Enzymes and Longevity
The following is an except from the book, "FOOD ENZYMES, THE MISSING LINK TO VITALITY" by Dr. Smokey Santillo N.D.
The comparative study of the enzyme content of the blood, urine, and digestive fluids of the human population can present some very important data. The average diet is predominately heat-treated and possesses only a fraction of its original enzyme content. It has been shown that young adults have a high value of enzyme reserve in their tissues. In older persons, the potential enzyme tissue reserve is much lower and essentially depleted. When a young person eats cooked food, there is a greater outpouring of enzymes from the organs and body fluids than in adults. This is because years of eating a cooked food diet has depleted the adult, whereas the young adult's tissue reserve is still at maximum.
A further experiment in relation to saliva and its amylase content was performed at the Michael Reese Hospital in Chicago. Used in the experiment were young adults from the ages of 21 to 31 and another group ranging from age 69 to 100. It was shown that the younger group had 30 times more amylase in their saliva than the elderly group. This is why younger persons can tolerate a diet of white bread, starches, and predominately cooked food. But as our enzyme reserve is depleted over the years, these same foods can cause illnesses such as constipation, blood diseases, bleeding ulcers, bloating, and arthritis. In older individuals, the enzyme content of the body has been depleted and these foods are not properly digested. They ferment in the digestive tract producing toxins that are then absorbed into the blood and deposited in the joints and other soft-tissue areas.
A chronic disease is a disease that has lingered in the body for many weeks or months and sometimes years. It has been a constant drag on the body, depleting it of its enzymes, vitamins, minerals, and trace minerals. During chronic diseases, there is usually a low body reserve of enzymes. In 111 Japanese patients who had tuberculosis, 82% of them had lower enzyme contents than normal individuals. Dr. Volodin, in the Archives Vendanugskrankh, found after studying the enzyme level of urine, blood, and intestines, that it was usually decreased in diabetes. Studies of feces showed incomplete digestion of meat and fats in many cases. In five of six diabetic patients, the lipase and trypsin (proteolytic enzyme) of the pancreatic juice was found to be decreased. Dr. Ottenstein in a similar study pattern showed low blood amylase levels in skin affections such as psoriasis, dermatitis, and pruritis. Another interesting experiment showed that 40 patients suffering from liver diseases such as cirrhosis, hepatitis, and cholecystitis (inflammation of the gallbladder), showed low levels of amylase. It was found that when there was a rise in the blood amylase level, there was an improvement in the general condition of each patient, as well as an improvement in the liver condition.
It is an indisputable fact that during chronic disease we find a lower enzyme content in blood, urine, feces, and tissues. In acute diseases, and sometimes at the beginning of chronic diseases, the enzyme content is often found to be high. This shows that the body has a reserve, and the tissues are not yet depleted, consequently, there is a larger outpouring of enzymes in the battle against disease. As the disease progresses, the body's enzyme content is lowered.
This correlation, between a diminished enzyme content during chronic disease and old age, is something that is many times misunderstood. A low enzyme content in old age is often looked upon as "normal." A low content during chronic diseases is considered a pathological state. The truth of the matter is that age is not so much a matter of how many years one has been alive, but rather is a matter of the integrity of the tissues of the body. These tissues depend upon the amount of enzymes present to carry on the metabolism of every cell of the body. It is common to find a 60-year-old man or woman with a body of someone in his or her 40's.
There is a definite correlation between the amount of enzymes an individual possesses and the amount of energy they have. Increasing age shows a slow decrease in enzyme reserve. When the enzyme level becomes so low that metabolism suffers, death will finally result. Any time the metabolism increases, enzymes are used up, a false energy output is experienced, and the individual feels a sense of well-being. The end result will be lower energy, a more rapid burn-out of enzymes, and premature old age. At Brown's University a group of 158 animals were over-fed and they lived on the average 29.6 days. Another group was maintained on a starvation diet, given only small amounts of food and fluid and they lived on the average 39.19 days -- an increase of about 40%. This study should at the very least make each of us look at our own intake and determine if we are indeed over ingesting.
A high protein diet is very stimulating to the body and can cause serious damage. When the diet consists of more protein than is needed, the excess is broken down by enzymes in the liver and kidneys. The major by-product of protein breakdown is urea which is a diuretic. The kidneys are caused to urinate more fluid. Along with water, minerals are lost in the urine. One of the most important losses is calcium. Experiments have shown that when subjects consumed 75 grams of protein daily, even with an intake as high as 1400 milligrams of calcium, more calcium was lost in the urine than was actually absorbed. This deficiency must be made up by the body's calcium reserve which is taken from the bones. Deficient bones are a stepping stone to osteoporosis (a condition when the bones break easily). The aforementioned experiments all show that when excessive amounts of protein, or food in general, are eaten, there is a corresponding decrease in enzyme, vitamin and mineral levels.
At the University of Toronto, a team of scientists showed that life runs its course in direct proportion to the catabolic rate. (The catabolic rate is the rapidity of the wear and tear of the body or the rate of tissue breakdown. This is in direct proportion to the aging process.) This tissue breakdown is performed by enzymes. The faster the breakdown, the more enzymes are used up. Our enzyme reserve can be used up rapidly or it can be preserved. Taking enzymes supplements and eating raw foods are ways to add enzymes to our enzyme reserve and add to our energy level. Dr. Howell further states that, "Enzymes are a true yardstick of vitality. Enzymes offer an important means of calculating the vital energy of an organism. That which we call energy, vital force, nerve energy, and strength, may be synonymous with enzyme activity. "Our logic tells us that the building up and the breaking down of tissues is performed by enzymes. In other words, our metabolism is maintained by enzyme activity. When our enzyme level is lowered, our metabolism is lowered, and so is our energy level. Do not misunderstand this statement. We are not saying that the source of life is enzymes, but that there is a correlation between enzyme levels and the youth of the tissues of an organism and energy levels.
Investigations have shown that in warm temperatures, enzymes are used up more rapidly than in cool temperatures. When starch-digesting enzymes are added to potato starch and placed in a room with a temperature of 80 degrees F, the starch is digested much faster than starch with enzymes placed in a temperature of 40 degrees F. As the temperature is increased, the enzymes work harder and are used up faster. The prevalent thought here is that enzymes are not actually used up, but many tests have shown that various enzymes are found in the urine after fevers and athletic activity. Enzymes are found in the urine, feces, and sweat, along with the used-up substances from proteins, enzymes, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals.
Other food substances, such as vitamins and minerals, are replaced daily in our food intake. Not enough attention is placed on taking enzyme supplements or eating raw food. If we do not replenish our enzyme level and only consider vitamins and minerals, it is self-defeating. The body has to replace enzymes from within itself, stealing enzymes from all parts of the body, which in the end causes exhaustion, premature aging and a low energy system.
The utilization of vitamins depends upon enzymes and enzymes often depend on vitamins. Under clinical observation it has been shown that when taking vitamins combined in capsules with enzymes, smaller amounts of vitamins and minerals are needed. A good example of this was seen in a patient known personally by the author, who needed 70 milligrams of zinc daily to overcome a severe depletion. When zinc was combined with certain enzymes, this patient needed only 3 micrograms daily. This was drastic reduction. It seems that the body only needs small amounts of vitamins and minerals when combined with enzymes. Being good consumers, all of us are interested in saving money and this is possible by our needing smaller intakes of vitamins and minerals. Therefore, fewer capsules and tablets would be needed to maintain our daily requirements. It has been the experience of many clinicians that a patient is more likely to follow a healthy regimen if it can be made as easy and practical as possible.