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Enzymes are essential for life. DNA molecules are able to function and carry out their job on a cellular level because enzymes are present. Thirteen hundred enzymes are necessary to make one cell. Every minute millions and millions of cells die and enzymes are necessary to replace them.
Scientists have identified at least twenty-eight hundred different enzymes and estimate that there are more than three thousand active enzymes at work in the body. Digestive enzymes are crucial for nutrients to be delivered to every part of the body. They assist in the breakdown of food and are the delivery mechanism for the nutrients.
If the body lacks enzymes and is not able to digest food properly, nutrients may not be assimilated or delivered to the cells. Without enough nutrients, most likely the cells will not be able to rebuild quickly enough, which may lead to a variety of health problems.
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Digestive enzymes are either animal or plant derived. Animal-based enzymes are taken from the pancreatic tissue of slaughtered pigs and cows. Plant-based enzymes are derived from many sources, including pineapple, papaya and mushroom-based fermentation.
The high pH environment of the small intestine is the only place animal-based enzymes can function, as they are extremely sensitive to low pH ranges. These enzymes are limited in their ability to function effectively in the stomach due to their acid sensitivity.
Plant enzymes are stable in the upper stomach and have the ability to effect a broad range of activities and functions throughout the digestive system. These enzymes are not destroyed by the acidic conditions of the stomach. The broad pH range of these enzymes allows the use of larger amounts of proteins, carbohydrates and fat.
How are enzymes regulated and measured?
The Food Chemicals Codex (F.C.C.) regulates digestive enzymes and is published by the National Academy Press, funded by the Food and Drug Administartion (F.D.A.), through the Food and Nutrition Board of the National Research Council. The F.C.C. is the only national standard for evaluating fungal enzymes (the kind used in Nu-Zymes). Nu-Zymes is manufactured in an F.D.A. and F.C.C. approved facility.
Weight measurements are not applicable for enzymes since there is not necessarily a direct relationship between an enzyme's weight and its activity. Enzymes are not like vitamins and minerals because they are measured by their reaction time, not by amount or weight. The unit measurement used for each enzyme refers to the duration and the intensity of the reactions it creates to the body.
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