Enzymes-An Introduction

Most of us have been told by someone one way or another to eat a balanced diet, take vitamins and exercise regularly to be maintaining good health. Who hasn't?

Once we do consume the vitamins and minerals that we need, they must be broken down and transported throughout the body through the bloodstream. We are designed to use these nutrients to build new cells, build our immune system, and run the body. This is called METABOLISM.

Metabolism is controlled only through ENZYMES. A body that doesn't metabolize these nutrients will die.

Vitamins and minerals are very well known throughout the nutrition world, but that's only half the story. In order to maintain COMPLETE health, we must learn HOW these nutrients are used, which are controlled by enzymes.

In simple terms, they are the workers of the body. Without enzymes, no chemical reaction can happen. We can't eat, breathe, think, sleep or feel without assistance of enzymes. Here's an example:

When we need to build a new home, we need raw materials first. We need bricks, wood, nails, cement, etc. We all know that a house doesn't build itself right? We need workers to use these raw materials build and maintain a home.

Enzymes are the "workers" to build and maintain our "home", which is our body. They use "raw materials", which are the nutrients we acquire through our food and supplements, break it down, and use it for our body to function.

Like any home, our body always needs maintenance. We need workers to fix the pipes when it leaks, fix the roof if it gets damaged, etc. As long as we have enough workers and raw materials available to maintain our body, we will live a long and healthy life.

There are three different types of enzymes:

-Metabolic enzymes
-Digestive enzymes
-Food enzymes

METABOLIC ENZYMES run the body. There are in the organs, blood, bones and in every cell itself. They are needed to grow new cells and keep everything functioning properly. If we have plenty of these metabolic enzymes around, we can expect to feel great, have high energy, and prevent us from getting sick.

DIGESTIVE ENZYMES only have one function. Their role is to digest our food. Without these enzymes, we cannot break down all the food that we have been eating for our body to use.

We also have help breaking down our food through the help of FOOD ENZYMES. Food enzymes are already present in raw food. There is one problem though. If the food is cooked, then the enzymes in the food have been destroyed and are useless.

As long as we have enough enzymes to digest our food completely and maintain our body is key to being healthy, have energy throughout the day and being in good health.

If we don't, over the long run we'll be more likely to feel sluggish, get sick more often, and have a greater chance on getting a chronic disease like cancer, heart disease, diabetes and arthritis, just to name a few.