A Helpful Guide To Proteolytic Enzymes
The human body is amazing! It is built of different types of cells, organs, and systems that allow us to grow, think, act, repair, and reproduce. How does this happen? For these processes to take place, your body needs an ongoing supply of nutrients like vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, proteins and so much more. In order for your body to absorb and utilize all these nutrients, it needs a little help from substances known as enzymes.
By definition, enzymes are substances that cause specific chemical changes in all parts of your body. They can be found in every cell and organ in your body, and they play a vital role in every bodily function. Your digestive and immune systems, your bloodstream, your spleen, liver, and kidneys all depend on enzymes in order to function. On top of that, enzymes also play a vital role in your ability to think, see, feel and breathe.
There are a variety of different types of enzymes. In fact, your body contains more than 3,000 different types of enzymes, and each type has its own job to do. A special type of metabolic enzyme, known as proteolytic enzymes, makes up the vast majority of the enzymes in your body, and for good reason. Let us explain.
What Are Proteolytic Enzymes?
Also, known as proteases, proteolytic enzymes can be found in humans as well as bacteria, algae, plants, and various animals. The human body uses three main types of proteases—pepsin, trypsin, and chymotrypsin—which are all produced specifically to break down dietary proteins like those found in meat, eggs, and fish. While proteolytic enzymes are most commonly known for their role in digestion, they also perform a variety of jobs throughout your whole body.
Functions of Proteolytic Enzymes
From digestion to muscle recovery, proteolytic enzymes are responsible for assisting with a variety of functions within your body. Let’s take a closer look at some of their most important jobs, starting with their most commonly known function—the digestion of proteins.
Proteolytic enzymes are secreted by your pancreas and stomach to help break down the proteins from the foods you consume. These enzymes take proteins, which are just long chains of amino acids, and break them down into shorter fragments known as peptides. These enzymes don’t stop there though, they then take those peptides and break them down even more until they are in their simplest form—free amino acids. These amino acids are then absorbed by the cells of the intestinal wall so they can be put to work elsewhere in your body. This whole process is known as proteolysis, and it must occur in order for your body to create new cells.
The human body is made up of trillions of cells, and on average, these cells have a lifespan of about 7 to 10 years. In order to keep up with this turnover, your cells are working hard every day to divide and create new cells to replace those you may be losing, and proteolytic enzymes help with this process.
Without getting too deep into the science of it all, here are the basics. The cell division process requires some very specific types of proteins. The process of proteolysis works to regulate the amounts of these proteins available at any given time. Essentially, this means the proteolytic enzymes work to ensure that your cells have enough, but not too much, of the proteins they need in order to divide.
In addition to assisting with the cell division process, proteolytic enzymes also support your body’s natural immune responses. Research suggests that many pathogens that your body encounters behave like proteins, which means they can be deactivated in the same ways. This is where proteases come to the rescue. They can break up these protein-like pathogens that are in your system so your body can properly dispose of them.
Last, but certainly not least, proteolytic enzymes can also help speed up muscle recovery and reduce soreness. We are all familiar with the feeling of being sore after a workout. While some soreness after a workout is good, there’s no doubt that intense soreness can limit your muscle function for a while. Some studies have shown that including proteolytic enzymes in your pre or post-workout routines can reduce the amount of muscle tenderness experienced after a workout and help you recover your muscle function faster.
This makes sense when you think about it. Remember how we explained earlier that proteases break down proteins into amino acids? Well, those amino acids are the building blocks of your muscles and tissues. This means that proteolytic enzymes help supply your body with the amino acids it needs to repair and build your muscles post-workout, which in turn, helps decrease your recovery period after a strenuous workout.
Sources of Proteolytic Enzymes
Just like any other enzyme, proteolytic enzymes are naturally produced in your body, specifically in your pancreas and stomach. However, there are a variety of factors that influence the rate at which your body can produce and store these important substances. For example, your body temperature, the PH level of your stomach, and the foods you consume can all directly impact the number of enzymes your body has on hand at any given time.
With that, it’s important to give your body a helping hand by consuming foods or supplements that contain these important enzymes.
Food Sources
As with all the important nutrients and substances that your body needs, it is always best to get them from food sources whenever possible. Some of the best natural sources of proteases include papaya, pineapples, kiwi, ginger, yogurt, broccoli, asparagus, and red pepper. Out of these, papaya and pineapple are known to have the highest protease concentration.
It’s important to note that when it comes to boosting your body’s supply of proteolytic enzymes, some ways of serving these foods are better than others. In this case, the key is to keep them as unprocessed as possible. This means eating your fruits and vegetables raw and fresh. If you do cook them, you can preserve some of the enzymes by introducing as little heat as possible.
Supplement Sources
In a perfect world, you would eat plenty of raw and unprocessed foods that are rich in enzymes. However, we don’t live in a perfect world. Much of the food you consume is processed and cooked, which destroys any natural enzymes that were present. When you aren’t consuming enough protease-rich foods, your pancreas has to divert some of its energy to produce more pancreatic enzymes to break down these processed foods, which actually results in your body producing less protease naturally. This is where supplements come into play.
Adding an enzyme supplement to your daily routine is a simple and convenient way to help ensure that your body has all the proteolytic enzymes it needs in order to function properly. There are a variety of enzyme supplements available on the market, so how do you choose?
The key is to remember that not all supplements are created equal. Some supplements on the market are made with synthetic and low-quality ingredients or contain additives that may do more harm than good. So before you go out and buy the first enzyme supplement you see on the shelf, take some time to do your research. Read labels and visit websites to learn more about the ingredients and ensure that the formulation is all-natural and suitable for your lifestyle. Most importantly, check for quality and safety certifications, which help ensure that the product you are getting is high-quality, effective, and safe to consume.
Meet Rebound: An All-Natural Enzyme Supplement
Proteolytic enzymes are an essential part of keeping your body as healthy as possible, no matter what kind of lifestyle you live. Here at New Earth, we understand that which is why we created Rebound—our proprietary blend of plant and animal protease and organic Wild Microalgae was designed to nourish your body and help maximize muscle recovery.
The best part? You can put it to the test risk-free with our 90-day money-back guarantee.
At New Earth we are on a mission to positively impact the health of every body and soul we come in contact with. We specialize in producing third-party certified, organic whole food supplements including a variety of probiotics, and digestive support. Our supplements feature a rare, yet highly nutritious superfood, Aphanizomenon flos-aquae (AFA). Also known as organic Wild Microalgae®, AFA is a unique type of microalgae that is available in many forms including tablets, capsules, and powders all designed to help you on your journey to holistic wellness. The best part? We offer a 90-day money-back risk-free guarantee on all of our products. Visit our website to learn more.