GCF

Gluten/Casein Free, a diet that many of us have heard of but never really wanted to conform to. Many people have sensitivities and/or allergies to these proteins that are found in dairy and gluten products. Unfortunately these are probably two of the most common foods in the standard American diet and are very difficult to eliminate.

GCF is a formula from Theramedix that has a protease called DPPIV in it that is specific to gluten and casein. GCF also has our Amylase Therablend in it to assist in breaking down the carbohydrate portion of the food ingested.

Of course, we don't suggest that someone with celiac disease go on and eat a loaf of bread and take some GCF. What we do suggest is that anyone who has a sensitivity or allergy to these foods take GCF prophylactically when dining out to support the gut in case of any cross-contamination. There is also some hope that DPPIV, taken on an empty stomach over time may help the damaged villi to regenerate in some celiac cases but this is yet to be conclusive in preliminary studies.

PRX

In a continuation from last week's Candida entry I would like to discuss PRX and it's role in detox. I briefly talked about the role of protease in a Candida cleasnse. In addition to breaking up the toxins released from the candida cell and assisting to clear them out of the bloodstream PRX also works in other ways.

PRX, which contains 8 different proteases is a very potent product. The 8 different proteases can all potentially breakdown different proteins (pathogens and toxins). Some of the proteases are also excellent at seeking out and breaking up inflammation. This is very helpful during detox because often when there is a build-up of toxins, there is also a great deal of inflammation. In order for the body to rid itself of the toxins it must first have access to them and protease can help to clear the pathway.

There have also been many cases when the protease in CDX is not enough because the person has a lot of inflammation and/or toxins. These people tend to get a die-off reaction when they are doing a candida cleanse even if they are taking CDX. These people in particular can benefit from adding PRX into their candida protocol. The extra protease may give them the kick that they need to get over the initial 'hump' of a detox program.

Taking protease is a very safe and effective way to support your body's own ability to clear itself of and breakdown toxins. The general recommendation is 1 to 2 PRX with each dose of CDX, 3 times a day away from meals. More can be added if necessary to relieve the 'die-off' symptoms. One issue that should considered in taking protease is that too much catabolic activity in the body at one time can cause the body to become acidic. That should always be monitored with a litmus paper urine test first thing in the morning. Theramedix's pH product pHB is also a wonderful support.

Sugar

Well the time of year for indulgences is officially over. No more left-overs, no more cocktail parties.... no more excuses. The fact is that many of us ate and drank our ways into trouble in the last 6 weeks and now we are feeling the pain.

I have often noticed that after the holiday season I suffer from a withdrawal from all things sweet. The only difference between me and many other people is that I can't hide from my nutritionist, I can't fool myself. I, as is the same for many of you, know too much about this to pretend. Yes, I am talking about Candidiasis. That nasty little overgrowth in the gut that has that obnoxious voice that begs for sugar. "Feed me, Feed me" .

Luckily I have some probiotics and my good friend CDX. This is a combination that I have used many times in the past and have heard numerous testimonials to it's effect. CDX is Theramedix's product specifically designed for over-growth of Candida. It contains Amylases and Cellulases to breakdown the cell wall of the candida called 'chitan', that impossible cocnut shell-like Polysaccaride. The best thing about CDX, also what makes it better than others is that it also contains proteases. Proteases are crucial to the process of cleansing Candida. Protease actually assists in breaking down and clearing out all of the toxins and bacteria that thrive inside of the cell wall of Candida. Protease will help you get past that 'flu-like' feeling that you can get when doing a cleanse whether it be Candida or any other detox.

Probiotics such as PBC that contain stable bacteria like Bascillus Subtillus and L. Paracasie also assist the gut in replenishing healthy gut flora. This is the key to preventing Candida and re-establishing good health.

Try this combination for two weeks and STAY AWAY FROM THE SUGAR. A pretty reasonable resolution, especially if you only need to stick to it for a couple of weeks, right?

Power of Change

It is fundamental that we change our environment inside our body to make it less hospitable to a disease state. The fastest way to change our environment is through the use of probiotics and pH modulators. Theramedix has two great products which go together for such an occasion. First is our PBC which is a very comprehensive probiotic that you can carry with you. It has 5 billion resilient bacteria that survive outside the refrigerator. The two main strains of bacteria represented are: L Paracasei F19 and Bacillus Subtilis.

The second product is pHB which has the unique ability to change a person's pH in the colon. pHB is formulated to a pH of 7 and enteric coated. This product also does not need refrigeration.

Change your internal environment today and make your body inhospitable to the wrong kinds of bacteria.

Cold/Stuffy nose?

Cold/Stuffy nose?

It is that time of year again. Stuffy nose head and throat. It seems like everyone has a cold and they are spreading those germs around. Yuck!

If you are one of those people that tends to get a lot of colds, maybe you are asthmatic or you just seem to have sensitive sinuses then you could really benefit from SPS30. SPS30 is a fantastic seasonal cleanse or an amazing rescue to an acute mucus problem. Either way, if you need to help your body break-up and flush out some icky-sticky mucus, then the mucolase (mucolytic enzyme) in SPS is just what you need.

