This month we are introducing our newest product: " PowerZyme Digestive Enzymes ". The first article, by Dr. John Heinerman, explains why digestive enzymes are an essential part of a nutrient program and a necessity for good health. Following is an article on Fibromyalgia and how raw foods can be beneficial for the symptoms. (In addition, many Fibromyalgia patients have reported encouraging benefits from taking "CellRenew".)
Just as a reminder - since Spring is here, you may want to stock up on extra bottles of Foundation Blue-Green Algae. Remember this is what got me off my allergy shots, after 35 years. Now is the time to start building up the dosage to prepare for the barrage of pollen that will be coming our way. It is amazing what this product will do for allergies and sinuses. Now, I am actually able to enjoy the fragrances of the "outdoors". As always, with any of our products, we offer a money-back guarantee.
We wish to notify our subscribers - especially those based in China - that we have finally received notice (April 4th) that our "Liver Cleanse" product has been formally approved for import into Mainland China. The Health Ministry in Beijing has issued the authorization documents to our China representatives.
This has been a very difficult process, requiring crates of documentation, five clinical tests, and spanning more than Two and a half years. We successfully passed the final test over a year ago, but it has taken this long to finally receive formal approval from the authorities at the Health Ministry.
We must thank the patient efforts of all those involved in the process. Considerable time and money has been expended to achieve this standing, and we hope this is only the beginning. It is our plan to introduce additional, highly specialized, anti-aging products into China, and we hope that the approval process will be somewhat streamlined in the future.
We believe this formal authorization is a testimony to the extraordinary quality and efficacy that "Liver Cleanse" exhibits. If you would like to review a Frequently Asked Questions sheet on Liver Cleanse, please go to:
Liver Cleanse FAQs
We extend our specials thanks to Dr. Feng Li, who is at the center of this effort. It is due to his vision and commitment that we are now able to market our product to the people of China.
Enzymes are fundamental to all life. They are substances that make life possible - the true "life-force" of every living thing. Without enzymes, biological activity would not occur, because they are needed for every chemical reaction in the body.
Enzymes are catalysts, made of either whole or partial protein molecules. They are able to cause or accelerate chemical changes in living organisms, without being changed themselves.
Function of Enzymes
Enzymes have certain designated functions ascribed to them. As an example, thousands of enzymes are active in human metabolism. These "metabolic" enzymes move muscles, stimulate nerves, enable the heart to beat, control breathing, and allow thoughts to process. Enzymes are so critical for metabolic functions that a lack thereof can affect health.
One of the most important responsibilities of enzyme function is digestion and assimilation of food. No matter what specific foods we eat; our diets are composed of protein, fat, carbohydrates, sugar, and fiber. "Digestive" enzymes break these foods down into progressively smaller components, so that essential nutrients can be easily distributed throughout the body where they are needed most.
If we think in terms of enzymes as being similar to an ethnically diverse population with assorted moods and personality differences, then we can better understand them and appreciate their presence in the culture of good health. The following enzymes handle these specific types of food.
Enzyme: Food:
Lipase Fats
Lactase Lactose or milk sugar found in dairy products
Protease Proteins
Amylase Carbohydrates, starches, and other food sugars
Cellulase Plant fibers
Why Take Enzyme Supplements
Naturally-occurring digestive enzymes are found in raw foods, such as fruits and vegetables. These enzymes boost the level of digestion in the stomach, increasing the break-down of food.
The modern diet consists of predominantly enzyme-deficient food. This is because heating any food over approximately 115 degrees destroys the digestive enzymes, which are naturally in raw food.
When naturally-occurring raw food enzymes are not available, the pancreas must supply the digestive enzymes. With diets of cooked and heavily processed foods, the body is then forced to place heavy demand on the pancreas. Metabolic enzymes are also taxed, which is frequently evident when a large meal is consumed and then sleepiness occurs.
Both supplemental enzymes and raw food enzymes begin the process of digestion earlier in the digestive tract, thus allowing for more complete digestion before the food reaches the colon. In their absence, the amount of undigested food entering the colon is increased, with the bulk of digestion occurring in the small intestine. This can produce more toxins, gas, bloating, and other signs of digestive discomfort.
When raw food enzymes are destroyed due to the cooking and processing of foods, supplemental digestive enzymes become necessary. The addition of digestive enzyme supplements can result in a more thoroughly digested meal, with fewer symptoms of indigestion. This relieves the extra burden on the pancreas, allowing it to conserve more of the digestive enzymes it produces, resulting in less metabolic stress, less chance of disease, and overall - slows the aging process!
