Free Digestive Wellness: Strengthen the Immune System and Prevent Disease Through Healthy Digestion, Fourth Edition by Elizabeth Lipski Page A
Authors: Elizabeth Lipski
hypoglycemia; I took pancreatic enzymes several times a day for about a year and found my hypoglycemia to be nearly 100 percent gone. The difficulty with pancreatic enzymes is that they work in a limited pH range, at 8 or above. This pH is too alkaline to function in the stomach, where a large part of digestion takes place. In cystic fibrosis a small percentage of children become allergic to pancreatic enzymes.
More recently, enzymes have been grown on a fungal base of Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus oryzae. New to the United States, these enzymes have been used in food production for centuries and clinically for more than 50 years in Japan. Thereare hundreds of species of Aspergillus, but these two have been found to be completely free of mycotoxins (substances produced from fungi that are toxic). These enzymes are blended like wine to ensure that they work in the high acid environment of the stomach and through the small and large intestines, which have a more neutral pH. They also are not derived from an animal protein and have been found to cause fewer allergic issues in people.
Plant-based enzymes, such as bromelain and papain, are protein-splitting enzymes. Bromelain is derived from the green stems of pineapple plants, and papain comes from green papayas. They are useful for reducing inflammation and pain and for digestion of protein.
Enzymes are rated by their activity level rather than by counting milligrams or micrograms of them. When you purchase enzyme supplement products, you will see units such as DU, HUT, FCCLU, CU, IAU, and many others to express the level of enzyme activity. If you look at an enzyme label and it measures the enzymes only in milligrams or micrograms, you cannot know if there are any active enzymes in the product at all. Enzyme supplements are very stable and will last for at least three years, so many labels do not have expiration dates.
DIETARY FIBER
Insufficient dietary fiber intake is yet another reason people may not be absorbing or digesting their foods appropriately. In fact, most of us eat half as much fiber as our ancestors did. Soluble fiber (found in fruit, beans, barley, rice, flaxseed, and psyllium) helps bind bile acids, regulates cholesterol and blood sugar levels, and keeps our intestinal pH in balance. Insoluble fiber (found in bran, vegetables, whole grains, and carrots) helps keep us regular and normalizes peristalsis. Insoluble fiber is fermented in our large intestines by beneficial bifidobacteria to produce butyrate and other short-chain fats that provide fuel and cell maintenance in our large intestines. Soluble fiber helps to regulate both constipation-type and diarrhea-type irritable bowel syndrome. Improvement in bowel function may help prevent diverticulosis, appendicitis, colon polyps, colon cancer, hemorrhoids, and varicose veins. Diets high in soluble fiber are helpful to people with irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn’s disease, hiatal hernia, and peptic ulcer. Dietary fiber also helps prevent obesity by slowing down digestion and the release of glucose and insulin. Fiber has been shown to normalize serum cholesterol levels. High-fiber diets reduce the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, and certain types of cancer. See Chapter 12 for more information on increasing high-fiber foods in your diet.
CHAPTER 4
Intestinal Permeability/Leaky Membranes
----
The foot bone connected to the leg bone,
The leg bone connected to the knee bone,
The knee bone connected to the thigh bone,
The thigh bone connected to the back bone,
The back bone connected to the neck bone,
The neck bone connected to the head bone
—African American spiritual/children’s song
----
Leaky gut syndrome
is really a nickname for the more formal term
increased intestinal permeability
, which underlies an enormous variety of illnesses and symptoms. It’s not a disease or an illness itself. It’s a symptom of inflammation and imbalance that has many
More recently, enzymes have been grown on a fungal base of Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus oryzae. New to the United States, these enzymes have been used in food production for centuries and clinically for more than 50 years in Japan. Thereare hundreds of species of Aspergillus, but these two have been found to be completely free of mycotoxins (substances produced from fungi that are toxic). These enzymes are blended like wine to ensure that they work in the high acid environment of the stomach and through the small and large intestines, which have a more neutral pH. They also are not derived from an animal protein and have been found to cause fewer allergic issues in people.
Plant-based enzymes, such as bromelain and papain, are protein-splitting enzymes. Bromelain is derived from the green stems of pineapple plants, and papain comes from green papayas. They are useful for reducing inflammation and pain and for digestion of protein.
Enzymes are rated by their activity level rather than by counting milligrams or micrograms of them. When you purchase enzyme supplement products, you will see units such as DU, HUT, FCCLU, CU, IAU, and many others to express the level of enzyme activity. If you look at an enzyme label and it measures the enzymes only in milligrams or micrograms, you cannot know if there are any active enzymes in the product at all. Enzyme supplements are very stable and will last for at least three years, so many labels do not have expiration dates.
DIETARY FIBER
Insufficient dietary fiber intake is yet another reason people may not be absorbing or digesting their foods appropriately. In fact, most of us eat half as much fiber as our ancestors did. Soluble fiber (found in fruit, beans, barley, rice, flaxseed, and psyllium) helps bind bile acids, regulates cholesterol and blood sugar levels, and keeps our intestinal pH in balance. Insoluble fiber (found in bran, vegetables, whole grains, and carrots) helps keep us regular and normalizes peristalsis. Insoluble fiber is fermented in our large intestines by beneficial bifidobacteria to produce butyrate and other short-chain fats that provide fuel and cell maintenance in our large intestines. Soluble fiber helps to regulate both constipation-type and diarrhea-type irritable bowel syndrome. Improvement in bowel function may help prevent diverticulosis, appendicitis, colon polyps, colon cancer, hemorrhoids, and varicose veins. Diets high in soluble fiber are helpful to people with irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn’s disease, hiatal hernia, and peptic ulcer. Dietary fiber also helps prevent obesity by slowing down digestion and the release of glucose and insulin. Fiber has been shown to normalize serum cholesterol levels. High-fiber diets reduce the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, and certain types of cancer. See Chapter 12 for more information on increasing high-fiber foods in your diet.
CHAPTER 4
Intestinal Permeability/Leaky Membranes
----
The foot bone connected to the leg bone,
The leg bone connected to the knee bone,
The knee bone connected to the thigh bone,
The thigh bone connected to the back bone,
The back bone connected to the neck bone,
The neck bone connected to the head bone
—African American spiritual/children’s song
----
Leaky gut syndrome
is really a nickname for the more formal term
increased intestinal permeability
, which underlies an enormous variety of illnesses and symptoms. It’s not a disease or an illness itself. It’s a symptom of inflammation and imbalance that has many
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