Digestive Wellness: Strengthen the Immune System and Prevent Disease Through Healthy Digestion, Fourth Edition (18 page)

Gas and bloating

Decreased absorption of nutrients

Water retention

Low serum albumin levels

Bleeding tendency (vitamin K deficiency)

Weight loss

Growth failure in children

Our digestive system uses enzymes to break down the food we eat. (HCl and bile also help in the process of digestion.) We make most of our digestive enzymes in the pancreas, but enzymes are produced throughout the digestive system, beginning with amylase in our saliva. We have separate enzymes for digesting fats, carbohydrates, proteins, pectins, and phytic acid. The fat-splitting enzymes are called lipases, the carbohydrate-splitting enzymes are called amylases, and the protein-splitting enzymes are called proteases. Pectins are found in fruits, such as apples and pears. Pectinase enzymes help break them down. Phytic acid is found primarily in grains and beans. Phytic acid binds minerals, and we cannot use them if they are bound. Phytase enzymes help break them down, releasing minerals as a result.

Digestive Enzyme Insufficiencies.
Many people have enzyme deficiencies, making them unable to adequately digest specific foods or food groups. Lactose intolerance, fructose intolerance, and lack of gluten-splitting enzymes are the most common of these.

Lactose intolerance:
It’s estimated that about 25 percent of Americans and 75 percent of the world’s population is lactose intolerant. It’s most prevalent in people of Asian, African, or Mediterranean descent. In the United States, virtually all people of Asian ancestry and 80 percent of African Americans are lactose intolerant. Interestingly enough, most people can tolerate small amounts of dairy products. Even more can tolerate lactose-free milk or eat dairy products when they take lactase enzyme supplements.

Gluten intolerance/Celiac disease:
Celiac disease affects 1 in 133 people, 3 million Americans. About 40 percent of us have the correct genes to develop celiac disease, and it is estimated that up to 15 percent of us are gluten intolerant. People with celiac disease cannot fully digest gliaden, a protein found in wheat, barley, rye, spelt, and kamut. (See section on celiac disease and gluten intolerance in
Chapter 24
.)

Fructose intolerance:
This disorder affects 1 in 20,000 people who have fructose 1-phosphate aldolase deficiency. This is typically found in infancy or early childhood with children who refuse to eat sweet foods or who get ill from them. Typical symptoms include vomiting, failure to thrive, liver changes, jaundice, acidosis, blood clotting disorders, hypoglycemia, and possibly seizures.

Disaccharide intolerance:
Some people lack the ability to break apart two-molecule sugars, such as lactose, maltose, and sucrose. These deficiencies are quite rare, yet many people with dysbiosis find that they benefit from a specific carbohydrate diet until their gut has healed.

Foods can be a good source of enzymes if we are eating fresh, locally grown foods or if we are eating fermented or cultured foods. Enzymes are what ripen tomatoes or bananas sitting on our counter. Enzymes are also what continue to “compost” those tomatoes and bananas if we don’t eat them fast enough.

Foods have the highest enzyme activity level when they are fresh or when they are fermenting. So, growing your own or buying local gives you the most enzyme activity. Raw fish, such as sushi or sashimi, is rich in active enzymes. Raw milk is high in enzymes. Fresh pineapple has bromelain enzymes, but canning or cooking deactivates the bromelain. Soy sauce is rich in enzymes to help digest the protein in the meal.