Mucus is a sticky sugar coated protein. Mucolase is a protelytic-mucolytic enzyme that breaks it up. The great thing about using enzymes to deal with this situation instead of a decongestant is that you aren't left with a dry uncomfortable nose. The other thing is that mucus has a purpose: flushing out germs and bacteria from you body. So, if you just dry up the mucus then you aren't helping to get all of those germs out of your system. Flushing them out by breaking them up and moving them out is a much healthier way to assist your body in doing what it knows best to do.

My husband has been an asthmatic all of his life. Since adulthood he generally only used his inhaler a bit in the winter and when he experienced intense changes in air temperature and air moisture. Now that he regularly (about 4 times a year) takes a course of SPS30, he almost never needs his inhaler anymore. The regular cleansing of his sinuses and lungs of the hard sticky mucus that used to hang around has really benefited him.

Thanksgiving:

by Jaime Gagliardi NC


Do you have memories of feeling so full after Thanksgiving dinner that you
needed to have a nap, and not because of the trytophan in the turkey? Do you
remember feeling so full and bloated that you may have secretly unbuttoned
your pants just so you could breathe? Is it possible that you may have at
one time filled your plate up for seconds or thirds but couldn't finish
because you were so full and nauseous?

This year, try putting a bottle of DGX on the table. Offer the enzymes to
others as well. I have had a similar experience every year, which is that
the skeptics are the ones that are the most 'thankful' at the end of the
meal.

So when you really want to continue eating on Thursday but you know that
your first helping is still sitting in your belly, take a DGC between those
helpings. It may be just what you need to make it through the day..... And
the leftovers.

Pregnancy and Enzymes

by Jaime Gagliardi NC

I had heard that taking digestive enzymes during pregnancy could help to
avoid the reflux that women can experience. I had also heard that when
moms-to-be take enzymes it could help prevent colic in their newborns.
None of this really meant that much to me personally. I mean, I had never
had indigestion and what is colic anyway?

Within my first trimester I began to meet other pregnant women and heard all
of the horror stories about being up all night with heartburn and trying to
sleep sitting upright. I also heard many terrible things about colic (gassy,
uncomfortable bloated belly). I was told story after story about parents
rocking a screaming, crying baby to sleep for hours on end with no success
at all. What a nightmare!

Well, I am very happy to report that the rumors were also proven true by me.
Taking digestive enzymes during my pregnancy must have helped prevent
heartburn. I also still (blissfully) don't quite understand colic, because
I've never experienced it with my 7 month old son. Some call it lucky, but
after the horror stories that I have heard, I wouldn't attempt another
pregnancy without doing it all the same again.

I simply took one DGX with most meals. Other women that I have spoken to
just took one DGT and that did the trick too. So whether you are a health
professional or a woman who is either pregnant or planning to become
pregnant please consider supporting your digestion with enzymes. They are
completely safe during pregnancy and the beneficial effects last way beyond
the one meal.

