Guide To Enzymes

Enzymes are the “catalysts” of life. They initiate and speed up chemical reactions in living organisms.

Enzymes do 3 fundamental things:

  • Clear out old damaged or dead cells in our circulatory system, joints, bones and so on
  • Digest and access the nutrients in our food
  • Use those nutrients to rebuild tissues

An easy way to remember what enzymes do is the three "R's"....

Remove, Refuel, Rebuild

When it comes to supplementing with enzymes, there are two fundamental types.

Digestive Enzymes

Digestive enzymes play a key role in breaking down the food you eat. They speed up chemical reactions that turn nutrients into substances that your digestive tract can absorb.

Common digestive enzymes include:

  • Amylase- made in the mouth and pancreas; breaks down complex carbohydrates
  • Lipase- made in the pancreas; breaks down fats
  • Protease- made in the pancreas; breaks down proteins
  • Lactase- a disaccharidase enzyme present in the brush border of the small intestinal that breaks down lactose (milk sugar) into glucose and galactose
  • Cellulase- produced by fungi and bacteria; breaks down the cellulose molecule into monosaccharides ("simple sugars"); cellulose breakdown is of considerable economic importance, because it makes a major constituent of plants available for consumption and use in chemical reactions.

Proteolytic Enzymes

Proteolytic enzymes are protein-digesting enzymes that support the body’s ability to breakdown and remove damaged cellular debris, tissue, and specific protein structures that are produced during the natural inflammatory process in response to trauma or injury.

Proteolytic enzymes help:

  • Maintain healthy joints
  • Support healthy circulatory, respiratory, and immune function
  • Promote a normal inflammatory response

Common proteolytic enzymes include:

  • bromelain
  • pepsin
  • nattokinase
  • serrapeptase
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