A client of mine recently experienced surprising results from taking high-quality enzymes. She has given me permission to share her story.She began taking enzymes to help with a chronic sensitive stomach and digestive issues. Within one week her health improved dramatically. Her acne disappeared and 80% of her body aches and pains also dissolved. Her recovery time between exercise bouts improved on an impressive scale and she also experienced a notable increase in her basic enjoyment of life.

Now, I'm not saying taking enzymes is the the answer to your chronic pain and inflammation problems. Everyone is different. Obviously, this particular client was not absorbing key nutrients and the enzymes were the answer to her problems. However, it's worth it to research enzymes and feel into whether or not you believe this might be the answer to your challenges.

The following article was written by Sukie Baxter.

Enzymes are energized protein molecules that are necessary to support life. All animals and plants have enzymes in them. We need enzymes to break down the food we eat and convert it into energy as well as to support all the metabolic processes happening in our bodies at all times.

Digestive enzymes are those that are needed to break down food in our digestive tract. Our bodies produce enzymes in the pancreas, but as we age, enzyme production drastically decreases, causing compromised digestive function (meaning our food sits in our digestive tracts and ferments). We can also supplement our digestive enzymes with fresh, raw fruits and vegetables, but these delicate enzymes are destroyed when exposed to high heat (greater than 115 degrees).

Systemic enzymes are designed to survive the stomach acid and digestive tract and be absorbed by the blood stream. These enzymes travel through the body and “eat up” any inflammatory proteins. Systemic enzymes are much more expensive to produce than digestive enzyme supplements because they must be enteric coated and also be put into “suspended animation” to prevent the enzymes from acting on each other and neutralizing their effectiveness. For this reason, digestive enzyme supplements are not as effective as systemic enzymes when used for pain relief.

WHY IS CONTROLLING INFLAMMATION SO IMPORTANT?

Inflammation is the root cause of most major diseases. C-reactive protein, an inflammatory marker in the blood, is a greater predictor of a heart attack than cholesterol levels. Inflammation has been linked to everything from coronary disease to diabetes. When you have high levels of inflammation in your body, it’s like being cooked from the inside out.

Inflammation is a primary player in pain. Too many years of stress and inflammation-causing foods like nightshades (potatoes, peppers, tomatoes), grains, sugar and processed junk food will cause a build up of inflammatory proteins in the body, which in turn cause aches, pains and stiffness…if they haven’t yet caused major, life-threatening diseases.

WHAT DO SYSTEMIC ENZYMES DO?

Systemic enzymes reduce levels of inflammation in the body. They have a nearly miraculous ability to determine good inflammation (like that that’s necessary for gut function) from bad (like chronic inflammation in a joint) and they only “eat up” the bad inflammation. They are also blood cleansing, anti-viral and antibacterial. Systemic enzymes dissolve excess scar tissue and fibrosis in the body as well as balancing out the immune system. When our immune systems become over-active, they can turn against us and start attacking our own tissues. This is called auto-immune disease and is the case in MS, rheumatoid arthritis and lupus. Enzymes can regulate the immune system to prevent autoimmune responses.