Enzyme Nutrition Therapy

Eating enzyme-rich raw foods and supplementing the diet with plant enzymes is our best insurance in preventing and treating disease and promoting health and longevity.
Extracted from Nexus Magazine, Volume 11, Number 2 (February-March 2004)
PO Box 30, Mapleton Qld 4560 Australia. editor@nexusmagazine.com
Telephone: +61 (0)7 5442 9280; Fax: +61 (0)7 5442 9381
From our web page at: www.nexusmagazine.com
© 2003 by Mark Rojek
785 N. Dancer Road
Dexter, MI 48130, US
Telephone/fax: +1 (734) 433 9267
Email: mrojek1@earthlink.net
Website: http://www.radianthealth.cc
ENZYMES AS THERAPEUTIC TOOLS IN HEALING
Since ancient times, enzymes have unknowingly been involved in treating human ailments. Food consists of protein, carbohydrates, enzymes, fat and fibre, minerals and vitamins. While the properties of enzymes have largely been unknown until recently, results were witnessed and associations of health or disease were made between various plant and animal substances. The healing properties of herbs are primarily attributed to alkaloid or other chemical properties that trigger a response in the body. Invariably, the chemistry of herbs affects metabolic enzyme pathways. The unique substance either inhibits an enzyme or stimulates another to change body chemistry. Some plants have unique essential oils capable of inhibiting or destroying pathogenic micro-organisms due to the disruption of some enzymatic pathway of the organism.Observations of the few (medicine men, shamans and later monks) gave them a certain power over the rest of the population who could not identify which plants caused the healing. This was reserved only for the tribal healer and passed on to the favourites within the tribe. The use of hallucinogenic plants was often employed by shamans to elicit the wisdom from the spirit world to aid in the cure of the person. In today's world of organised medicine, control over one's health is still largely in the hands of the elite few and knowledge is kept from the populace. Contrary to the enlightening herbs of the shaman, a moderate number of health care workers become addicted to or self-medicate with pharmaceutical drugs or turn to alcohol to help relieve stress involved in their profession.1, 2, 3
Within the realm of natural medicine, old and new alike, therapies abound. Everything from acupuncture, botanicals and nutrition to homoeopathy and, more recently, "energy medicine" is available to the average patient. Regardless of the modality chosen, what remains to be understood is that in every case the healing can only occur if the body has enough metabolic enzymes to do the work. Enzymes do work. Work in this case denotes the ability to initiate, alter, speed up or slow down biochemical processes. It indicates having the capacity to break apart or join components together synergistically to change their original structure and function. Food is broken down during digestion and made into smaller components which are then utilised in the body for structure and function. Protein is rendered into amino acids and smaller peptides. These can be used as neurotransmitters for proper brain function. Certain amino acids are used for energy, mineral transport and repair of tissue.
Nutrition, as defined by Webster's Third International Dictionary of the English Language, is "The science of food and the processes by which the organism ingests, digests, absorbs, transports, utilizes and excretes food substances". All too often, this definition is forgotten in the field of nutrition. Nutrition today is practised in much the same way as the pharmaceutical drug approach: for every symptom, there must be a deficiency; simply give the mineral or vitamin and the signs will go away. One of the most common assumptions in both allopathic and complementary medicine is that the patient's digestive system is working fine. Unless the patient complains of heartburn, gas, bloating, belching or pain in the abdomen, doctors assume no problems. Divergent to this is the approach Dr Loomis took in his research into enzymes.
Diet, Digestion and Detoxification
When Dr Loomis began his exploration into the benefits of enzymes in restoring health, he knew the starting point had to be with diet and digestion. The dramatic increase in obesity, cardiovascular disease and diabetes in Western societies is evidence of the simple fact that people eat too much. It also reveals signs of chronic enzyme deficiencies. The combination of simple carbohydrates, fats and sugars found in "fast food" are the major contributing factors to the above disease conditions. Food is much more than just a quick fix for energy. Food is responsible for tissue repair and growth, hormone production, eyesight and immune function. Through protein neurotransmitters, food, or the lack of it, affects our feelings, thoughts and behaviour. In her groundbreaking book, Molecules of Emotion, Dr Candace Pert recounts her discoveries of several biochemicals involved with emotions.4 The body requires "raw material" from which to produce these biochemicals. Food is the raw material in the form of protein, fats and carbohydrates. We must appreciate the dynamics of our body's internal environment—the intracellular and extracellular fluid—in order to understand other complications as the result of poor digestion. Intracellular fluid is found inside the cell and is not constant; it changes due to the extracellular fluid—the fluid outside the cell. Intracellular fluid represents about 66% of the water found in the body. Extracellular fluid roughly makes up the other 33% of the body's water. It serves as a means of transport for nutrients and waste products from normal metabolism. The extracellular fluid needs to remain reasonably stable regarding volume (amount of water), temperature, acid-alkali balance (pH) and levels of nutrients (protein, cholesterol, minerals, glucose) to nourish the cells.
The body continually identifies deficiencies and excesses of specific nutrients or metabolic waste products. All attempts are made to rectify any imbalance by changing the chemistry. The hypothalamus is the only part of the brain not isolated by the blood-brain barrier. This barrier shields fragile tissues of the brain from changes in the body's extracellular fluid. It monitors the body's chemistry 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It reads the slightest alteration in the blood, then quickly sets about to make the necessary changes to maintain homoeostasis (balance). The chemistry of the blood is largely determined by what we consume. Food and drink comprise varying combinations of proteins, fats, carbohydrates and fibres, enzymes, vitamins and minerals. It is all about chemistry. The hypothalamus must ascertain how to keep the body in balance despite the type of food consumed. The sort of balance necessary for optimal health for one person may not be the same for another. Indeed, most often they can be radically different. As Shakespeare wrote, "One man's meat is another's poison".
If you cannot completely digest what you eat, several things may happen.
• Firstly, the undigested food remnants pass through the brush-border of the intestinal tract into the blood and lymphatic systems. White blood cells are stimulated to find the offending material and finish breaking it down. This is known as digestive leukocytosis. It is an automatic response every time you eat cooked/processed food. It was thought to be a "normal" reaction to eating, ever since the early 1800s. However, it was shown to be an unnatural response in the 1930s by Dr Paul Kautchakoff.5 He proved by careful monitoring of patients' blood that only cooked—not raw—foods caused the reaction.
