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Your body contains over 3,000 different enzymes, and each plays a vital health role. The vast majority of metabolic enzymes (enzymes that help regulate everything) in your body are proteolytic enzymes or proteases. Digestive proteolytic enzymes expedite the chemical breakdown of proteins in food by breaking them into amino acids. Amino acids are the building blocks of your body, and that’s why this process is very important. Even the enzymes themselves are composed of protein.

Various proteolytic enzymes meet both metabolic and digestive needs in the body. Proteases that function as digestive enzymes are produced by the stomach and pancreas. There are also some enzymes in saliva that help break down certain substances in food.

Apart from digestion of dietary protein, proteolytic enzymes (as endogenous metabolic enzymes) play an important role in many other metabolic processes such as blood clotting, cell division, protein recycling, and immune function. Metabolic enzymes are found in the cells and tissues of the body. The body manufactures these enzymes from the amino acids derived from the digestive process; the breakdown of food proteins into amino acids that can be used by the body for building proteins. Therefore, your body will need a healthy supply of proteolytic enzymes to maintain optimal health.

When taken between meals so that it is not used in the digestion process, bromelain, another proteolytic enzyme, can be absorbed intact from the intestine into the bloodstream where the body can utilize the enzyme to address various issues. In this instance, these proteolytic enzymes are called “systemic enzymes.”

Proteolytic enzymes are especially beneficial when it comes to recovery. These enzymes are very effective at supporting your body’s post-exercise tissue breakdown, which in turn, helps decrease the recovery period after a strenuous workout.

These enzymes are also effective when it comes to supporting the immune system. Proteases make your body’s killer cells more powerful. They are also able to break down pathogens that often hinder the normal immune functions. When pathogenic immune complexes occur in large numbers, they can cause serious problems. However, because proteolytic enzymes prevent their formation, they help boost your immune system.

In a perfect world, you would eat raw and unprocessed foods that are high in active enzymes, but it’s not a perfect world. Much of the food you consume is enzyme deficient due to processing and cooking, which can destroy the natural enzymes present in food; therefore, your body has to divert the production of metabolic proteases to produce larger amounts of pancreatic enzymes to help break down the “dead” (enzymatically speaking) food in your diet. While your body can handle this easily in the short term, long-term consequences can be severe. It can lead to a weakened immune system and reduced athletic performance. Supplementing with a proteolytic enzyme supplement such as Rebound from New Earth, which contains both plant and animal-based proteases, can help offset this deviation and restore balance.

Enzymes are the worker bees in our bodies. These protein molecules act as catalysts to all chemical reactions in the body. This simply means that without enzymes, our bodies wouldn’t function. Enzymes are essential for digestion, generating energy, and DNA copying.

3 Uses of Enzymes

Food digestion
The food you consume has to be broken down into smaller components that can be easily absorbed and utilized by the body. Digestive enzymes trigger a hydrolysis reaction which helps in the breakdown of large molecules into small units. Your body contains several different digestive enzymes that help break down different foods. For example, pepsin and trypsin enzymes digest dietary proteins. Supplemental enzymes help break down the food you eat and help you absorb more nutrients from your diet.

Energy production
Your body requires a significant amount of energy to carry out all its functions. While glucose (blood sugar) is often the most preferred fuel, your body can also make use of fats and proteins. Through complex processes referred to as cellular respiration, the enzymes help generate ATP (adenosine triphosphate) that help power your cells.

DNA copying
Each chromosome in your body carries an array of genes that encode your genetic makeup in the form of a molecule called deoxyribonucleic acid. After the division of body cells, the new cells must contain the exact copy of your DNA. This replication relies heavily on specific enzymes.

Why Does your Body Need Enzymes?

Your body contains several biochemical digesters that have the power to break apart carbohydrates, fats, minerals, proteins, and vitamins, and make them more absorbable. Without enzymes, minerals and vitamins are useless to your body. Apart from facilitating digestion, enzymes also help maintain healthy cholesterol levels, strengthen the immune system, and maintain the colon. Additionally, when your immune system is attacked, enzymes come to the rescue. A simple deficiency can affect the health of your entire body.

Types of Enzymes

Your body contains three types of enzymes. Digestive and metabolic enzymes are produced by your body while food enzymes are produced by the food you consume.

Digestive enzymes: These enzymes assist your body in the digestion of food and transportation of nutrients to different areas of the body. These enzymes are secreted into the stomach by the pancreas and small intestines. There are three types of digestive enzymes, including amylase, lipase, and protease. Amylase helps in the digestion of carbohydrates, lipase assists in the digestion of fats, and protease digests proteins.

Metabolic enzymes: These are the enzymes that are responsible for maintaining your vital organs, blood levels and tissues running properly. These enzymes transform carbohydrates, fats, and proteins into the needed balance in tissues and cells.

Food enzymes: Your body doesn’t produce these enzymes. They come from fruits, vegetables, and supplements. These enzymes are necessary for the breaking down of different nutrients in the food you eat such as carbohydrates, proteins, minerals, and vitamins, and make it easier for the body to absorb them.

Enzymes work well under certain conditions. Most of them work best at body temperatures and more slowly at low temperatures. Enzymes are also sensitive to temperature, and overcooking food destroys them. Too acidic or alkaline environments alter the shape of the enzyme thus denaturing them.

