Have you ever experienced a feeling of discomfort after a meal, a sensation of bloating, gas, or acid reflux? Well, know that this is a sign of poor digestion.
Your stomach isn't digesting the food you eat, which can lead to constipation or stomach pain. You might be wondering how to fix this. There are natural solutions to soothe your indigestion.
The 3 groups of enzymes
Enzymes were discovered by a doctor around 1946 as one of the most important nutrients, alongside vitamins, trace elements, and minerals. He noted that many age-related diseases are caused by poor digestion due to an enzyme deficiency.
An enzyme is a type of molecule present in our body that helps to facilitate and accelerate chemical reactions in the body.
Indeed, to date, researchers have identified more than 4,000 enzymes, all of which are different from one another.
To help you understand better, consider the example of building a house. The house is our body, and enzymes are the workers who build the house (the body). But it's not just about construction; they also work on repairing and maintaining the house to keep it in good condition. Enzymes are therefore like little agents that are responsible for keeping our entire body healthy.
What are the 3 groups of enzymes?
- Metabolic enzymes These enzymes are the ones that work in your body for breathing, producing your voice, the movements made by your muscles, and above all for maintaining your body's immune system.
- Food enzymes : which are found in raw foods, unprocessed foods that have not yet been industrially transformed.
- Digestive enzymes As their name suggests, enzymes work to aid digestion. These molecules break down the food you eat so your body can easily absorb the nutrients it contains. To illustrate, enzymes are like workers that ensure proper digestion; they do this by breaking down food into smaller pieces.
The role
As you probably already know, digestive enzymes play a role in your digestion. However, to better understand their function, we'll explain in more detail what they actually do.
Indeed, enzymes, or the body's little workers, are responsible for accelerating chemical reactions while performing various functions to ensure proper digestion. They begin their work as soon as you eat something and the food reaches your stomach. To do this, enzymes act like large scissors, breaking down food into smaller pieces or molecules. They also transform solid foods into liquids for proper digestion.
When you don't have enough small workers to do these tasks, that's when you feel unwell or uncomfortable in your stomach and abdomen. Because if food isn't broken down into small pieces to be absorbed by our digestive system, it can't be used by the cells as nutrients. And when this happens, the large pieces of food stagnate and remain where they are, causing putrefaction and eventually turning into toxins that spread throughout the body.
Furthermore, when food is broken down by tiny bacteria or enzymes, it can pass through your intestinal wall and be identified as an invader by protective agents. This triggers a chemical reaction in the body, as the agents respond with inflammation to destroy it.
For all these processes, the body uses amylase ( in saliva) which breaks down starches, sugars, and carbohydrates into glucose. Then there are proteases that digest proteins and break them down into amino acids. Next, there is lipase (in the pancreas) which digests lipids and breaks them down into fatty acids. And finally, lactase which digests carbohydrates in dairy products, breaking them down into glucose and galactose.
Foods rich in enzymes are all raw, natural foods that have not yet undergone any processing; they all contain enzymes. Even raw meats, which is why you should favor all raw foods such as fruits, vegetables, fish, etc.
How do you know if you need enzymes or not?
Everyone can be aware of their health status and also of a digestive enzyme deficiency, as this manifests as poor digestion. However, here are some symptoms you should be aware of:
- Experiencing gas, bloating, and abdominal pain
- Acid reflux
- Severe heartburn
- Severe drowsiness after each meal
- Fatigue, difficulty concentrating, mood swings
- Insomnia
- Unbearable headache and migraine
- Muscle pain
- Painful menstruation
- Skin and hair problems
- Obesity
Are there any side effects?
Since enzymes are found primarily in raw foods, this means you should consume raw foods.
However, this could have adverse effects on your health, such as contracting typhoid fever from raw fruit, etc.
Conclusion
Digestive enzymes are very important for your overall health. However, to address any problems that may be related to enzyme deficiency, you should consume raw and natural foods, meaning uncooked foods, and for meats, you should consume them partially raw.
