Enzymes and their relation to disease
The following is an except from the book, "FOOD ENZYMES, THE MISSING LINK TO VITALITY" by Dr. Smokey Santillo N.D.
When certain enzymes are in excess in the bloodstream, they can be used for diagnosing specific diseases. Lipase breaks down triglycerides into fatty acids and glycerol. The pancreas secretes a large amount of lipase (it draws much of the lipase from the blood) into the digestive tract. Where lipase is found in elevated levels in the blood, it can point specifically to a pancreatic disease. Serum lipase levels rise when pancreatic inflammation occurs. Acid phosphatase breaks down phosphates in the blood. These enzymes are found in the prostate gland, red blood cells, and platelets. Their blood serum level activity is measured primarily to evaluate the presence of prostatic carcinoma (a malignant growth). Enzymes not only play a role in digestion, but also during disease and other metabolic processes.
The speed of the metabolism is determined by the activity of enzymes. The more rapidly the metabolism is working, the more enzymes are required to participate, and the faster the enzymes will be used up. During exercise and in acute diseases, the enzymes level can be found to be increased. Dr. Gerner, in a study done in 1933, made 300 amylase level determinations on 115 subjects, representing 28 different acute infectious diseases. The urinary amylase was increased in 73% of them. During pneumonia, acute appendicitis, malaria, pulmonary tuberculosis, fevers of all types, and children's diseases, enzymes were found to be elevated in blood, urine, and feces. Any increase in metabolic activity, whether it is associated with fevers, heart action (exercise), digestion, muscular work, or pregnancy, is paralleled with an increase in enzyme activity. It is important to note that enzyme activity is increased as temperatures increase and is present in most acute disease conditions, fevers, and during exercises. In other words, enzymes perform more work during fevers of 104 degrees F than at normal body temperatures. It is evident that if enzymes respond to fevers and infections, they have a direct relationship to the defense mechanism in our bodies. Keep in mind though that similarly when fevers decrease, so does the enzyme activity. This understanding of enzymes being used up more rapidly during disease, detoxification, digestion, in fact, every time our metabolism is sped up, shows the importance of supporting our enzyme reserves at all times. It is true that during youth, the body can respond to such stimulation, but only to borrow against future enzyme resources.
There is a connection between the strength of our immune system and our enzyme level. The greater the amount of enzyme reserves, the stronger our immune system and our enzyme level. The greater the amount of enzyme reserves, the stronger our immune system, the healthier and stronger we will be. It has been clearly stated that enzyme activity increases during digestion and also during any other increase in metabolism, such as acute diseases. But what is the exact correlation between our immune system and enzymes?
Our white blood cells (leukocytes) are responsible for destroying foreign disease-producing substances in the blood and lymph fluid in the body. During acute diseases and infections, the white blood cell count increases to help fight off these pathologies. Dr. Willstatter, in an early enzymes research study, demonstrated that there were 8 different amylase enzymes found in leukocytes. Investigations also have shown that leukocytes contain proteolytic and lipolytic enzymes which are also common to those secreted by the pancreas. These enzymes act very much like the enzymes which are in our digestive tract (breaking down proteins, fats, and carbohydrates that have been absorbed by the blood causing diseased conditions.) Enzymes act as scavengers in the body. They latch onto foreign substances and reduce them to a form that the body can dispose of. They also prevent the arteries from clogging up and joints from becoming gummed up. It was always thought that the pancreas produced all of these enzymes, but as was mentioned earlier, this idea is erroneous. As small as the pancreas is, it couldn't possibly produce all of the enzymes found in the muscles, glands and tissues, plus produce those used up daily in digestion, and those lost in the sweat, urine, and feces. Enzymes are produced by all the tissues and cells of the body. And, in fact, it has been shown that the enzymes found in the white blood cells act very much like the enzymes found in the pancreas, especially the proteolytic enzymes. Dr. Willstatter found it remarkable how closely the enzyme systems of white blood cells and the pancreatic gland agree with one another. Since the same enzymes are found in the white blood cells as are found in the pancreas, and since white blood cells transport these enzymes throughout the body, it seems that the pancreas and other enzyme-secreting glands receive a great portion of these enzymes via the leukocytes. After eating a cooked food meal, when digestive enzymes are desperately needed, the white blood cell count increases, seemingly to aid in the digestive process. Since every metabolic process is, at all times, interdependent and interrelated, this increase in the white blood cell count after the ingestion of a cooked meal, indicates a definite compensatory measure.
The body must supply a large amount of digestive enzymes because the enzymes that were once present in the food, were destroyed by the heating process. Dr. Kautchakoff, in his book demonstrating the relation of cooking and its effects on our systems, showed that there was an increase in white blood cells after eating a cooked food meal. This increase in leukocytes is needed to transport enzymes to the digestive tract. He also showed that after a raw food meal, there was no substantial increase in leukocytes, showing that the body has to work much harder to produce and transport enzymes for digestion after a cooked food meal. It is important to remember that enzymes in raw food aid in the digestive process and this takes the stress off having to borrow them form the body's enzyme reserve, particularly from the white blood cell count (our immune system).
A most important point designated by Kautchakoff's experiment is that leukocytosis (increased white blood cell count) is a term which describes a medical pathology. Anytime the white blood cell count is increased to any great extent, it is considered that an acute illness or infection is present somewhere in the body. During acute diseases, enzyme levels rise. During chronic diseases, the body enzyme level is decreased. The pancreas and digestive tract are in a weakened state, as shown during diabetes, cancer, or chronic intestinal problems to name a few. During chronic disease, the immune system also shows signs of great expenditure. The correlation is clear. Enzymes are found to be related to all diseases via the immune system, whether the disease is acute or chronic. Our enzyme levels must be maintained at all expense to help maintain vitality, endurance, and to prevent disease. If the pancreas output of enzymes is hindered, the whole body is affected. If a disease is present, enzymes are being used up to fight the condition and the pancreas if affected.
According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, the digestive function and immune function have long been related as part of the Spleen Function. The previous discussion shows some more specific western explanations of this correlation.