Nancy Hearn, CNC, EFT-ADV

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The Healing Power of Systemic Enzymes

by Nancy Hearn, CNC

published in Natural Life News

As you may know, enzymes are the essential building blocks of life. They are vital to our body’s ability to properly digest and benefit from the food we eat. But more importantly, enzymes are systemic (body wide) and thus provide the energy we use to rebuild cells, nerves, tissues, muscles, bones, and glands.

Enzymes are protein molecules that act as catalysts, speeding the rate at which biochemical reactions occur. They are found in every cell of every living plant and animal, as well as in humans. Without enzymes, the chemical reactions in our bodies would be too slow for life as we know it.

We have roughly 3,000 enzymes in our bodies, which are involved in 7,000 to 25,000 enzymic reactions. Most of these enzymes are of the proteolytic (protein-eating) type. Some of the key enzymes include serrapeptase, protease, proteinase, bromelain, papain, lipase, and amylase.

Digestive enzymes vs. systemic enzymes

Most people think of enzymes as being involved only in digestion. However, aiding digestion is one of the last things that enzymes do in the body. Digestive enzymes primarily act in the stomach to digest food, while systemic enzymes are designed to survive the stomach’s acid. Thus, they pass through the stomach into the intestines, where they are absorbed into the body.

Dr. Max Wolf (M.D., Ph.D.), who researched enzymes and hormones at Columbia University from the 1930’s to the 1970’s, determined that enzyme production significantly diminishes in humans between the ages of 27 and 35. Thus, this is essentially when the body begins the aging process.

Unfortunately, we are born with limited enzyme reserves. In past decades, people would naturally supplement their enzyme levels by consuming fresh, locally grown foods throughout their lives. Unfortunately, this is not the case with most people today. Modern food manufacturing, processing, preparation and cooking destroy most, if not all, of the enzymes that foods contain. Thus, most of us suffer an enzyme deficiency that causes our bodies and normal body functions to break down and age prematurely.

Replenishing enzymes with raw food

So what can we do to replenish enzymes?  Eating a mostly raw vegetarian diet will increase our enzyme reserves. When we eat cooked or processed food, our body is forced to extract enzymes from other areas of our bodies, including our glands, organs, and muscles to aid in digestion. In essence, our bodies rebuild the food so that it is similar to its original fresh enzymatic form. This is a huge energy drain on our bodies!

If the idea of a raw-food diet does not appeal to you, I encourage you to simply start adding more raw foods (preferably organic)—especially vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, and sprouts—to your daily food program. So, for example, if you are currently eating 10% raw food, increase your intake to 20% in the next month or so.  Ideally, we want to be eating 70-80% or more raw food for optimum health and longevity.

Pick up a raw-food book and try some recipes!  You’ll be surprised at how tasty and energizing raw foods can be.  And if you haven’t banked your enzyme reserves by eating lots of raw foods most of your life, I highly recommend systemic proteolytic enzyme supplementation.

Key benefits of systemic enzyme therapy

We can significantly improve digestion, slow down the aging process, and experience many other health benefits by supplementing with systemic enzymes. The clinical research on systemic enzyme therapy indicates significant benefits in the treatment of the following conditions:

•  Cancer

•  Hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis)

•  Rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, lupus, and fibromyalgia

•  Pancreatic insufficiency

•  Fibrocystic breast disease

•  Herpes zoster (shingles)

•  Hepatitis C

•  Food allergies

•  Sinusitis, asthma, bronchitis, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

•  Digestive disorders

•  Inflammation, sports injuries, surgery, and trauma.

Enzymes help with inflammation

Let’s say you have an injured left shoulder. Inflammation is a reaction by your immune system to an irritation in your body. The immune system creates a protein chain called a Circulating Immune Complex (CIC) specifically for that left shoulder, which then causes pain, redness, and swelling at the injury site. This is a beneficial reaction at first because it tells you that your shoulder is hurt and needs attention. However, inflammation is self-perpetuating, creating even more CICs, which is not good.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as aspirin, naproxen, and ibuprofen, are often prescribed for inflammation and the reason they work is because they inhibit the body from making most all CICs. However, the downside is that some CICs are critical for life, like those that maintain the intestinal lining and support kidney function! The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has estimated that as many as 200,000 cases of gastrointestinal bleeding, including 10,000 to 20,000 deaths, occur each year in the U.S. as a result of NSAIDs prescribed for arthritis.