• Secondly, the body may begin to consume more than is necessary. Overeating is one way of compensating for deficiencies of nutrients. The deficiencies are not due to the conscious restriction of a particular food. As stated previously by Dr Howell, cooking food destroys all enzymes, thus food will not be entirely broken down into the micronutrients necessary for cellular utilisation. It is like taking something the size of your house down to the size of a grain of sand in order to get inside the cell to nourish it. Enzymes are the only material capable of splitting food into usable nutrients. Given that undigested food cannot adequately nourish cells, the brain will direct the person to eat more of something to make up for what the body did not get from partial digestion. When this happens over long periods, weight gain occurs with continued loss of metabolic enzymes.
Food cravings are another sign of incomplete digestion. What we crave tends to be the food we do not digest very well. The hypothalamus dictates what we eat based on the chemistry of the blood. So when we eat a particular food and have cravings for it later, it is a sign we did not digest it very well. We will continue to eat more of it because there is something in that food we need but did not get. It has been suggested we are craving the enzymes inherent in that food before it was heated. Those enzymes we are chronically missing normally would be found in the food we crave. Dr Howell noted that animals fed cooked/processed food often resorted to eating their own feces. He found it was to replace the food enzymes lost in the cooking process. The enzyme amylase is a good example of the above. Amylase is one of the major carbohydrate- digesting enzymes. It is found in the kernels of grains and in starchy vegetables. By cooking those foods, amylase is destroyed and our body must secrete amylase from other organs, such as the salivary glands. Amylase is known as an IgG histamine blocker. It stabilises the mast cells and basophils that release histamine at the start of inflammatory conditions. One could say amylase is the body's own natural antihistamine. Antihistamines are prescribed for allergies, dermatitis and other histamine-type reactions.
It has been observed clinically that people who eat excessive amounts of simple carbohydrates most often are those with histamine-related health problems—airborne allergen reactions, allergic reactions to insect bites and bee stings, sinusitis and other eye-, ear- and nose-related health issues. Sinus or frontal headaches are frequently associated with chronic amylase deficiency. In Western society, patients with fibromyalgia tend to have a history of excessive intake of refined carbohydrates. Aside from the occasional discussion, there is little distinction made in the general media between simple and complex carbohydrates. People choose what is convenient. The fast food industry is based on this notion of convenience. However, when closely examined, most of what is considered convenient has detrimental effects on our health. The excessive consumption of carbohydrates will cause chronic depletion of amylase. This may result in the typical histamine conditions and pain found in fibromyalgia.
It is also thought fibromyalgia is related to excessive waste in the body. Undigested remains of disproportionate carbohydrate consumption can accumulate in tissue, since the body cannot eliminate it properly. This might partially explain the patient response to palpation at several lymphatic trigger points when being diagnosed. The lymph system removes waste from the body. Yet, this will not occur very well when too much food is eaten, causing a virtual backing up of the "plumbing". Using highly concentrated enzymes with patients who have histamine reactions alleviates the response within a very short time and without the side effects associated with conventional antihistamines. Thirdly, undigested food allows parasites and other pathogenic micro-organisms to live off the waste inside the body. Incomplete digestion allows bacteria to ferment carbohydrates and putrefy protein, giving off gas. The bloating that occurs after meals is the result of this. It is trapped gas, unable to move through the colon. The accumulation of undigested food in the intestinal tract leads to intestinal toxaemia. It is also known as indicanuria and is responsible for a number of health-related problems.
Eliminating Nutritional Stress
In the field of enzyme nutrition therapy, it is not just a matter of supplementing with concentrated enzymes. It is equally important to make the necessary dietary modifications limiting the intake of those foods known to be dietary stress factors for each individual patient. This is determined through a 24-hour urinalysis and Digestive Challenge Test© as developed by Dr Loomis. It is believed that the only real disease is stress. It is how the body reacts to stress that determines what signs and symptoms of disease manifest in the body. Within Dr Loomis's system, we work with the following:
• Modifying diet to reduce dietary stress factors;
• Greatly improving digestion through intake of plant-based enzymes;
• Improving bowel elimination by nutritionally supporting those organs involved;
• Stopping or reducing inflammation;
• Improving immune function with concentrated enzymes;
• Supporting the autonomic nervous system with acidic/alkaline minerals;
• Nutritionally supporting the endocrine system for proper hormonal production.
There is a type of domino effect involved here. By improving dietary intake, you eliminate nutritional stress. Using plant-based enzymes with meals, the nutrients from food will be better digested, transported and utilised and waste will be more easily eliminated. When food is more completely digested, the body gets the nutrients rather than the pathogenic organisms.
Improving bowel elimination ensures a reduction in toxins being re-absorbed through the bowels back into the blood and lymph systems. This also prevents unwanted growth of pathogenic organisms.
Inflammation can be caused by irritation from undigested food both within the gut and in its passage into the surrounding tissue. Leaky gut syndrome is the current name given to this phenomenon. The one area where enzymes show consistent results is in reducing inflammation. Well-documented studies indicate enzymes resolve inflammation and pain in half the normal time.7, 8, 9 If chronic inflammation exists anywhere, the body develops stress in its attempts to resolve it. Over time, this exhausts the adrenals and our immune system, making it easier for detrimental outside influences to affect the body adversely.
Enzymes in Cardiovascular Disease
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the Western world. It is amazing that the dietary link still evades the medical community. Doctors pay lip service to a "healthy diet" and exercise as preventive measures. Dietitians have even worked out a "food pyramid" to help us make wise eating choices. Yet, in spite of the best intentions, the death rate continues to rise and there is no chance of its diminishing in the near future based on the models we have. The food industry "fortifies" food with some 11 "essential" nutrients including B vitamins, calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron and sodium. Yet, the very substances that would digest the food are deliberately left out, destroyed for the sake of extended shelf life.
