Digestive Enzyme Supplements & Prostate Procedures

My friend told me that he had to go have his "dreaded scoping thing" done and that he dreaded the day before it at least as much as the procedure. "The stuff they give me to 'clean you out' gives me horrible cramps in addition to making me run back and forth to the bathroom," he said.

Then he told me a couple days later, "Not to go into graphic detail, but it all went much smoother. Completely pain-free, no cramping at all. I think the digestive enzyme supplements I'm taking must really be doing something in terms of keeping me cleaner inside."

Obviously, this is still anecdotal evidence, but there are so few studies on digestive enzymes and supplements, that we don't have a lot to go on, but anecdotal evidence.

Bromelain - The Anti-Inflammatory Digestive Enzyme

Bromelain, a proteolytic (protein-digesting) enzyme has been found to have anti-inflammatory properties. Bromelain is derived from the stem of the pineapple plant. Bromelain enzyme Escharase (Bromelain is actually a combination of several enzymes) in particular has been shown to have anti-inflammatory effects.

The following studies document this effect.

Blonstein JL. Control of swelling in boxing injuries. Practitioner. 1969;203:206.

Blonstein, J.L. "Oral enzyme tablets in the treatment of boxing injuries." The Practitioner 198: 547-8 (1967).

Boyne, P.S.; Medhurst, H. "Oral anti-inflammatory enzyme therapy in injuries in professional footballers." The Practioner 198: 543-6 (1967).


Deitrick, R.E., MD. "Oral Proteolytic enzymes in the treatment of athletic injuries: a double-blind study." The Pennsylvania Medical Journal 68(10): 35-7
(1965).

Frank SC. Use of chymoral as an anti-inflammatory agent following surgical trauma. J Am Podiatr Assoc. 1965;55:706–709.

Izaka KI, Yamada M, Kawano T. Gastrointestinal absorption and anti-inflammatory effect of bromelain. Jpn J Pharmacol. 1972;22:519–534.

Miller JM, Ginseberg M, McElfatrick GC, et al. The administration of bromelain orally in the treatment of inflammation and edema. Exp Med Surg.
1964;22:293–299.

Opher AW, Miller JM. The enzymatic properties of bromelain. Exp Med Surg. 1964;22:281–292.

Rathgeber WF. The use of proteolytic enzymes (Chymoral) in sporting injuries. South African Medical Journal. 1971;45:181–183.

Seligman B. Bromelain: An anti-inflammatory agent. Angiology 13: 508–510, 1962.

Seltzer AP. Minimizing post-operative edema and ecchymoses by the use of an oral enzyme preparation (bromelain): a controlled study of 53
rhinoplasty cases. Eye Ear Nose Throat Mon. 1962;41:813–817.

Tarayre, J.P.; Lauressergues, H. "Advantages of a combination of proteolytic enzymes, flavonoids and ascorbic acid in comparison with non-steroid
anti-inflammatory agents." Arzneimittel-Forschung (Drug Research) 27(I): 1144-9 (1977).

Tassman GC, Zafran JN, Zayon GM. Evaluation of a plant proteolytic enzyme for the control of imflammation and pain. J Dent Med. 1964;19:73–77.

Taussig S, et al. Bromelain, a proteolytic enzyme and its clinical application. A review. Hiroshima J Med Sci 24: 185–193, 1975.

Taussig SJ, Batkin S. Bromelain, the enzyme complex of pineapple (Ananas comosus) and its clinical application. An update. J Ethnopharmacol.
1988;22:191–203.

Uhlig G, Seifert J. The effect of proteolytic enzymes (traumanase) on posttraumatic edema. Fortschr Med . 1981;99:554–556.

Winsor, T. MD. "Inhibition of the response to thermal injury by oral proteolytic enzyme." Journal of Clinical Pharmacology 12: 325-30 (1972).

Young, R.E.S. "Evaluation of oral and parenteral proteolytic enzymes as anti-inflammatory agents." Clinical Medicine 2461-5 (Nov 1962).

You can find bromelain supplements at Vitamin Shoppe. However, readers are reminded that reading about new medical findings does not mean they should be self-diagnosing. Always contact your medical doctor about making changes to your health regime.

