Digestive Enzymes are Necessary for Nutrient Absorption
Better-digested food can result in fewer incidents of gas, bloating, and cramping. More regularity. Perhaps even less chronic inflammation.
If you’re having digestive issues, you may be ready to explore the exciting world of digestive enzymes. They’re mother nature’s transformational catalysts.
ALL ABOUT ENZYMES
Enzymes speed up rates of chemical reactions inside your cells. Our enzymes have evolved over time to trigger biochemical reactions incredibly quickly. It’s pretty fascinating science.
Food is made of lipids, proteins and carbohydrates. But these are too large to pass into the bloodstream so they are broken down through physical processes -- through chewing and chemical reactions.
As you may recall from basic biochem, enzymes serve a kind of lock-and-key function for these chemical reactions. Enzymes take a specific shape to fit with matching substrates (molecules). They bind with the substrates and then release reactions, creating something new. These smaller, different products can then be digested. And the enzymes return to their original state, ready to unlock more substrates for digestion.
DIGESTION: A PROCESS OF BREAKING DOWN FOOD
You may have heard that digestion is a series of chemical reactions that break down food.
Three main phases of digestion are:
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Cephalic phase: We secrete gastric juices even before we eat -- through the sight, smell, thought, or taste of food. If you've ever noticed your mouth watering just at the thought of food? That's it. The enzymes in saliva start breaking down food from the moment we begin to chew. That’s one reason that eating slowly and in a relaxed state aids digestion.
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Gastric phase: Then, once we swallow food, semi-digested proteins activate gastric activity. Natural chemical reactions are processing the food.
- Intestinal phase: Finally, the duodenum (part of the small intestine) reacts to chyme (gastric juices and partly digested food) by signaling hormones and nervous reflexes. These kick digestion into high gear to finish breaking food down, then slow it down again and keep things moving.
DIGESTIVE ENZYMES IN ENCARNA
Encarna uses plant-derived enzymes to help with digestion.
- Amylase
- Bromelain (from Pineapple)
- Diastase
- Glucoamylase
- Invertase
- Lipase
- Papain (Green Papaya)
- Protease 1
- Protease 2
- Protease 3
- Protease 4
Digestive enzymes hold the potential to actually improve the absorption of nutrients from supplements, allowing for this synergistic effect to take place in Encarna. Not only does Encarna provide vitamins, minerals, and nutrients from whole food sources that are easily recognizable by the body, but they also include digestive enzymes that further improve absorption and assimilation of nutrients.
WHAT EACH OF THE ENCARNA ENZYMES DO
The blend of enzymes in Encarna offer serious digestive assistance. Here are some of their functions.
1. Break down carbs.
Encarna enzymes that serve this function include:
Amylase
Amylase exists in saliva and helps break down starch of big carbohydrates into smaller pieces.
Diastase
Diastase is a mixture of amylases from malt. It was actually the first enzyme discovered.
Glucoamylase
Glucoamylase removes glucose units from liquefied starch
Invertase
Invertase exists in many plants and microorganisms. It helps convert sucrose into glucose and fructose.
2. Break down fats.
Encarna enzymes that serve this function include:
Lipase
Lipase helps fats break down to fatty acids, glycerol, or other alcohols.
3. Break down protein.
Encarna enzymes that serve this function include:
Bromelain
Bromelain, often used to reduce pain and swelling among other healing properties, is actually a group of enzymes. Bromelain is located in fruit and stems of pineapple plants.
Papain
Papain, extracted from raw fruit of papaya plants, is a proteolytic enzyme. Our papain comes from Green Papaya.
Protease 1, 2, 3, and 4
Proteolytic enzymes (proteases) break down proteins and peptides. They also help deconstruct and recycle proteins that cells use and can turn on and off many metabolic processes.
Conclusion
You can digest with greater ease, knowing that these enzymes will be there to assist with breaking down foods you consume. Encarna provides bodily nourishment through vitamins and minerals plus the digestive enzymes that can improve absorption of the good stuff.