Digesting food is one of the most energy-consuming tasks the human body has to perform. When we eat a large meal, we use so much energy for digestion that we often feel sleepy afterwards. Eating the right foods provides our bodies with natural enzymes to digest our food without draining energy from other parts of the body. The problem is that many of these enzymes are destroyed in the cooking process.

Enzymes activate our muscles, stimulate our nerves, make our hearts beat, keep us breathing and help us to think. They also convert the nutrients in our food to help our bodies stay strong and healthy. Our bodies cannot function without enzymes. There are three types of enzymes: food enzymes, contained in all raw food; digestive enzymes, produced by the body to aid in digestion; and metabolic enzymes, which run the other biochemical processes in the body.

Food Enzymes and What You Eat

There are four main types of food enzymes:

• Proteases—break down protein(meats, beans, etc.)
• Amylases—break down carbohydrates(potatoes, pasta, cookies, etc.)
• Lipases—break down fats(olives, avocados, etc.)
• Cellulases—break down fiber(celery, carrots, etc.)

Three amylases are essential to carbohydrate digestion: Lactase, breaks down lactose (milk sugar), sucrase, breaks down sucrose (refined sugar), and maltase, breaks down maltose (malt sugar).

To avoid food enzyme deficiency, we need to eat as many raw fruits and vegetables as possible. Symptoms of deficiency include indigestion, fatigue, bowel irregularity, abdominal gas, and headaches, to name a few.

Enzyme supplements can help to correct the imbalances in your body however, there’s no one supplement for everyone. Dr. Victoria will work with you to determine what course of action is best for your body. With diet modification and supplementation, it is possible to get back to a healthy balance in your body.