Digestive Enzymes - California Spa Solution

I found the following on PRWeb

Detox With Decadence At New Raw Foods Spa -- Wonder Raw Retreat Offers New Twists On Old Favorites In Gorgeous Desert Setting

Wonder Raw Retreat Offers New Twists on Old Favorites in Gorgeous Desert Setting. Improve your health and well being while staying in your own private pyramid and enjoying a raw food diet. Wonder Raw offers an innovative approach to losing weight, feeling better, and rejuvenating the mind, body and spirit. We want to empower our guests with the knowledge that allows them to make healthy and informed life choices going forward. "Start Fresh to feel better "is our motto.

Wonder Valley, Calif. (PRWEB) February 25, 2008 -- Forty-five minutes from Palm Springs, and just next door to Joshua Tree National Park, is a unique relaxation retreat that rejuvenates mind, body and spirit through raw and living foods. Wonder Raw Retreat, opening March 1, 2008, features a variety of detoxifying and weight loss programs that will help clients lose weight, detoxify their digestive systems, and reinvigorate their spirits.

Nothing can be healthier than fresh, organic, raw foods. Wonder Raw Retreat transforms these foods into gourmet fare while providing a spa experience in an unforgettable setting. "Years of compromising dietary choices and too much stress often inflict chaos on the digestive and immune systems," states manager, Lucie Jourdan. "Our organic raw food menu cleanses the system and restores enzymes, vitamins and minerals essential for mental and physical health."

Raw food is vibrant with life-giving enzymes and packed with vitamins and minerals that cooking often destroys. Raw food enthusiasts credit their diet with imparting physical vigor, mental clarity, and exceptional health. By following natural hygiene laws through a raw food diet, the body is given the chance it needs to detoxify and heal from years of the standard American diet.

"Mankind originated on the raw food diet," said owner Philip Ittleson. "Nothing can be healthier than fresh, organic, raw foods. Wonder Raw Retreat transforms these foods into gourmet fare while providing a spa experience in an unforgettable setting."


New twists on traditional spa favorites complete the package at Wonder Raw Retreat. Guests stay in luxurious private pyramid-style room and enjoy Pilates, yoga, aerobics, tai chi and hiking through the pristine California desert. Meditation, balancing labyrinth walks, breathing technique classes and more teach participants to manage stress and connect with their spiritual centers. Guests can also indulge in pampering treatments such as massage, infrared sauna, and facials.

One of the favorite detoxifying programs available at Wonder Raw Retreat is a unique weight loss and detoxifying program built on raw-harvested Amazon chocolate. The Amazon chocolate used at Wonder Raw Retreat contains no sugar, dairy, caffeine or preservatives. It contains virtually ever vitamin the body needs, as well as an astounding amount of minerals, trace elements and antioxidants. Chocolate in its raw, natural state is an excellent food for detoxification and a delicious way to eat for health!

Wonder Raw Retreat opens March 1, 2008. Weekend rates start at $1,000.00 per person, double occupancy, with all meals and four-90 minute exercise sessions included. A full week at the Wonder Raw Retreat is $2,500.00 per person, double occupancy. Call 760-361-3109 or email info @ wonderraw.com for reservation availability or visit www.WonderRaw.com for more information.

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I think this sounds like a pretty cool place. But...given that people are trying to recover from "years of compromising dietary choices and too much stress" , might that not take longer than a weekend or even a week? I wonder if the spa includes any information about how to continue such a lifestyle upon reentering the rest of civilization.

I looked briefly at boosting my digestive enzymes simply by increasing the amount of raw food I eat. While I consider it a great idea and something to strive towards. It isn't realistic for me to think I can get all the digestive enzymes I need from uncooked food in my diet. So I started looking at the EnzymeEssentials.com website and began looking at digestive enzymes and supplements.

The Effect on Appetite of Digestive Enzyme Supplements

I realized after I wrote yesterday's post, that I hadn't commented on why digestive enzyme supplements can reduce appetite. This is yet another area where I am not sure that any scientific studies have been done. What we do know is that digestive enzymes improve your body's ability to access and use food nutrients for energy, cell growth and repair. The theory is that if your body is able to access more food nutrients, you feel satisfied. If your system still needs a particular building block to function, it will increase your hunger.