On the other hand, systemic enzymes are highly effective at reducing inflammation—and are free of dangerous side effects. Best of all, systemic enzymes can tell the difference between good CICs and bad ones. So instead of preventing the production of all CICs, systemic enzymes just “eat” the bad ones, thus lowering inflammation and reducing pain.

Enzymes eat scar tissue and fibrosis

If you are suffering from arthritis, fibromyalgia, lupus, or chronic fatigue syndrome, you know the pain of fibrosis in your joints and/or muscles. When our enzyme production drops significantly between ages 27 and 35, aches and pains often begin to set in.

With fewer enzymes available, the body then gets out of balance and has little or no enzyme reserves available to reduce the overabundance of fibrin and scar tissue that develops in nearly everything from simple cuts on our skin to oxidative damage in our muscles, joints, and internal organs. Immune function begins to lag, which is further complicated by poor eating habits and a high-stress lifestyle. Sound familiar?

The good news is that if we replace the lost enzymes, we can reduce the amount of scar tissue and fibrosis in our bodies. According to Dr. Wong (N.D., Ph.D.), physicians in the United States are now discovering that even old scar tissue can be “eaten away” from surgical wounds, pulmonary fibrosis, kidney fibrosis, and even keloids years after their formation. Dr Wong writes, “Medical doctors in Europe and Asia have known this and have used orally administered enzymes for these conditions for over 40 years!”

Enzymes cleanse our blood

Enzymes improve circulation by eating the excess fibrin that causes our blood to get as thick as molasses. All of the cellular debris and waste that collects in the blood is supposed to be cleared by the liver the first time it goes through.  But for most people that seldom happens. The sludge remains in the blood until the liver is able to handle it—often days or weeks later.

When we supplement with systemic enzymes, the enzymes take the strain off the liver by removing excess fibrin from the blood and reducing the stickiness of blood cells—thus minimizing the risk for blood clots and heart attacks. Anything we can do to support the detoxification of our liver is a huge health benefit!

Enzymes enhance the immune system

Since enzymes are also adaptogenic, they restore balance in the body. When our immune system is running low, enzymes can boost our immunity so that we are less susceptible to infectious disease. When it’s running high, the system creates antibodies that attack its own tissues (such as in autoimmune disorders). In this situation, the enzymes will down-regulate immune function and eat away at the antibodies that the confused immune system is making to attack its own bodily tissue.

And last but not least, systemic enzymes are helpful at fighting viruses. They can tell the difference between the proteins that are supposed to be in your body and those that are not. Thus, they can inhibit the ability of viruses to replicate.

The list of conditions benefited by systemic enzyme supplementation seems to be growing all the time. In order to get the most out of systemic enzymes, it is essential to take a high-quality product at an adequate dosage. The systemic enzyme product I recommend is formulated by Dr. Wong and includes pancreatin (wtih naturally occurring trypsin and chymotrypsin) and fruit enzymes with serrapeptase to greatly increase its effectiveness while keeping the cost lower. 

As with all nutritional supplements, it is wise to seek the advice of a health-care practitioner who will assist you in finding the correct therapeutic dosage for your specific health needs.

Sources: What Are Systemic Enzymes and What Do They Do? by William Wong, N.D., Ph.D., and The Healing Power of Proteolytic Enzymes by Michael T. Murray, M.D.

Nancy Hearn is a Certified Nutrition Consultant and Founder of Total Wellness Health and Nutrition Center in Livingston, Montana. For more information about systemic enzymes or a free initial consultation, contact Nancy Hearn at 406-222-7304. Email: nhearn@imt.net

Disclaimer: Statements contained herein are not meant as medical advice, and have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease. Always consult with your professional health care provider concerning your health conditions.