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What are Digestive
Enzymes? Without enzymes, we could not exist. Our body's
reactions would be too slow for life to be possible because
enzymes are involved in almost everything that happens in the
body.
The human body makes more than 3,000 kinds of enzymes that speed
up (catalyze) chemical reactions and save energy. Digestive
enzymes, which are only a few of the thousands of known
enzymes, break down the foods we eat into basic building
blocks that our body then absorbs and reassembles to build
cells, tissues, organs, glands, and body systems.
Where do Digestive Enzymes come from? They come from two
main sources:
1. Internal: The digestive system secretes a few
digestive enzymes in the mouth and stomach, but most are
secreted by the pancreas and small intestine; and
2. External: Foods that are raw, sprouted, or soaked,
or supplements of digestive enzymes from plant or animal
sources.
During digestion, digestive enzymes from raw foods (or enzyme
supplements) work cooperatively with digestive enzymes
from the digestive tract. Most of the digestive enzyme action
initiated by our body starts once food enters the small
intestine. On the other hand, digestive enzymes from raw foods
or supplements can begin the process of digestion as soon as, or
even before, food enters our mouth, providing a valuable
jump-start to the digestive process.
Why do we need Digestive Enzymes? No matter what we eat,
all our foods are made from proteins, fats, carbohydrates, and a
few other complex molecules. They each require different enzymes
to break them down into amino acids, fatty acids, glucose, and
other basic building blocks. Protease digests proteins; lipase
digests fats; amylase digests starch; etc. Digestive enzymes
help to:
- Break down, so we can absorb, the nutrients we need to
build cells and bodies;
- Reduce bloating, gas, and heart burn that result from poor
digestion;
- Digest proteins, poor digestion of which causes many
health problems;
- Decrease inflammation, "leaky gut", allergies
due to poorly digested foods, migraine headaches, growing
pains, asthma, and others;
- Supplement the declining supply of digestive enzymes as we
age;
- Allow the immune system to better deal with virus, yeast (candida),
fungus, bacteria, and cancer by freeing it from involvement
in the digestive tract;
- Improve circulation, rework scars, improve healing, and
help with all health problems caused by incomplete digestion
of foods due to insufficient digestive enzymes.
How do we optimize our supply of Digestive Enzymes? In
order to fulfill our need for digestive enzymes, we should:
- Eat plenty of raw vegetables and fruits; soak (for 8-24
hours) seeds, nuts, and grains; and sprout beans and other
legumes;
- Chew food well (like mama always said);
- Support our body's ability to carry out its basic tasks by
eating a diet rich in nutrients and herbs (bitters) that
optimize digestive system function; and
- Supplement cooked foods, large meals, or allergy-causing
foods with digestive enzyme supplements rich in
protein-digesting proteases.
We work with a blend called Udo's Choice Digestive Enzyme Blend.
How do we use Digestive Enzymes for best results? Because
enzymes are heat sensitive proteins, temperatures over 120°F
(or 50°C) may destroy them. Cooked, canned, micro-waved, or
pasteurized foods need digestive enzyme supplementation.
Enzymes have no taste. For best results, open up and mix
contents of 1 or more capsules of digestive enzymes throughout
cold or warm (but not hot) foods, or swallow capsules
during the meal. Digestive enzymes can also be mixed in water
and taken between meals.
People with serious digestive problems should consult a
nutrition-oriented health care professional familiar with
digestive enzyme therapy.
What makes Udo's Choice Digestive Enzyme Blend unique?
Not all plant enzyme supplements are created equal! Many were
originally developed to help preserve food for storage and
shipping. Udo's Choice Digestive Enzyme Blend was designed
specifically for humans and has the highest activity in the
temperature and pH ranges of the human digestive tract. This
unique enzyme blend provides:
- Guaranteed Enzyme Activity. The primary,
internationally accepted standard for manufacture and
measurement of enzyme activity is the Food Chemical Codex
(FCC). The Udo's Choice Digestive Blend is made according to
FCC methods, and uses the FCC unit measuring system to
define enzyme potency/activity.
*Note: Supplements expressing enzyme potency in other
units, such as weight, often create confusion over enzyme
potency, since there is no direct relationship between
weight and activity. For instance, 100mgs of enzymes heated
to boiling point (100°C; 212°F) would still weigh 100mgs,
but would have zero activity, since enzymes are destroyed by
this heat. Also, filler may add to the size and weight (but
not the activity) of an enzyme supplement.
- A Full Range of 14 different Digestive Enzymes.
Udo's Choice Digestive Blend contains the enzymes required
to break down and metabolize the full range of food types -
protein (proteases and proteinases), fat (lipase), starch (carbohydrate)(amylase),
soluble and insoluble fiber (cellulase, pectinase, phytase),
milk sugar (lactase), and other complex sugars (glucoamylase,
invertase, and malt diastase).
- A Super-Rich Source of Protein-Digesting Enzymes.
We use at least 5 kinds of proteases/proteinases because
undigested proteins are the main cause of the food-related
digestive complaints that are rampant in our society -
especially in those over 40 years old, but sometimes even in
children.
- Precision and Balance. This Enzyme Blend contains
high potency enzymes to replace those destroyed during the
cooking and processing of foods. The enzyme combinations it
contains are deliberately chosen and precisely balanced to
optimize the body's utilization of nutrients.
- The Preferred Packaging in Vegetable Capsules
which, unlike tablets, can be pulled apart to mix the
enzymes into foods 15-30 minutes before they are eaten for
maximum results.
- Beneficial Buckwheat. Maltodextrin, the usual
(cheap) filler, has been replaced with buckwheat powder
which contains bioflavonoids. It is unrelated to wheat and
safe for those allergic to wheat, gluten, or gliadin.
- 100% Plant-based Digestive Enzyme Help. This
Digestive Enzyme Blend is made from 100% vegetarian-source
aspergillus and other microorganisms cultivated on a food
supply consisting of a plant medium - a solid state
fermentation method recommended by the FCC. The enzymes
produced by the microorganisms we use have a strong record
of safe use in the food industry and are suitable for both
vegetarians and meat eaters.
Plant-based vs. Animal-based Digestive Enzymes. Many
enzymes on the market today are made from animal organs - hog
stomach, beef pancreas, lamb fore-stomach, etc. Plant enzymes,
as stated previously, are derived from microorganisms grown on a
plant medium.
Animal-based enzymes usually work in a narrow pH range and can
only digest protein, starch, and fat. A broad-based plant
enzyme, in addition to providing 9 different kinds of
enzymes instead of just 3, has a wider pH range of activity,
allowing it to function throughout the entire digestive tract.
It begins working in the mouth, esophagus, and upper stomach,
thus decreasing the enzyme secretion needed for digestion.
Temporarily inactive in the lower stomach, plant enzymes return
to their active state in the intestines, helping to complete the
digestive process.
Udo's Choice Digestive Enzyme Blend provides Optimum Results.
To get the most from Udo's Choice Digestive Enzyme Blend, open
capsules and mix them into food cooled to body temperature.
Alternately, take capsules during the meal. Heat destroys
enzymes, so avoid mixing directly into hot food. Take however
many capsules lead to improvement (usually 1-4 capsules per
meal: some people may need up to 10 capsules). Results may show
within a few days, and should be noticeable within 4 weeks.
Available
in 90 capsule bottles.
Retail Price $24.95
Your Price: $22.49 (10%
off!)
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