Complex proteins
Enzymes are complex proteins, like antibodies, hormones, and other essential agents of the body. They are present in all living matter, in both plants and animals, and what is more they are indispensable for normal function, growth and development. They are the regulators of metabolic processes and life would be impossible without them. They are produced by living organisms, but they cannot be reproduced in the laboratory.
On the other hand, enzymes work in test tubes as effectively as they do in the body. As a result, they are extracted and used in a variety of ways with all sorts of practical applications, including detergents.
Enzyme action
The function of enzymes in a living organism is to initiate and help speed up the rate of biochemical reactions. However, unlike other body agents, enzymes do not appear to be used up in these reactions. They act by binding with the compound involved in the reaction, and converting it into one or more different compounds. But because enzymes remain unchanged at the end of these reactions, they are considered to act as catalysts, or better, as biocatalysts.
Enzymes are specific for the reactions they catalyze. Since there is a very large number of biochemical reactions in the human body, it is not surprising to learn that we may have over 20,000 enzymes. Each one of them requires the correct temperature and acidity for optimum results, often the presence of a specific non-organic substance called a co-enzyme, and the absence of inhibitors. At the same time, they are unstable and begin to dissociate around 45 degrees and are completely destroyed at about 72 degrees Centigrade. So boiling or cooking of any kind results in their destruction. This fact is used in such processes as pasteurization and others, where the destruction of the added enzymes also implies that all pathogenic organisms have been destroyed.
Enzyme names and sources
Enzymes are named by adding the suffix -ase to the substance they modify. Thus fat- or lipid-splitting enzymes are called lipases, protein-splitting are called proteases, and starch-splitting enzymes are called amylases, from the Greek word for starches, amyla. Some well known enzymes like pepsin, rennin, trypsin and others do not follow this nomenclature scheme, because they were so called before this method of naming enzymes came into existence.
What is important to retain is that the absence or failure to produce a single enzyme, may result in a metabolic disorder. A tendency for such disorders is often inherited, and some have serious consequences. But the failure to produce enough enzymes may also create problems. This is unlikely with people who eat a lot of raw foods, like fresh fruits, salads, raw vegetable juices, etc. For these raw foods provide some of the enzymes required for their utilization.
The strain of enzymeless diets
The people who do not eat raw foods and do not take enzyme supplements, end up by putting a lot of strain on their enzyme-supplying mechanisms. Remember that for millions of years our diet was raw foods, and our genetic code is not designed to provide all the enzymes our metabolism requires. This strain in the long run reduces our immune system resistance, and makes us susceptible to chronic degenerative diseases like atherosclerosis, cancer, cardiovascular disease, obesity, etc, but also inflammations, viral infections and so on.
Foods with a lot of enzymes are avocados, bananas, mangos, papayas and pineapples, all tropical fruits. But some of the best sources of enzymes are most sprouts. A few important enzymes which are used as supplements in nutrition are described immediately below. Although described separately to explain what they do and where they are used, enzymes are usually given in combinations, since digestive difficulties are frequently multifactorial disorders.