At the beginning of the 20th century, the transportation of food across a continent posed serious problems. How could a company ship raw, uncooked food without spoilage? The answer was to find a way to process the food and ship it without rotting. In the early 1900s, salicylic acid (aspirin) was used because it "prevented the action of enzymes (unorganised ferments), like diastase, emulsion, and that of mustard, also gastric digestion, fermentation by yeast, ammoniacal fermentation of urine and the germination of seeds".10 In other words, salicylic acid was "distinctly antagonistic to most enzymes".11
So as early as 1903, aspirin was known to affect enzymes. It was used in this way to preserve food for extended shelf-life. As newer techniques for extending the shelf-life were discovered, aspirin was discontinued. Is it not puzzling, then, knowing how aspirin destroys most enzymes, that many patients are told to take aspirin in the prevention of heart disease? From the same reference, it is stated that salicylic acid "has a disintegrating action on the blood corpuscles".
The blood-thinning properties of aspirin result from the fact that it destroys red blood cells, causing fewer of them to be found in the bloodstream! The medical explanation of cardiovascular disease fails to explain the picture fully because it is missing the major piece of the puzzle. Medical research is funded with billions of dollars to find the "cure". In spite of this, triple-bypass surgery is covered by insurance while the advice and wisdom of nutritionists is not. Prevention is not practised because it does not bring in the revenue that surgery, radiation and drugs do. Much attention is paid to markers of potential heart disease. The category of lipoproteins is a good example. Lipo means "fat", and protein is self-explanatory. The four principal classes are: high density (HDL), low density (LDL), very low density (VLDL) and chylomicrons. Chylomicrons are dietary triglycerides. VLDLs are endogenous (from within the body) triglycerides, while LDL and HDL are both endogenous cholesteryl esters. Lipoproteins are necessary for the transport of lipids (fats). We are told it is healthy to have relatively high HDL levels, but should have low cholesterol (LDL), VLDL and triglyceride levels.
The endogenous group of lipoproteins is manufactured within the body, but the raw material is still derived from the fats and proteins we consume. Food must be digested in order for the body to utilise it. The abnormal accumulation of lipoproteins in the blood in a small percentage of the population represents an autosomal dominant genetic trait. But in the majority of people with cardiovascular issues, it is evidence of incomplete digestion of fats and protein—accompanied by the fact that people simply overeat. How can the body properly eliminate unused fats and protein when there simply is too much being taken in? The body must hide or store this unusable waste. Some of it is stored in tissue and some of it circulates. When the kidneys and colon cannot eliminate enough waste, the skin compensates. The skin is the largest eliminative organ. Skin eruptions are the attempts to rid the body of waste.
Unfortunately, what circulates begins to adhere to the walls of the blood vessels, clogging them up. Macrophages are summoned to remove this accumulation, but cannot do so without an adequate supply of enzymes. Enzymes produced by the macrophages for their immune function are believed to be shifted to digesting the cooked food. Obviously, this prevents the breakdown of lipoproteins which continue to build up. Foam cells associated with atherosclerosis are formed when overaccumulation of fats occurs in macrophages.12, 13, 14, 15
Why has no one asked how this accumulation occurs? What is the bigger picture? It is this author's opinion that the accumulation transpires because cooked foods are not completely digested in the stomach. These undigested remnants cross the intestinal border into the blood and lymph, circulating throughout. Over time, their accumulation leads to damaged arterial tissue. Macrophages cannot break down the lipoproteins due to the exhaustion of their own enzymes. Eating cooked fats demands enzymes digesting them. Cooked foods must be broken down, even at the expense of the cardiovascular system. This daily assault of cooked foods drains lipase from many sources, especially the immune and lymph systems. Plant enzymes taken before meals completely digest food. Therefore, no remnants can cross over into the blood. Having prevented further accumulation of undigested food, one can focus on removing the accumulated material. Enzymes taken in between meals are taken up by the body and sent to work in areas that need them the most. Enzymes will digest the undesirable lipoproteins in the blood vessels without affecting the vessels themselves. Reversal of cardiovascular disease is a matter of improving digestion and modifying dietary stress factors—in this case, fats and proteins.16, 17, 18, 19
Enzymes and Immune Function
When metabolic enzymes have been constantly drained from other organs and systems (particularly the immune system) to digest cooked food, there will be little left during an immune crisis, as in fever. Regrettably, sometimes the temperature from a fever rises too rapidly, causing great distress, such as seizures in children. If there is the risk of febrile seizure in a child, suppressing the fever with drugs such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen initially may be the wise thing to do; but these drugs are known to suppress immune function. Thus, preventing a febrile seizure first and then enhancing immune function through natural means would ensure a speedier recovery. Consulting a physician is advisable in this case. Someone not prone to febrile seizure may be carefully monitored to allow a fever to take its course but should be given plenty of fluids. Supplemental proteolytic (protein-digesting) enzymes enhance immune function, helping to destroy pathogens. These may help put an end to a fever more rapidly, significantly boosting immune function by destroying the offending pathogen.
Drinking sufficient water helps keep in check the "fire" induced by a fever. It also provides necessary moisture for enzymes produced by immune cells to defend the body. During a fever, extreme hot or cold weather conditions and strenuous exercise, enzymes are used up at a much faster rate. Becoming dehydrated due to decreased water consumption over time and the use of dehydrating agents such as caffeine and alcohol may make it more difficult for the body to resolve many of the health crises. It is believed that using supplemental enzymes during a fever augments available enzymes from white blood cells to destroy foreign micro-organisms rapidly. Taking exogenous enzymes during a fever can dramatically improve immune function, resolving a fever more quickly.
A fever's typical temperature range of 99–105°F [37.22–40.56°C] is at the high end of plant enzymes' optimal temperature range. Throughout a fever, enzymes in blood and tissue increase as defence mechanisms and for the removal of waste. Moreover, they are used up at a much faster rate. A fever is the body's way of destroying pathogenic micro-organisms through heat and increased enzyme activity. Phagocytosis is a process where macrophages surround and engulf pathogens. They secrete enzymes which digest the invading pathogen. Referring to digestive leukocytosis, when cooked food remnants cross the brush border of the intestine into the blood, leukocytes are activated to find and finish digesting those food components in the blood. When this occurs repeatedly over time and from one generation to the next, the results are compromised immune systems. This is due to the loss of enzymes from white blood cells, which sacrifice them for digesting the food we eat. Note that Dr Pottenger's cats study showed an increase in disease from one generation to the next, and that cancer rates have continued to soar despite the "War on Cancer".
