What’s up with Digestive Enzymes?

If you feel low on energy, having trouble losing excess weight, have lowered immune response, and premature aging, your body may be starved of nutrients. Even if you are eating nutrient-rich foods, if you are not absorbing those nutrients, you may be in a world of hurt.

By now we’ve all heard about probiotics and how we need “good” bacteria in the gut for proper digestion.  But now everyone seems to be talking about digestive enzymes.  Let’s explore…

Raw plant foods naturally have digestive enzymes within them so they can be properly broken down during digestion for optimal absorption of nutrients.  However, when we cook foods above 118 degrees, the digestive enzymes are destroyed.  So how are we digesting the cooked foods we eat?  Well, your pancreas creates some of these digestive enzymes for you.  But it can’t do all the work.  In fact, besides cooking foods, stress, fear, worry, anger, prescription drugs, toxins, and pathogens all affect our digestion.  In addition, carbonation neutralizes your stomach acid and prevents proper breakdown of your food.  This means it is very important to not have carbonated drinks with meals.  Vinegar will also affect digestive enzymes EXCEPT for apple cider and coconut vinegar.

A diet that includes a significant portion of raw plant foods is optimal for proper breakdown of your food.  Juicing green foods is an excellent way to support your level of digestive enzymes and nutrients.  Supplementation is also an option if you feel it is necessary.  If you care to supplement, ensure your digestive enzymes contain at least lipose, protease, and amylase.  These enzymes help to digest fat, protein and starches which are essential enzymes for digestion.

Happy digesting…

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