Digestive Wellness: Strengthen the Immune System and Prevent Disease Through Healthy Digestion, Fourth Edition (17 page)

Use protein-splitting enzymes to aid digestion of protein foods. The most common ones include bromelain (from pineapple stems), papain (from papaya), and mixed protease enzymes (also called proteolytic enzymes). (See the section later in this chapter on enzymes for more information.)

Bile is a soaplike substance secreted by the liver. Bile salts emulsify the fats from our food. By increasing the surface area of the molecules, our lipase (fat-splitting) enzymes can digest fats and absorb fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K) more efficiently. Bile is made from cholesterol; it sequesters cholesterol and is a main way in which we eliminate cholesterol from our bodies. When our bile acid levels are high, our body stops making more cholesterol; conversely, when our bile acid levels are low, our bodies can make up to 15 times more cholesterol. Bile also helps make calcium and iron more absorbable. See
Figure 3.1
.

People who have had their gallbladders removed don’t concentrate bile acids. People with liver and gallbladder issues and people who have had their ileum removed often benefit from taking extra bile salts. While I haven’t seen any studies on the supplemental use of bile to lower high serum cholesterol levels, it’s something to consider.

Typical tests for bile acid insufficiency include endoscopy, testing for fats in stool, and comprehensive stool testing that tests for various fats.

Figure 3.1
This is how bile salts emulsify the fat we eat.

If you have had your gallbladder removed, have liver disease, or experience a failure to absorb fats, consider using bile salts. A typical dosage would be between 200 to 1,000 mg with food. Taurine at dosages of 500 to 2,000 mg daily also enhances your body’s ability to make bile salts.

Foods and herbs that help stimulate bile are called cholagogues. Cholagogic foods include radishes, dandelion, chicory, mustard greens, turnip greens, and artichokes. You can often find cholagogue herbs in combination that will typically have dandelion and one or more of the following herbs: wormwood, greater celandine, boldo, blue flag, and fringe tree.

An enzyme is a protein that catalyzes (triggers a change without being changed itself) a reaction to speed up, slow down, or change a small number of chemical reactions. Since each enzyme can make only a “small” change, we need many of them. Some enzymes also have a nonprotein part—a metal molecule, a vitamin, or another molecule attached to them. These are called coenzymes. Most of the B-complex vitamins are coenzymes. Enzymes work in our bodies to conserve energy. Without them, much more heat and calories would be needed to perform the same jobs.

We have 2,700 known enzymes in our bodies. All enzymes are very specific for their jobs. Each one binds to a specific type of substance and does one specific type of job. They are needed for
every
chemical reaction that occurs in the human body. We use them to make energy, think, and control blood sugar levels. We cannot utilize a vitamin, a mineral, or a fat; make or break down cells; or remove wastes without enzymes. Our immune system and nervous system cannot work without enzymes. We use them to build cartilage and bone, give our skin elasticity, keep our blood from clotting, build and break down hormones, and everything else. And if we don’t have enough enzymes, we don’t feel as well as we could. We make enzymes from the proteins we eat and by recycling them. In order for enzymes to work properly, they need to be synthesized correctly and be in a correct pH and temperature.

CLINICAL CLUES OF BILE INSUFFICIENCY

Have had your gallbladder removed or have gallbladder issues

Liver disease

Thyroid issues (hypothyroid or hyperthyroid)

Ileostomy (removal of part of your ileum)

Incomplete digestion/absorption of fats

Steatorrhea (stools that have a lot of fat in them; they typically are frothy, smell bad, and are tan or light in color)

Diarrhea

Abdominal discomfort