Digestive enzymes. They are molecules for nutrition, they favor the good absorption of the food you consume. Enzymes are essential to generate all the hormones in the body and to process all the vitamins, minerals and other nutrients that food contains.
Summary
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- 1 story
- 2 Definition
- 3 function
- 4 Types of Digestive Enzymes
- 5 Food
- 6 Symptoms Caused by Lack of Enzymes
- 7 sources
History
Thousands of years ago, humans discovered the magical force of nature that turns milk into cheese, flour into bread, and grapes into wine. Although they did not know that enzymes were the mysterious force behind these transformations, they played a very important role in the emergence of civilization . They were used in the treatment of numerous diseases and in ointments to heal wounds and superficial tumors .
Thousands of years later, enzymes are the most important nutritional supplement with which to supplement the diet. Enzymes are considered by many to be the spark of life. Enzymes are molecules made up of specialized proteins, vital for all biochemical processes in the body, which depend on enzymes as catalysts : breaking down (hydrolyzing) and digesting food, facilitating the absorption of nutrients, stimulating the brain, providing energy in the body , repair all tissues , organs, bones , maintain the immune system, etc.
In fact, life as we know it would not exist without the action of enzymes, even in the presence of sufficient amounts of water, vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients. Without the action of enzymes, the body is unable to function normally, beginning to degenerate immediately. About 50,000 enzymes are needed to carry out all the processes that keep us alive.
Definition
Digestive enzymes are enzymes that break down polymers present in food into smaller molecules that can be easily absorbed. Digestive enzymes are found in the digestive tract of animals where they help digest food, as well as inside cells , especially in lysosomes .
There are digestive enzymes in saliva , gastric juice, pancreatic juice and intestinal secretions.
Function
Foods rich in vitamins and minerals that help good digestion
Enzymes produce chemical reactions and are responsible for building, synthesizing, transporting, and eliminating ingredients and chemicals that circulate through our bodies.
In the case of digestive enzymes, they are responsible for the molecular processing and separation of the food you eat, so that its absorption is easier.
Types of digestive enzymes
- Lipase : Produced by the pancreas , it is the enzyme responsible for the breakdown of fats.
- Lactase : Produced by the small intestine , it is the enzyme that helps break down milk sugar , ie lactose .
- Protease : Responsible for helping the proper digestion of the proteins you eat, it breaks them down into amino acids and peptides .
- Amylase : Produced in the salivary glands , it helps in the absorption of carbohydrates and sugars.
- Bromelain : It is a set of enzymes derived from pineapple pulp , they help digestion and are used to burn fat and lose weight.
Feeding
A change of diet is essential to promote the recovery of enzymes. The raw food diet is known to be vital to this end. Raw vegetables and legumes are full of enzymes that promote good digestion.
Stress is a factor that accelerates the degradation of enzymes in the body , so trying to live a quiet life will help the recovery of enzymes in cells. Of course, there are enzymatic supplements that will help you replace the enzymes lost for any of the above reasons.
digestive supplement
When digestive enzymes are ingested along with food, they help digest food, transforming it into the basic nutrients needed to build and repair the different parts of the body.
Enzymes are destroyed by heat (from 30ºC), therefore, all cooked, processed or pasteurized food, in the case of dairy products or packaged juices, does not contain any enzyme. Only foods that are eaten raw contain enzymes, unless they have been sprayed or irradiated, processes that unfortunately most fruits and vegetables undergo to preserve them longer, which makes them dead foods.
Which leaves only organic fruits and vegetables as the only source of enzymes in the diet. On the other hand, less caloric foods contain fewer enzymes than those with a high caloric value. So if you are following a diet that restricts calorie intake, it is essential to supplement with digestive enzymes.
Symptoms Caused by Lack of Enzymes
If the amount of enzymes is not enough, the food is not completely digested, which causes putrefaction at the intestinal level, reduction of the beneficial bacterial flora and proliferation of pathogens, which translates into slow and heavy digestion, bad breath, malnutrition, constipation , gas or heartburn , and obesity . Another common symptom of enzyme deficiency is stomach pain immediately after eating or even several hours later.
One of the main causes of allergies occurs when nutrients that have not been completely metabolized during the digestive process pass from the intestine into the bloodstream, triggering allergy symptoms in the presence of foreign substances. The enzymes help dissolve immune complexes, the cause of the inflammation that accompanies allergic reactions in affected organs or tissues .