Digestive Enzyme Differences
The selection of a quality enzyme supplement, which would benefit the body, should be more important then choosing what you like to wear, or what kind of vehicle you prefer riding in. A supplement this important is not picked for how it looks, tastes, or smells, but rather for how it works.
Source plays a major role in enzymatic activity and can affect not only what is done, but also how the task is performed. Pancreatic enzymes come from animal tissues. Plant enzymes are obviously derived from plants, and fungal (microbial) enzymes originate out of fermentation with selected micro-organisms.
All three supplemental enzymes are intended to enhance food digestion and nutrient assimilation. However, the latter two, from non-animal sources, take more of a "proactive" approach in the way they work. Their processing of absorbed foods commences very soon, while pancreatic enzymes take a full thirty minutes (or more) to realize their actions.
Non-animal derived enzymes are more stable within the acidic environment of the upper stomach. This means ingested food can begin to digest at once, instead of lying there for a while waiting to be broken down.
Supplemental microbial enzymes are active in a pH range varying from as little as 3.0 on the acidic side to a high of 9.0 on the alkaline side. This means that they are capable of digesting a much greater quantity of protein, fat and carbohydrates before stomach hydrochloric acid production kicks in to neutralize their breakdown activities.
Common sense tells us that such microbial enzymes can contribute significantly in food nutrient assimilation, as well as its ultimate utilization. The process of fermentation, by which such enzymes are created, has been around for a very long time. The ancients well understood this process by which enzymes are made, even if they did not know anything about enzymes per se. Ancient civilizations were very familiar with fermentation and the many health benefits bestowed on friendly flora in the gastrointestinal tract. Such cultured bacteria, rich in enzymes, bring life and vitality to the entire digestive system.
Microbial enzymes are usually more compatible with the body's own internal temperature than pancreatic or plant enzymes. After all, it required a certain amount of heat, to begin with for their creation. Ultimately, they need warmth again in order to perform their maximum best. In the long run, microbial enzymes are more effective due to their greater stability in an acid environment and their enlarged capacity for more complete break down of food nutrients.
Unless one consumes primarily raw foods, digestive enzymes are necessary for today's diets. Choosing a digestive enzyme supplement wisely can help the complete digestion process to be more thorough, thus enabling nutrients to be more easily absorbed. As the nutrients are better assimilated, the body will function more at its peak, and less health problems will arise. Nature’s "life-force" can indeed be a force for good health!
Regardless of your discipline, anyone who has cared for patients with fibromyalgia knows how difficult and frustrating it can be. There have been occasional success stories with a variety of approaches: biofeedback; soft tissue mobilization; electroacupuncture; manipulation; hormones (estrogen, thyroid); exercise; and a variety of supplements including malic acid; magnesium; selenium; vitamin E; vitamin B1; 5-hydroxy-L-tryptophan; omega-3 fatty acids; and proteolytic and digestive enzymes, but we are far from a cure; anyone who comes up with the nutritional or pharmacological magic bullet will be able to buy an island and fly there in his or her private jet.
Two years ago, there was an interesting study conducted on 33 fibromyalgia patients. Eighteen female fibromyalgia patients were compared to 15 female controls. The study group was placed on a raw-food vegan diet consisting of fruits, vegetables, legumes, cereals, nuts, and seeds. The control group continued on their regular diet. After three months, the groups were given a series of tests and questionnaires. Researchers reported that the raw-food group had:
Improved sleep patterns
Less joint pain
Weight loss
Increased feeling of well-being
Reduced serum cholesterol
Reduced urine sodium
This diet eliminated all refined carbohydrates and was low in sodium and fat. It is yet another example of a recurring theme in therapeutic nutrition. When macronutrient intake is shifted to foods that reduce the synthesis of pro-inflammatory substances, improved function often results.
It will certainly take a motivated patient to follow this diet, and change will not occur overnight. But with such a frustrating disorder, eating "health food" is clearly worth a try.
Reference
Kaarginen K, Lammi K, Hypen M, et al. Vegan diet alleviates fibromyalgia symptoms. Scandinavian Journal of Rheumatology, 2000; 29:308-313.
G. Douglas Andersen,DC,DACBSP,CCN
Brea, California
