Digestion

Hippocrates once said "man is not nourished by what he swallows but by what he digests and uses".

Enzymes are proteins that are responsible for nearly every chemical reaction that occurs in the body. Digestion and all metabolic pathways rely on enzymes to function. Enzymes participate in at least 80,000 enzyme systems in the body and many suggest that the enzyme is the essence of life itself, the "sparks of life"!

Scientists believe that we are all born with a finite supply of bodily enzymes and the faster we use them up, the shorter our lives may be.

What do Enzymes do?

In general, they break food down into molecules that can pass through the cell membranes and into the blood stream to provide nourishment and energy. They make it possible for us to see, move, breath, think and even sleep. Our immune system is dependent upon the action of enzymes.

Enzyme activities in the digestion process begins as soon as we start chewing, then the journey through our system begins. Our digestive tract is 30 ft long but if our intenstine were laid out as a smooth surface, they would cover an area the size of a football pitch. In our stomach, weighing close to 2lbs, lives over 80 varieties of bacteria, all with a specific task. Our stomach capacity is close to nine pints and we manufacture five pints of intestinal juice a day.

Enzymes in food
Because modern foods contains very few enzymes, eating more raw food can help. However, even raw foods today do not contain the same natural levels of enzymes as in bygone years, because poor farming techniques have depleted the soil of nutrient needed for the production of enzymes. Raw fruits and vegetables contain some enzymes, but not as many as the higher calorie raw foods that are normally cooked and therefore devoid of enzymes.

Some foods which are high in enzymes and palatable when eaten raw are:

• Bananas
• Avocado
• Fresh olives
• Dates
• Figs
• Raw Honey
• Raw cereal
• Grain and raw seed

Read more on enzymes and probiotics