First, we humans begin digestion through our mouths, and most people (myself included) never chew the 30-50 times it takes to make the food a liquid so it's digested properly. Second, although we begin digestion in the mouth and also have some enzymes in the stomach, it's the pancreas that does most of the enzyme work. Our bodies do indeed have enzymes within to help break down food, however, enzyme function diminishes with age. By taking the enzymes, we can allow our pancreas to rest, repair and return to a normal level of functioning. Cooking food destroys all the natural enzymes in our food--raw, uncooked food has them, but few of us can adhere to a raw food diet. By adding the digestive enzymes to our diet, we can assimilate our nutrients better. Some people argue that our pancreas has a predetermined amount of enzymes...I don't know if this is correct. Once you take the enzymes for a while, who knows...you may be able to stop as your pancreas is permitted to "heal." I prefer to take them as I eat quickly, don't always eat the "perfect" foods, and cannot eat raw foods regularly. Try the site http://pages.prodigy.net/naturedoctor/enzymes.html There are some more detailed answers in clear language...
-------------------- Amy
IBS-A
Stable and thankful!
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Re: Enzyme Worries
