water. They also lose their ability to communicate efficiently with other cells and respond appropriately to regulating hormones. Diminished cellular function is one of the primary causes of degenerative diseases. A diet high in animal foods, combined with improperly processed oils, puts us at great risk.

Scientific researches have shown that diets high in omega-3 fatty acids help prevent heart attacks, lower blood pressure, reduce allergies and inflammations, relieve or reverse symptoms of multiple sclerosis, offer anti-cancer properties, and may help combat a host of degenerative diseases. This is because the essential fatty acids 3 and 6 are also transformed into regulatory compounds known as prostaglandins. Prostaglandins regulate steroid production and hormone synthesis; they also regulate pressure in the eye, joints and blood vessels.

Additionally, they mediate immune response, regulate bodily secretions and their viscosity, dilate or constrict blood vessels, regulate the rate at which cells divide and regulate the flow of substances in and out of cells. Furthermore prostaglandins are found to do other functions like- they transport oxygen from red blood cells to bodily tissues, regulate nerve transmission and assist in other vital functions. As you can see, essential fatty acids are, well, essential, in our diet. Yet few of us get enough of them, because most of us don?t eat foods high in essential fatty acids, and we do eat foods that diminish or neutralize them.