According to Merriam-Webster, an enzyme is “a chemical substance in animals and plants that helps to cause natural processes (such as digestion).”
Live enzymes, such as those in raw and living foods, regenerate our cells and feed our bodies. In The Status of Food Enzymes in Digestion and Metabolism, Dr. Edward Howell wrote:
Enzymes emerge as the true yardstick of vitality. Enzymes offer an important means of calculating the vital energy of an organism. That which has been referred to as vitality, vital force…probably is synonymous with that which has been known as enzyme activity. (1)
This opinion is equally shared by other prominent scholars, like Professor Moore of the University of Oxford in England, Professor Willstatter of Munich in Germany, and Dr. Northrop of the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research. (2)
The more organic, living, whole foods we eat, the more ammunition and fuel our bodies have to nourish, heal, and purge ourselves of toxins we accumulate throughout the day. Food that hasn’t been heated or processed over 105°F is living food. Heating and processing food destroys the live enzymes in it.
A Limited Supply.
Live enzymes in food play a crucial role in our health because we have a limited supply of digestive enzymes in our system. When we are young, we have a natural abundance of enzymes. By the time we are elderly, we have lost over half of our enzymes. Making new ones becomes more and more difficult, if not impossible.
Eating certain foods like meats, not properly chewing our food, exposure to pathogenic microbes, and chewing gum all make our body utilize more of our digestive enzymes and deplete the amount we have to use. Yes, chewing gum can make the body waste the precious digestive enzymes. So, my advice is to stop chewing gum or chewing on things that trick your body into making precious enzymes for digestion that you are not going to use.
According to Dr. Howell, our digestive system is only able to digest about half of the food we eat. (3) A raw apple that has not been irradiated (which destroys the enzymes) contains enough live enzymes to break down about 40–60 percent of the apple when it is consumed. Our body has to produce the enzymes or acid to complete the digestion process.
Cooked food, on the other hand, has no living enzymes in it to help the body digest it. Therefore, the body is forced to use its precious supply of digestive enzymes to break down the food and utilize the nutrients. This causes stress on the digestive system, the pancreas, and the immune system.
In his book Enzyme Nutrition, Dr. Howell said, “We know that decreased enzyme levels are found in a number of chronic ailments, such as allergies, skin disease, and even serious diseases like diabetes and other severe diseases.”(4)
In his studies, Dr. Howell found that rats fed a raw, living food diet lived about 50 percent longer than rats that ate cooked food. His studies with people in a sanitarium led him to conclude it was “impossible to get people fat on raw foods… regardless of the calorie intake.”(5) Along with that conclusion, Dr. Anthony Cheung, FRCP, noted:
Dr. Howell’s use of food enzymes suggests that the supply of human enzymes is limited at birth. The faster we consume our enzymes, the shorter our life span will be. Raw food is a good source of food enzymes. Ingestion of raw food or enzyme supplements will lessen the work of our digestive system, so that more energy is reserved for other metabolic activities.(6)
In addition to Dr. Howell’s studies, Dr. William S. Peavy, who has an MA in horticulture from the University of California and a PhD from Kansas State University, said:
“All of us have a limited capacity to produce enzymes, like the engine of a car that has a limited capacity to produce horsepower. And this capacity declines with age. It is this capacity which we are born with that determines our maximum potential life span. Some are born with a greater potential life span, and others less.
In any case, as we age, in general, our body is able to produce less and less enzymes. It is this general decline in enzyme activity in our body that is a fundamental cause of aging. When enzyme activity gets too low, the process of death occurs…”
Both doctors concur that we have limited enzymes; and when we use them up, we die. So, preserving them, supplementing them, and utilizing them in the best way possible is important for good health—especially as we age.
Nancy’s 7 books on Amazon are also in Audio and some of them are in large print:
https://www.amazon.com/Nancy-Addison/e/B00E6K5KGY/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_book_1
Nancy’s website is: https://www.organichealthylife.com
Support Nancy’s work – Donate on venmo – @Nancy-Addison
Medical Disclaimer:
Information provided in this podcast, blog, article, video is for informational purposes only. The information is a result of years of practice and experience by Nancy Addison CHC. However, this information is NOT intended as a substitute for the advice provided by your physician or other healthcare professional, or any information contained on or in any product label or packaging.
Do not use the information provided in this blog, audio podcast, article, video for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing medication or other treatment. Always speak with your physician or other healthcare professional before taking any medication or nutritional, herbal or homeopathic supplement, or using any treatment for a health problem. If you have or suspect that you have a medical problem, contact your health care provider promptly. Do not disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking professional advice because of something you have read in this email.
Information provided in this video or audio and the use of any products or services related to this video by you DOES NOT create a health counselor-client relationship between you and Nancy Addison, certified health counselor. Information and statements regarding dietary supplements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
