Digestive enzymes, what do they actually do? You may be surprised!

If we don’t have enough digestive enzymes, we won’t be able to digest and absorb all the beautiful healthy food we are eating (let alone some of the unhealthy stuff).  What stops the body producing adequate digestive enzymes?

• Low-grade inflammation in the digestive tract (such as that caused by “food allergies,” intestinal permeability, dysbiosis, parasitic infection, etc.) can lead to deficiencies in digestive enzymes.

• Aging has been associated with decreased digestive function (by age 40, it has been indicated in research that you could have 25% less enzymes naturally produced than when you were a child. In combination with less stomach acid, which activate enzymes, this could easily explain the plethora of digestive complaints that appear in middle age). – now, I can’t fix ageing – that’s your job – but I can fix low digestive enzymes, which helps you get better results in this area. 

• Chronic stress (Q: does stress ruin everything???)

What are enzymes important for?

• Energy production

• Oxygen transport

• Dissolving blood clots

• Fight infections

• Wound healing

• Dealing with toxins

• Breaking down damaging fats

• Helping with hormone balance

• Helping maintain an appropriate ageing process

The more raw foods you eat, the less burden on your body to produce extra enzymes. A diet high in processed and cooked foods contributes very little in the way of enzymes, as most are destroyed at around 42 – 48 degrees celcius. Common symptoms of enzyme deficiency are:

• Constipation

• Bloating

• Flatulence

• Heartburn

• Cramping