Using Natural Digestive Enzymes Home Remedies

By Carolyn Richardson


The prevalence of food allergies and sensitivities has made the topic of digestion a popular one. Everyone either suffers from a gluten intolerance or knows someone who does. Prescription and over-the-counter drugs for the relief of heartburn and indigestion are used by millions. The sale of supplements designed to let you eat foods like beans or milk products has become big business. If you wish to avoid this expense or to get even more help with problems like these, you can make natural digestive enzymes home remedies.

Digestion is the breaking down of foods into the nutrients that your body uses for energy, cell repair and regeneration, and proper functioning of all its complex processes. This breakdown occurs primarily in the mouth, the stomach, and the small intestine. Glands in the mouth secrete enzyme-rich saliva, while cells in the wall of the stomach and small intestine secrete other digestive juices. Pancreatic secretions also play a part. A poor diet, stress, and simply getting older can cause these vital secretions to decline, causing poor digestion and poor assimilation of nutrients.

The body manufactures specific substances to break down proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. You can help make sure you have an adequate supply of these important substances by eating the right foods in the right way. It is important to chew food thoroughly, which mixes it with saliva. Saliva contains more than one enzyme that begins the process of breaking food down. Think of your own saliva as your first resource, free and completely natural.

Many foods contain every enzyme needed to digest them. However, these are easily destroyed by heat, so cooking renders them useless. Fruits and vegetables picked before they are ripe will have less of these necessary elements, and long periods of storage causes them to become inactive. It is helpful, therefore, to eat ripe, locally-grown produce and to eat it raw if possible.

Pineapple contains bromelain, and papaya the enzyme papain. Both are strong enzymes that help people digest all foods, even meats. Eating them before or after a meal can boost digestion. Other fruits and vegetables can be fermented to heighten their potency. You can find recipes for enzyme-rich brews online. Fermentation produces beneficial bacteria, too, which is important for intestinal integrity.

Too little hydrochloric acid in the stomach can also impair digestion. Apple cider vinegar, especially the raw, unfiltered kind, can augment this substance. Since vinegar is a fermented product, it also contains other important digestive aids. Stomach acid can be deficient in the elderly, the ill, and those who eat a poor diet or who are under a lot of stress.

You can also make your own homemade enzyme-rich drinks. These are made with certain fruits and vegetables, like pineapple, mango, and papaya, prepared with added sugar and allowed to ferment. You can find recipes online. If the fermented, enzyme-rich drinks you make at home are consumed on an empty stomach, they may aid in cleaning impurities in the bloodstream. Taken with meals, they help digestion.

All of us should know more about the importance of enzyme activity in our bodies. If we eat pure food in its natural state, raw when possible, and provide our systems with the nutrients they need, we can stay healthy and happy. We can also enjoy our food.




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