After researching library archives on the clinical use of enzymes as far back as the early 1900s, specifically the work of Dr John Beard and later that of Dr Howell, this author cannot help but ask the following questions: What if one of the pancreas's chief roles is that of an "immune" gland as well as a digestive one? What if Dr Beard's observations of the pancreas-producing enzymes destroying pre-cancerous cells (trophoplasts) are correct? One study investigated the stimulation of "digestive enzymes" of the pancreas of rabbits after exposure to histamine.20 Histamine is one of the major components of the inflammatory response in mammals. Is it possible that the term "digestive enzymes" in this case is incorrect? Are enzymes produced by such a reaction necessarily digestive, or are they responding to resolve the inflammation? Enzymes are known to speed the process of inflammation, thereby resolving it more rapidly.21, 22, 23, 24, 25 If the pancreas responds to histamine by producing enzymes, could they be for healing the damaged tissue and stabilising the mast cells and basophils that released the histamine in the first place?
Proteases (proteolytic enzymes) are known to mediate the defence mechanisms of the body and maintain homoeostasis. It is theorised that proteolytic and other enzymes work in two ways as part of the body's immune system. Firstly, orally ingested enzymes are believed to be marked by the body as "self" and, like the character in the video game "Packman™", are capable of digesting foreign proteins in the body that are "not-self". This would include foreign protein in the form of undigested food remnants, bacteria, viruses and other micro-organisms. Secondly, exogenous enzymes taken away from food are thought to be absorbed across the intestinal lumen and transferred into the blood, where white blood cells uptake them to be used in a variety of activities. Numerous studies have been conducted in enzyme research that point to the benefits of exogenous enzyme therapy in many immune system–related diseases. Allergies, cancers, so-called auto-immune diseases, HIV and other viral diseases, bacterial infections and fungus/yeast infestations have all been shown to be helped by enzyme therapy.26, 27, 28, 29
In the event of allergies, enzymes break down the allergen/antibody complex, splitting it away from surrounding tissue when involved. Enzymes then break down the allergen into smaller components capable of being eliminated without stressing the body. Airborne allergens typically contain both protein and polysaccharide (complex sugar) structures. After entering the bloodstream, they normally are cleaved by enzymes secreted from white blood cells. In an allergic reaction, however, there may not be enough enzymes available from white blood cells to do the work, leaving the mast cells and basophils to release histamine. There occurs the typical allergic reaction of runny nose, swollen itchy eyes, pain, heat and redness in the area of reaction. In a study from Germany, enzymes were shown to split circulating immune complexes as measured in decreased values in blood and improvement of clinical symptoms.30 Several attempts have been made in using protease enzymes for patients with coeliac disease, but with little success. It had been thought that the gliadin protein structure of many grains such as wheat, rye, barley and oats was to blame for the violent reactions suffered by patients. In a study on coeliac disease, the carbohydrate portion was removed with carbohydrases, resulting in total success. There was no damage to the intestinal mucosa as there usually is in this disease.31 Furthermore, the protein portion was not altered. This shows once again the specificity of substrate which enzymes display.
One of the exciting factors resulting from enzyme therapy comes from a study out of Austria.32 It was shown that pancreatic enzymes as well as the constituents bromelain and papain stimulated the production of tumour necrosis factor. Tumour necrosis factor is a cytokine (a non-antibody protein which act as an intercellular mediator in an immune response) capable of haemorrhagic necrosis (destruction) of tumours and can exert cytostatic and cytotoxic activity on transformed cell lines. In other words, enzymes not only digest foreign objects but they can activate other protein products of the immune system to destroy undesirable growths in the body. Although the above references represent only a small number of studies, it can be seen that enzymes have a therapeutic role for many disorders. Other studies include treating autism, sports injury, herpes infection, cancer and auto-immune disease.33, 34, 35, 36, 37
Supplemental Enzymes for Health and Longevity
While changing over to a raw food diet (or nearly an all raw food diet) is desirable, this requires discipline. Each one of us should take the leap into the world of raw food and experiment to find out what works for us. One can find safe, natural animal products to be used for protein intake. The best proponent of this is Aajonus Vanderplanitz. His website, http://www.primaldiet.com, details his experiences over a lifetime of experimenting with raw foods, especially raw animal products. There are numerous other raw food advocates located on the Internet and they have written several books, primarily dealing with a vegetarian raw food diet. Each has their arguments and points of view. In the end, it is the reader who must decide after experiencing what they believe to be in their own best interest. Whether to be a vegetarian or not is finally decided through trial and error and education. How you feel physically, spiritually and emotionally should be noted during any transition. The impact on one's health using enzymes can only be experienced to be appreciated. We are born with enzyme deficiencies, and we have a limited potential for producing enzymes. Dr Howell believed supplemental enzymes are important not only for health and longevity but as a type of insurance. As we grow older, our bodies do not produce as many enzymes as when we were children or young adults. What better way to ensure our health into old age than to eat enzyme-rich foods and supplement with enzymes where needed?
Clinical studies are generally funded by the pharmaceutical companies for the profits of shareholders, and tend not to be conducted for purely altruistic reasons. Furthermore, there is little interest in natural products because they cannot be synthesised and patented—at least not in the USA.
We are living in quite a crazy world where anyone can buy and implement various biological and chemical threats. Anthrax and smallpox are only the tip of the iceberg of the dangers we face.
As has been written in previous issues of this magazine, there are forces interested in creating chaos—only to hand us a solution, but at a very great trade-off. I believe that enzymes offer mankind the greatest hope of preventing and treating the threats we may face in the coming years. I also encourage you to take up this call to educate yourself in all available material from reliable sources to keep your family and loved ones safe and healthy. ∞