I can say absolutely that if I eat a small meal with a digestive enzyme supplement, I am much more likely to be able to go several hours before needing more food and when I do feel hungry, it is not so likely to be that hunger panic that makes me want to eat almost anything.

Now, again, I am an experiment of one. Fortunately for me, that one is all that matters in terms of health. But, I don't want to imply that you will see the same effect. You might or you might not. It could just be me.

To your good health.

Will Digestive Enzymes Help You Lose Weight?

I started reading about digestive enzymes and whether they would help someone lose weight a few months ago. It was easy for me to see that overall a digestive enzyme supplement would improve one's health and I kept seeing references to the fact that "digestive enzymes help break fat down and aid in weight loss." But no one seemed to do much to connect the two halves of that statement. Yes, there was lots of scientific research that digestive enzymes help in the digestion process. It is explained that,

"Fats require special digestive action before absorption because the end products must be carried in a water medium (blood and lymph) in which fats are not soluble. Lipase (a digestive enzyme) is the primary digestant used to split fats into fatty acids and glycerol." EnzymeEssentials.com (Many websites contain similar statements.)

But in terms of how improved fat digestion translated into weight loss, I didn't see that explained.

So, after carefully studying the Enzyme Essentials FAQ, I finally emailed
Enzyme Essentials and asked if they knew of any studies about digestive enzymes and weight loss. Here is the response I received,

I also checked about any enzyme & weight loss studies and wasn’t able to find anything on my own or from Transformation Enzymes. I did find one reference in Anthony Cichoke’s book The Complete Book of Enzyme Therapy in the Obesity section that read, “Studies also indicate that pancreatin supplementation leads to decreased appetite, which can result in significant weight loss.” But no reference is listed for the “studies.” This is the most frustrating part about enzymes – so many great anecdotal stories and so few scientific studies!

I do know that we usually recommend BalanceZyme Plus and/or LypoZyme for a weight loss program. I find that I just have more energy when I take enzymes with meals due to easier digestion which means I feel more like exercising and moving around instead of vegging on the couch. Again, anecdotal info and not any hard fact.

If you did not know, pancreatin is an enzyme made from animal (usually pig or ox) bile. Our enzymes are pure plant-based enzymes and are not animal based enzymes like pancreatin. Plant-based enzymes are more expensive to manufacture and our prices are very comparable with other plant-based digestive enzyme products. Ox Bile or pancreatin is a type of digestive enzyme derived from the pancreas of oxen or hogs. This enzyme requires an alkaline pH to begin work digesting your food which means that it won't do anything until the later stages of digestion in the small intestine. Enzyme Essentials sells mainly pure, plant-based enzymes which are vegetarian and which work throughout the entire digestive system beginning in the stomach and on through to the rectum. Plant-based digestive enzymes have a broader pH range and maintain a high activity throughout the entirety of digestion.

So, I decided that I would just have to be an experiment of one. After all, even if there were studies that showed digestive enzyme supplements helped people lose weight, that might or might not be the case for me. I purchased a general purpose digestive enzyme supplement (not specifically targeting weight loss) and so far here is what I've observed.

When I take the digestive enzyme with a meal, I can eat a small meal and not be hungry again for hours. This is a big change for me. Typically I would eat a light lunch, but be hungry again by 3 o'clock. Since I didn't necessarily expect this result, I'm inclined to think that it isn't just my expectations causing the difference (and even if it was, why would I care?) Since I've only been taking the digestive enzyme supplement for about 3 weeks, this hasn't translated into a huge weight loss YET. I do think I may have lost a pound, but I am 100% certain that I've reversed the trend of that dreaded weight creep, where every month clothes were feeling tighter and tighter and...

I'll post more if I have more results to tell you about or find some substantial scientific proof.

Digestive Enzymes & Supplements - PART of Constipation Solution

A recent article in American Chronicle lists digestive enzyme supplements as assisting in solving constipation issues. It is important to realize that digestive enzyme solutions are no magic pill, whether what ails you is constipation, weight loss, or low energy levels. But they can be part of a solution that will leave you feeling better! The most important digestive enzymes in terms of constipation are: bromelain, papain, and pancreatin.

The other steps to naturally solve constipation cited in the article are adding dietary fiber and avoiding foods that are binding, such as: bananas, cheeses, white rice, applesauce, and foods made with white flour.