"The length of life is inversely proportional to the rate of exhaustion of the enzyme potential of an organism. The increase use of food enzymes promotes a decrease rate of exhaustion of the enzyme potential"
-Dr. Edward Howel, The Enzyme Nutrition Axiom

In other words, enzymes are an exhaustible commodity within the body. So what is an enzyme? Enzymes or enzyme complexes are delicate, highly specialized biological protein formations. They act as transformers by changing or metabolizing a substance or site. Enzymes cannot be synthesized but only produced by living organisms. After more than a hundred years of studying of enzyme processes, chemistry has still yet to define the living property of enzymes. Dr. Edward Howell states that there is a vital principle or life energy that is separate and distinct from the actual chemical makeup of an enzyme unit. Chemistry tells us that living organisms can create enzymes. What is less clear is that we pay a price for doing so.

When you look at the creation of enzymes and the chemical substances synthesized by living organisms, consider the life force that animates organisms. This life force has been overlooked so dramatically in the production of foodstuffs that most of the foods we eat today are bankrupt of life force. Even in this civilized world we live in, we are surrounded by disease and biological imbalances. The list of diseases connected to enzyme deficiencies include (but are not limited to): dental carries, thin hair, hair loss, acne, allergies, headaches, impaired vision, constipation (huge problem) and so on, ad infinitum.

Most people in the civilized world are walking around sick. You may say to yourself, "Well I haven't had a cold in years." Okay, but can you see all of the moons on your fingernails? Or are there parallel vertical ridges on your nails? Check your big toe! How about those brown age spots? Age lines? Bowel movements two to three times per day? Wear glasses? Chronic constipation? Depressed? PMS? The list goes on and on. These are issues that you can observe on your own. With closer medical examination, we tend to find more and more problems. However, an abundance of enzymes available in the body dictates the non-existence of these health issues. This is why wild animals that eat an enzyme rich diet of raw foods do not get these problems but wild animals who eat at the local dump do.

There are a total of six enzyme classifications. All six fall into the three categories that I refer to as:

1) Metabolic enzymes, which run our bodies (numbering somewhere around 3000),
2) Digestive enzymes, which break down and digest our food (numbering around a dozen),
3) Food enzymes, which are only found in raw foods and which are created during the
fermentation processes of bacteria and yeasts. Food enzymes number in the thousands as each food organism has its own group. These food enzymes start food digestion.

Co-factors for enzymes

Co-factors for enzymes include both vitamins and minerals. If you eat a good whole food diet, supplementing with vitamins is typically not necessary. Flavonoids or bioflavonoids (sometimes called vitamin P) are also known as enzyme helpers, however they are not true vitamins and as they can only be found in food they cannot be synthesized.

Next to enzymes, I consider minerals to be the second most important nutrient group. Minerals are essential enzyme co-factors that act like a key in the ignition when it comes to turning the enzyme's action on and off. Moreover, minerals act as structural building blocks, catalysts, and electrical conductors, as well as assisting the maintenance of proper systemic pH balance. Some therapies today may include the use of one or two macro minerals. However, when there are any mineral deficiencies in the body, the body is low in all the known minerals elements. Therefore, supplementing with just a few individual minerals does not do the body justice and continues to leave you in an imbalanced state. Supplementing with minerals is hopeless without the enzymes or other biological organisms to chelate the hard element into a functional element.

Supplementing with both enzymes and minerals in combination is the most effective way to assimilate both. Both of these foundational building blocks make up the strength and function of your metabolism and are necessary for optimal health.

Ken Walter

Ken Walter lives in Calgary and is the President of a food import and distribution company. He is a CMT, Iridologist/Sclerologist, Holistic Nutritionist and an Instructor in Body Electronics. Ken is an expert in the field of predigested foods and the effects of bacteria in the diet. If you would like more information about pro-biotics, stress resistant friendly bacteria and predigested foods, call toll free 1-866-338-6583.