About the Author:
Mark Rojek began researching alternative therapies in 1970. His studies included botanicals, mineral and vitamin requirements and diet. He interned in acupuncture with Dr Bell in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, in 1973, and graduated in 1978 with a Bachelor of Science. He studied aromatherapy, kinesiology, massage therapy and classical homoeopathy in England. In 1986, Mark began formal studies in traditional Chinese medicine, especially acupuncture. In Chicago, he worked with several holistic physicians as a medical technician and maintained a private nutritional practice. Also in 1986, he met Dr Howard Loomis, foremost living expert in enzyme nutrition, and continues to work with him. He works with several doctors in Michigan who refer to him and seek his counsel. He continues to research, lecture and counsel clients in nutrition and diet.











References:
• Beazell, J.M. et al., "A Reexamination of the Role of the Stomach in the Digestion of Carbohydrate and Protein", Am. J. Physiology 132:42-50 (1941)
• Howell, E., Enzyme Nutrition, Avery Publishing, New Jersey, 1985
Endnotes:
1. Flaherty, J.A., Richman, J.A., "Substance use and addiction among medical students, residents, and physicians", Psychiatr. Clin. North. Am. 16(1):189-97 (1993 Mar)
2. Wolfgang, A.P., "Substance abuse potential and job stress: a study of pharmacists, physicians and nurses", J. Pharm. Mark. Manage. 3(4):97-110 (1989)
3. Rosvold, E.O., Vaglum, P., Moum, T., "Use of minor tranquilizers among Norwegian physicians. A nation-wide comparative study", Soc. Sci. Med. 46(4-5):581-90 (1998 Feb-Mar)
4. Pert, Candace B., Molecules of Emotion: The Science Behind Mind-Body Medicine, Touchstone, 1999, Simon & Shuster, New York, 1997
5. Kouchakoff, P., "The influence of food cooking on the blood formula of man", Proceedings: First International Congress of Microbiology, Paris, 1930, translation by Lee Foundation for Nutritional Research Milwaukee, WI, USA
6. Loomis, H.F., Jr, Enzymes: The Key to Health – Volume 1: The Fundamentals, 21st Century Nutrition, Madison, WI, USA, 1999
7. Blonstein, J.L., "Oral enzyme tablets in the treatment of boxing injuries", The Practitioner 198:547-48 (1967 Apr)
8. Buck, J.E., Phillips, N., "Trial of Chymoral in professional footballers", Brit. J. Clin. Prac. 24(9):375-77 (1970 Sep)
9. Boyne, P.S., Medhurst, H., "Oral anti-inflammatory enzyme therapy in injuries in professional footballers", The Practitioner 198:543-46 (1967)
10. Loomis, ibid.
11. Loomis, ibid.
12. Nakamura, R., Ohta, T., Ikeda, Y., Matsuda, I., "LDL inhibits the mediation of cholesterol efflux from macrophage foam cells by apoA-I–containing lipoproteins. A putative mechanism for foam cell formation", Arterioscler. Thromb. 13(9):1307-16 (1993 Sep)
13. Vainio, S., Ikonen, E.; "Macrophage cholesterol transport: a critical player in foam cell formation", Ann. Med. 35(3):146-55 (2003)
14. Llorente, V., Badimon, L., "Cellular and molecular bases of cholesterol accumulation in the vascular wall and its contribution to the progression of atherosclerotic lesion", Rev. Esp. Cardiol. 51(8):663-41 (1998 Aug)
15. von Eckardstein, A., "Cholesterol efflux from macrophages and other cells", Curr. Opin. Lipidol. 7(5):308-19 (1996 Oct)
16. Hall, D., Zajac, A., Cox, R., Spanswick, J., "The effect of enzyme therapy on plasma lipid levels in the elderly", Atherosclerosis 43:209-15 (1982)
17. Setälä, K., "The promise of enzymes in therapy of hyperlipidemia", Med. Hyp. 20:287-315 (1986)
18. Bergkvist, R., Svärd, P.O., "Studies on the thrombolytic activity of a protease from Aspergillus oryzae", Acta Physiol. Scand. 60:363-71 (1964)
19. Kiessling, H., Svensson, R., "Influence of an enzyme from Aspergillus oryzae, Protease I, on some components of the fibrinolytic system", Acta Chem. Scand. 24:569-79 (1970)
20. Liebow, C., Franklin, E. Jr, "Histamine stimulation of digestive enzyme secretion by in vitro rabbit pancreas", Digest. Dis. and Sci. 27(3):234-241 (1982 Mar)
21. Tarayre, J.P., Lauressergues. H., "Advantages of a combination of proteolytic enzymes, flavonoids and ascorbic acid in comparison with non-steroid anti-inflammatory agents", Arzneim-forsch./Drug. Res. 27(I):1144-49 (no. 6, 1997)
22. Sol, S., Fletcher, A.P., "Proteolytic enzymes: A therapeutic evaluation", Clin. Pharm. and Ther. 1(2):202-26
23. Duskova, M., Wald, M., "Orally administered proteases in aesthetic surgery", Aesthetic Plastic Surgery 23(1):41-4 (1999)
24. Lie, K.K., Larson, R.D., Posch, J.L., "Therapeutic value of oral proteolytic enzymes following hand surgery", Arch. of Surgery 98(1):103-4 (1960)
25. Woolf, R.M., Snow, J., Walker, J.H., Broadbent, T.R., "Resolution of an artificially induced hematoma and the influence of a proteolytic enzyme", J. of Trauma 5(4):491-94 (1965)
26. Goldberg, D.M., "Enzymes as agents for the treatment of disease", Clinica Chimicia Acta 206:45-76 (1992)
27. Rockwell, G.E., "The effects of enzymes on ragweed-pollen and studies on the iso-electric point of low-ragweed antigen", J. Immunology 41:225-232 (1941 Jun)
28. Stauder, G., Ransberger, K., Streichhan, P., Van Schaik, W., Pollinger, W., "The use of hydrolytic enzymes as adjuvant therapy in AIDS/ARC/LAS patients", Biomed. & Pharmacother. 42:31-34 (1988)
29. Leipner, J., Saller, R., "Systemic enzyme therapy in oncology", Drugs 59(4):769-80 (2000)
30. Ransberger, K., "Enzyme treatment of immune complex diseases", Arthritis Rheum. 8:16-19 (1986)
31. Phelan, J.J., Stevens, F.M., McNicholl, B., Fottrell, P.E., McCarthy, C.F., "Coeliac disease: the abolition of gliadin toxicity bt enzymes from Aspergillus niger", Clin. Sci. Mol. Med. 53:35-43 (1977)
32. Desser, L., Rehberger, A., "Induction of tumor necrosis factor in human peripheral-blood mononuclear cells by proteolytic enzymes", Oncology 47:475-77 (1990)
33. Brudnak, M. et al., "Enzyme-based therapy for autism spectrum disorders: Is it worth another look?", Med. Hyp. 58(5):422-48 (2002)
34. Kleine, M.W., Stauder, G.M., Beese, E.W., "The intestinal absorption of orally administered hydrolytic enzymes and their effects in the treatment of acute herpes zoster as compared with those of oral acyclovir therapy", Phytomedicine 2(1):7-15 (1995)
35. Prochaska, L.J., Piekutowski, W.V., "On the synergistic effects of enzymes in food with enzymes in the human body. A literature survey and analytical report", Med. Hyp. 42:355-362 (1994)
36. Qin, X.F., "Impaired inactivation of digestive proteases by deconjugated bilirubin: The possible mechanism of inflammatory bowel disease", Med. Hyp. 59(2):150-63 (2002)
37. Nouza, K., "Outlooks of systemic enzyme therapy in rheumatoid arthritis and other immunopathological diseases", Acta Univ. Carol. [Med.] (Praha) 40(1-4):101-04

