Enzymes and Your Health, What Are Enzymes

Enzymes are proteins made by cells in our bodies and by all living organisms. They are specialized proteins that do work, such as synthesizing chemicals, rearranging molecules, adding elements to compounds, and breaking down compounds. Enzymes are protein catalysts. They cause biological reactions to occur under conditions that sustain life. Many types of enzymes exist and each type does one specific function. For an enzyme to work, the material it works upon must be present. If no such material is available to the enzyme, the enzyme performs no function. There are also metabolic enzymes in our body, but this discussion is limited to the digestive enzymes that help break down food.

We see in this description of enzymes that they break down compounds. In our gut – stomach and intestines – they help to break down food into basic nutritional bits our bodies can use for nourishment. Without this enzymic activity our bodies could not extract nutrition from food and we would wither and die. Let’s see exactly how enzymes work.

In general, enzymes work as catalysts of biochemical reactions. A catalyst increases or accelerates the rate of a reaction. The thousands of chemical reactions that occur in our body every second could not happen without enzymes to speed up these reactions. For example, a protein can be broken down into amino acids in the lab without the use of an enzyme, but to do so requires extreme temperatures, high pressure, or very strong acids; conditions not compatible with life. Even with these conditions, it often requires hours to complete the reaction in the lab. Enzymes, in this case a mixture of proteases, can complete this reaction within minutes in water at normal temperatures. Another unique aspect of enzymes is that they facilitate the reaction without being destroyed or changed in the process. Because of this, one enzyme molecule could theoretically change an infinite amount of substrate if given an infinite amount of time. Increasing the amount of enzyme decreases the time required for completing the process. If you double the number of enzyme molecules, you decrease the time for the reaction by half.

It is said that we need to have up to four (4) pounds of enzymes, in at least a ratio of 3:1 (good to bad), in our “guts” in order to facilitate the proper breakdown of food as it passes through our stomach, small intestine and large intestine, and provides nourishment to our bodies.

Natural “greens” products are created to supplement that process, the process of breaking down food into the basic nutritional units to provide our bodies with essential nourishment. One of those supplements is Bio88+ (Plus), a pure enzyme product designed specifically to aid in digestion.

The producers of Bio88+ (Plus) use only the very finest “certified” organic components in the making of their highly nutritious food product. In itself it provides virtually all of the added nutrition, in the form of vitamins and minerals, that you need in your diet in order to maintain excellent health. Bio88+ (Plus) is produced in a government supervised laboratory using an ancient Native North American fermentation process. Feel free to contact the author by email for additional information.

Our next article, Part III, will deal with where enzymes come from.

Disclaimer: These articles in no way should be taken as “medical advice” on any product or condition, nor do they constitute in any way “medical advice” endorsing any specific product, specific result, nor any possible cure for any condition or problem. They are meant as a source of information upon which you may base your decision as to whether or not you should begin using a “greens” product as a dietary supplement. If in doubt, or if you have questions, you should consult your physician and, if possible, consult a second physician for a possible different opinion. The author (nor the book referenced and its authors) bear any responsibility for your decisions nor for the outcome of your actions based upon those decisions.