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Enzymes and digestion
The main metabolites found in the food we eat are proteins, lipids and carbohydrates. They are essential to life and they are the only source of energy for our body. Like all nutrients, we must extract them from our food. The enzymes we produce during digestion allow this process to occur. Protease, lipase and amylase are the enzymes required to break down proteins, lipids and carbohydrates respectively. They are catabolic enzymes because they break and cleave larger molecules into particles that can be absorbed and utilized by our body. In order to make use of the nutrients found in the food we eat, we must digest them. Digestion is a metabolic process that requires considerable resources. Indeed, large portions of the proteins we absorb are used to support digestion and repair and replenish the cells of the gastrointestinal tract. Most cells found in the organs of the gastrointestinal tract have a very rapid turnover time. Likewise, a lot of energy is required for digestion. Enzymatic supplementation is especially helpful at increasing the efficiency of the digestive process, improving absorption and sparing the organs of digestion. In a study done on hens, enzymatic support augmented nutrient availability and enhanced gut morphology. Supplementation promotes healthier digestive organs by facilitating digestion. Turkeys given digestive enzymes had superior feed efficiency and longer villus in the jejunum. Longer villi increase the absorptive surface in the intestinal tract, which facilitates and improves growth. Unhealthy and atrophied villus results in malnutrition and increased intestinal permeability. Enzyme supplementation clearly leads to improved nutrient availability in animal studies performed on broilers, hens, turkeys, ducks and pigs. In humans, enzymatic supplementation is used for patients with cystic fibrosis because of pancreatic insufficiency.
Digestion and aging
As we age, we become less efficient at digesting our food. Gradual loss of function of the secretory mucosa of the stomach affects 25% of adults in their 60's and 40% of those over 80. Liver function also declines with age. Our capacity to produce digestive enzymes is reduced and our ability to extract nutrients from the food we eat suffers. Digestive enzymes help offset this detrimental change. Adding enzymes to your diet allows for a more complete digestion and improves nutrient absorption. Animal trials confirm better nutrient utilization with enzyme supplementation.
Complete enzymatic support
AOR-Zymes utilizes porcine pancreatic enzymes because their composition is similar to human digestive enzymes. They are therefore superior to vegetable enzymes. For instance, porcine lipase has been the treatment of choice for steatorrhea due to pancreatic exocrine deficiency for several decades.
Alpha Galactosidase
Alpha Galactosidase, found in AOR-Zymes, is the enzyme responsible for the breakdown of non-digestable oligosaccharides normally found in legumes but that cannot be broken down in the small intestine. Without the presence of the enzyme, these polysaccharides enter the large intestine and are broken down by bacteria. This results in the production of gas, bloating and general discomfort. The addition of Alpha Galactosidase allows for the digestion of the culprit polysaccharides. This is especially interesting for anybody consuming soy-containing products because galactooligosaccharides, rafffinose and stachyose, all found in soy, cannot be digested without alpha galactosidase.
Alpha Amylase
Alpha Amylase is the animal enzyme responsible for the breakdown of starches to simple sugars. Starch is the nutritional reservoir for plants and is present in two forms: amylose and amylopectin. More than half the carbohydrates ingested by humans are starches. Amylase is released by the salivary glands and by the pancreas. Amylase cleaves starch into maltose, maltotriose and alpha-dextrin. In pigs, enzymatic supplementation increased starch and non-starch polysaccharide digestibility by 7.5%.
Lipase
Lipase breaks down fats to glycerol and fatty acids. The first step in fat utilization is the hydrolysis of triacylglycerol (stored fat) by lipases. Patients who cannot digest lipids because of pancreatic insufficiency usually receive supplemental porcine lipase. Patients with cystic fibrosis usually need to supplement their diet with lipase because they cannot digest fat properly. Pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy leads to normalized lipase function in 40% of the patients.
Protease
Protease enzymes cleave proteins found in food into individual amino acids. In ducks, protein absorption increased by 2% with the addition of enzymes. Enzymes responsible for the breakdown of proteins such as protease are found in all cells and tissues because they degrade and remove unwanted proteins. They are thought to reduce inflammation because of their role in the breakdown of useless proteins. A recent study in runners demonstrated that protease supplementation leads to superior recovery and diminished delayed-onset muscle soreness after running. Protease may also facilitate muscle healing after exercise. Surgical wounds from patients receiving oral enzymatic preparations healed more rapidly than wounds in control populations. It appears that enzymes also exhibit wound-healing properties.
Why Enzymes?
The main application for digestive enzymes is to improve digestion. Enzymes increase absorption and help in the breakdown of food into nutrients. If you want to get more out of your food and improve your digestion, digestive enzymes are a good idea. They promote health in general by enhancing nutrient utilization; they spare digestive organs, may play a role in inflammation and could speed up recovery time.
References
• Ritz CW, Hulet RM, Self BB, Denbow DM. Growth and intestinal morphology of male turkeys as influenced by dietary supplementation of amylase and xylanase. Poult Sci. 1995 Aug;74(8):1329-34.
• Miller PC, Bailey SP, Barnes ME, Derr SJ, Hall EE. The effects of protease supplementation on skeletal muscle function and DOMS following downhill running. J Sports Sci. 2004 Apr;22(4):365-72.
• Layer P, Keller J. Lipase supplementation therapy: standards, alternatives, and perspectives. Pancreas. 2003 Jan;26(1):1-7. Review.
• Meng X, Slominski BA, Guenter W. The effect of fat type, carbohydrase, and lipase addition on growth performance and nutrient utilization of young broilers fed wheat-based diets. Poult Sci. 2004 Oct;83(10):1718-27.
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