Raw Enzymes: Breaking Down the Secret to Your Best Digestion

February 23, 2021|Ed Jones

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The Magic of Raw Enzymes?

I have a wonderful friend who recently started making raw vegetable drinks daily.  I was speaking to her about the magic of  “raw enzymes.” You can find raw enzymes in non-heated, fresh juices and the importance of these enzymes to our health. 
Sometimes I assume everyone understands the concepts of natural health, like enzymes. However, I am reminded that health can be a foreign language to many.   
 
This article explains the importance of raw enzymes to our health, especially digestion. Let’s “break it down.”

 

What Are Digestive Enzymes? 

 

Let’s start with the medical definition. An enzyme is “a substance that regulates the rate of chemical reactions within a living organism, without itself being altered.”   

Enzymes found in raw foods and juices offer our bodies an additional boost to our health. They actively break down large, complex molecules. And then they use the active food compounds. That means the enzymes’ number one purpose is to disassemble big pieces of food. That gives our bodies the smaller particle sizes of fuel and nutrients it needs.  

 

The biochemistry of enzymes reminded me that a school teacher is very similar to a raw food enzyme in many ways. A skilled teacher takes large, complex chunks of information, and breaks them down into digestible pieces. This allows the students to understand and use valuable knowledge.   
 
This is exactly what all digestive enzymes do to our foods! Our systems cannot take whole foods and process them. Whole foods must be broken down into individual components. Those components consist of amino acids, fatty acids, vitamins, etc.
 
When we eat a diet of all cooked foods, we draw on our internal “bank account” of enzymes. Those enzymes break foods down for us. However, when we drink raw vegetable juices, we make a deposit of enzymes. That means, we can use them at another time in the future.  The raw food literally digests itself! 
 
My intuition, study and observation of nature’s animals in the wild reveals an interesting fact. Every living creature, except humans, consumes 100% raw foods. And I believe nature holds all the answers for us as well. I have observed clients over the past 40 years. Those who drink raw vegetable juices daily (not fruit), are in better health. They appear to have better digestion, skin appearance, immune system and elimination.

Adding Enzymes Through Supplementation 

I also believe in personally adding encapsulated natural enzymes with my bigger meals to assist my own ability to digest fully.  These enzymes reduce intestinal gas, lower heartburn severity, increases the uptake of nutrition from the foods, and reduces the workload of our own system of digestion. Studies indicate that ingesting a complete natural encapsulated enzyme with our foods may increase the absorption of certain nutrients by upwards of 78%!  This equates to supplying your cells with far greater levels of nutritional support with no change in food intake!

 

Visiting the selection of enzymes within a nutrition store or health practitioners office can be daunting at first due to the large variety offered. My experience with enzymes over the past four decades has proved to me the following:  

Utilizing the proper enzyme formula will result in most individuals improving many of their chronic digestive issues. However using a product not compatible with your system actually may increase the very symptoms that you are trying to conquer. So choose wisely.  

 

How To Choose The Right Raw Enzyme For You

 

One of the most common questions from many of my clients is how should they decide the correct enzyme formula.  

 

Here is my summary regarding choosing the proper enzyme for your health. 

 

  1. Enzymes can be derived from animal sources or vegan. Consider this first if you are not comfortable with using animal products before deciding on a specific product.  
  2. Focus on the most needed benefit you are seeking. Many manufacturers are wonderful at comprehensive enzyme formulas that address certain issues with special combinations of enzymes. Lypo enzymes digest fat. Gluten formulas reduce gluten. Gallbladder enzymes help replace the lost enzymes from no gallbladder. Keto enzymes assist in the keto diet digestion.  Pancreatin enzymes assist the pancreas gland.  Hydrochloric enzymes replace the acid needed within the stomach (be cautious if you are suspicious of an ulcer). Comprehensive enzymes can be just for better health.  A comprehensive food enzyme formula is my personal favorite.  The ingredients would contain a combination of the following: Lipase, Amylase, Protease, Lactase and Cellulase. I use this formula and find less gas, bloating, and heartburn. I recommend trying this product to most clients unless they have other specific issues.   

Nutrition World offers a variety of enzymes to fit your needs. 

 

A Home Test For Digestion

 

I recommend everyone take my at home test to determine if you are deficient in Hydrochloric Acid. Despite the media constantly vilifying stomach acid, the proper stomach acid is essential to our health, digestion and wellbeing. To test your levels put 1 teaspoon of plain baking soda, (not baking powder) into 4 oz of warm water.  This must be done 2 hours away from food.  Once consumed notice how long it takes to burp.  If you have a large burp within 4 minutes you have adequate Hydrochloric acid. If you have a baby burp or zero burp you may consider yourself low on Hydrochloric acid which indicates you are not digesting optimally.   

 

Tips For Taking Enzymes

 

Taking two capsules during or directly after eating produces the most positive effects. Consuming too far ahead of food or waiting too long lessens these positive effects. I occasionally actually open the food enzymes onto my food for instant effects.  

 

In closing I remind everyone that the greatest risk we generally encounter in life is Father Time and aging.  Nothing depletes our life’s vital force more than our birthdays. The wonderful news is that we can compensate for many of our systems declining in efficacy by the use of nutritional supplements and enzymes is one of the kingpins of this issue. In two weeks you can literally turn your digestion abilities to that of your younger years.  Trust your body, support your health and miracles are at your fingertips!

 

May you be well,

Disclaimer. The information on this website and the topics discussed have not been evaluated by the FDA. Or, any one of the medical profession. And it is not aimed to replace any advice you may receive from your medical practitioner. Nutrition World assumes no responsibility or liability whatsoever on the behalf of any purchaser or reader of any of these materials. Nutrition World is not a doctor, nor does it claim to be. Please consult your physician before beginning any health regimen. If you are being treated for any medical illness, check with your medical professional before starting any protocol. 
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