Use of enzyme substitutes in hypolactasia

[Article in Russian]
Valenkevich LN, Iakhontova OI, Shubina ME.
Department of Propaedeutics of Internal Diseases, University, Petrozavodsk.
Klin Med (Mosk). 1996;74(8):46-8.


The paper presents the results of clinical and laboratory studies of lactrase, a drug containing lactase. This agent is recommended for splitting lactic sugar in subjects with appreciably decreased production of endogenous lactase (hypolactasia). Twenty-eight patients with this condition were examined. Manifest clinical symptoms of the condition were observed after loading with 50 g of lactose in all examinees. Addition of 250 mg of lactrase to lactose led to complete clinical compensation of the deficit of endogenous lactase in 75% examinees, and if 500 mg of lactrase was administered, hypolactasia was compensated in virtually all patients. A single intake of 50 g of lactose with lactrase causes a statistically reliable increase of glycemia in such patients. Moreover, a reliable effect of lactrase was observed when measuring galactose in the urine following the lactose test with 250 and 500 mg of lactrase. Our results indicate a high efficacy of lactrase in the treatment of patients with hypolactasia.

Microbial fibrinolytic enzymes: an overview of source, production, properties, and thrombolytic activity in vivo.

Peng Y, Yang X, Zhang Y.

College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu, PR China.

Accumulation of fibrin in the blood vessels usually results in thrombosis, leading to myocardial infarction and other cardiovascular diseases. For thrombolytic therapy, microbial fibrinolytic enzymes have now attracted much more attention than typical thrombolytic agents because of the expensive prices and the undesirable side effects of the latter. The fibrinolytic enzymes were successively discovered from different microorganisms, the most important among which is the genus Bacillus from traditional fermented foods. The physiochemical properties of these enzymes have been characterized, and their effectiveness in thrombolysis in vivo has been further identified. Therefore, microbial fibrinolytic enzymes, especially those from food-grade microorganisms, have the potential to be developed as functional food additives and drugs to prevent or cure thrombosis and other related diseases.