Made up of amino acids, enzymes are proteins that trigger the many biochemical reactions essential to the proper functioning of all living organisms. Digestive enzymes facilitate the breakdown of various foods, while metabolic enzymes help to control the rate at which the biochemical reactions essential to life are performed. Maximizing your body's own enzymes and supplementing where necessary can help you to get rid of unwanted pounds.
Raw and Lightly Cooked Foods
Although our bodies produce enzymes to jump-start the digestive process, many foods contain enzymes that also play a significant role in digestion. Cooking or otherwise heavily processing such foods may kill or weaken those enzymes, rendering them of little or no assistance in the digestive process. In "The Complete Book of Enzyme Therapy," author Anthony J. Cichoke recounts a visit to Japan, during which he ate very heavily but somehow managed to lose 10 pounds.
Cichoke says that most of the foods he consumed in Japan were raw, fermented or lightly cooked and accompanied by cooked rice. Fish was among the raw foods on which Cichoke dined during his Japan visit. Raw foods---including both plant foods and fish---and fermented vegetables contain plenty of active enzymes that help to ensure that they are thoroughly digested, particularly when working in tandem with the digestive enzymes produced by the human body. Cichoke adds that while the cooked rice he ate had no live enzymes, it was low in fat and thus did little to counter the overall thinning effect of his Japanese diet.
Enzyme Supplements
Your body's production of enzymes, including those involved in digestion, slows down as you age. For this reason, many people take supplements of plant-based digestive enzymes to combat problems they may be experiencing in digesting certain types of food. Such supplements also can help those seeking to lose weight, according to Dina Khader and Irene Toovey, authors of "The Food Combining/Blood Type Diet Solution."
Lucy Beale and Joan Clarke, authors of "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Glycemic Index Weight Loss," recommend a digestive enzyme supplement that contains hydrochloric acid, sometimes listed as betaine hydrochloride, which stimulates the pancreas to secrete more digestive enzymes. They also suggest looking for supplements that contain bromelain, papain, pepsin or protease, all of which break down proteins; amylase or invertase to work on carbohydrates; and lipase, which facilitates the digestion of fats.
Appetite-Controlling Enzyme
While most enzymes perform a beneficial role in the battle against the bulge, a team of medical researchers led by Nicholas Wallingford discovered that reducing levels of a key enzyme in the brain can curb appetite and increase energy level. The study, published in August 2009 in "The Journal of Clinical Investigation," found that lowering the amount of prolylcarboxypeptidase, or PRCP, in the brains of laboratory mice led to weight loss and a decreased risk of type 2 diabetes. The researchers concluded that inhibiting PRCP activity could help to counteract the growing problem of obesity.
References
- "The Complete Book of Enzyme Therapy"; Anthony J. Cichoke; 1998
- "The Food Combining/Blood Type Diet Solution"; Dina Khader and Irene Toovey; 2000
- "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Glycemic Index Weight Loss"; Lucy Beale and Joan Clark; 2005
- "The Journal of Clinical Investigation"; Prolylcarboxypeptidase Regulates Food Intake by Inactivating a-MSH in Rodents; Nicholas Wallingford et al.; August 2009
Member Comments