by Niceguy

Created on: December 24, 2006   Last Updated: October 26, 2011

Enzymes, which serve as the body's labor force to perform every single function for our daily activities, are required to keep us alive. They are responsible for all of the functions of every organ system in the body. At the same time, they are most important in supporting the body's defenses and immune system to protect us from harmful forces and specific dangers to our health.

There are three classes of enzymes: metabolic enzymes, which run every process in the body; digestive enzymes, which help digest or foods; and food enzymes from raw foods, which start food digestion. All of our organs and tissues are run by metabolic enzymes. Since good health depends on all of the metabolic enzymes doing an excellent job, we must be sure that nothing interferes with the body making enough of them. A shortage could cause serious trouble.

The length of life is inversely proportional to the rate of exhaustion of the enzyme potential of an organism. The increased use of food enzymes promotes a decreased rate of exhaustion of the enzyme potential. (The Enzyme Nutrition Axiom - Dr. Edward Howell)

Enzymes are minute protein molecules found naturally in foods we eat.(1) These protein molecules serve a vital purpose. They are catalysts that make possible the chemical reactions that digest our food and break it down to useable, absorbable nutrients. Enzymes are the life force found in foods and then transferred to our bodies to keep every system functioning optimally.

Problems arise because most of the foods we eat are enzyme-deficient. Enzymes are destroyed at temperatures of 118F and above.(2) That means that almost any kind of food preparation method destroys enzymes. Anytime you cook, microwave, fry, bake, grill or otherwise process your foods, you subject yourself to the dangerous consequences of eating enzyme-deficient foods.

Mother Nature must have known we wouldn't eat all of our foods raw, so our bodies have a backup supply of digestive enzymes. However, that supply is limited and depleting this supply places undue stress on the body. In other words, whenever we eat cooked or processed foods (which for most people is every meal!), we cause our bodies to work harder than necessary.(3)

When the body's resources are being commandeered to accomplish digestion, they aren't readily available to do other thingssuch as delaying the aging process or burning stored body fat. That's right. Eating cooked and processed foods can lead to premature aging and increased storage of body

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