Healthy Solution

All metabolic processes in your body depend on enzymes for neurotransmission, digestion, detoxification, and nutrient delivery. However, because our modern diet and the way most foods are prepared, the digestive enzymes can become depleted to a point where our bodies are not able to full process and absorb important nutrients. For this reason it is wise to supplement with digestive enzymes and help your body utilize the nutrients you put into it.

Are you aware that bacteria keep you healthy? You have most likely heard about the gut microbiome, the trillions of microorganisms living inside your body. These microbes are essential to life as they outnumber your body’s cells by 10 to 1. There are different types of microbiome, and they can be either good or bad. Keeping your microbiome levels well-balanced is essential as the good bacteria work hard to keep your body healthy. However, having a high level of the bad bacteria inhibits the good bacteria from doing their work. Fortunately, you can increase the level of good bacteria by consuming probiotics (good bacteria).

Probiotics are present in yogurt and other fermented foods, and they stimulate the production of enzymes that help in the conversion of food into important nutrients, enhance absorption of food, and synthesize vitamins. Without probiotics, our bodies wouldn’t be able to digest food properly. Apart from digestion, they defend our bodies from illness by boosting our immunity. They do this by breaking down the allergy-causing protein, blocking toxins, and crowding out the harmful bacteria. Digestive experts recommend having a balance of 85 percent good bacteria and 15 percent bad bacteria. When the ratio gets out of balance, it will affect you in a negative way.

Researchers have conducted several studies on the benefits of probiotics on various health problems. Through this research, several benefits have been identified including improved digestion, improved immune function, and improved skin appearance.

With 80 percent of your immunity found in your gut, probiotics heavily assist with your immune function. Most of your immune cells are located in the intestinal tract, and probiotics will help boost your body’s immunity by preventing the growth of harmful bacteria in your gut. Additionally, some of the bacteria in your gut promote the production of antibodies which boosts your immune cells such as the T lymphocytes, lgA-producing cells, and the natural killer cells.

Probiotics can also help improve skin appearance. The skin is the largest organ, and it is the first line of defense against external pathogens. However, most of us don’t know that the skin reflects our internal health. Skin problems are often caused by immune system disruption, as well as nutritional and hormonal imbalances. Keep in mind that all these issues begin in your gut. Luckily, probiotics help in better absorption of nutrients and support our immune system response which leaves the skin healthier.

Choose the Right Probiotic Supplement
Although most people taking probiotic supplements have reported beneficial effects, not all of these supplements are created the equally. In fact, most of the supplements you will find out there won’t survive your stomach acids and make it to the gastrointestinal tract alive. However, Acidophilus and Bifidus are different. These products are filled with beneficial bacteria that are cultivated to promote intestinal health. Consuming the right supplements ensures that the good bacteria are where they should be, and help improve your health allowing you to live a vibrant life.

Did you know that your gut can carry up to two kilograms of microbes (bacteria and other microscopic living things)? There are over 1,000 species of the tens of trillions of small organisms that live in your gut. However, most of us don’t know that these gut microbiotas play an important role in digestion and overall health.

Importance of Gut Microbiome
Gastrointestinal health is often the root cause of several health problems, and it’s important to restore it to improve your overall well-being. Most of the microbes in your body exist in your intestines which are found in a pocket like part of your large intestine known as the cecum, and they are commonly known as the gut microbiome. The beneficial bacteria in your gut are largely responsible for important body functions and have the capability to affect your body’s mineral and vitamin absorbency, digestion, hormone regulation, immune response, and the body’s ability to get rid of toxins. What’s more, the gut bacteria aid the production of some vitamins which boost the body’s immunity.

The bacteria found it your gut have a few other roles as well, including:

• Digesting breast milk: The bacteria that first grow inside a baby’s intestines (Bifidobacteria) helps in the digestion of healthy sugars contained in breast milk and it’s important for the growth of the baby.
• Aids in the extraction of calories and important nutrients like vitamins, amino acids, antioxidants, fatty acids and minerals.
• Assists in the digestion of fiber.

A healthy gut microbiome assists with a healthy gut overall. Bacteria such as Bifidobacteria and Lactobacilli found in yogurt and probiotics help in sealing gaps that may exist between intestinal walls. These good bacteria also prevent harmful bacteria from placing themselves on the intestinal wall.

How to Support a Healthy Gut Microbiome
You can improve your microbiome by:

• Eating fermented foods: Some of the fermented foods like kefir and yogurt contain healthy bacteria, mainly Lactobacilli, and they can help reduce harmful bacteria in the gut.
• Eat foods rich in prebiotics: Prebiotics are fiber that helps in the growth of healthy bacteria. Examples of foods that contain prebiotics include bananas, oats, and apples.
• Take probiotic supplements: Supplements such as New Earth’s Spectrabiotic® contain different live bacteria that can help restore your gut to a healthy state. Probiotic supplements do this by reseeding your gut with healthy microbes.

Poor diet, stress, age, over-sanitizing, and exposure to antibiotics can cause a shift in our microbes. When this happens, there are very little beneficial microbes left to effectively facilitate important processes in our bodies. Taking a probiotic supplement will replenish your beneficial gut bacteria and improve your overall health.

Also referred to as ubiquinone, CoQ10 is the spark that provides energy production to every cell in your body including your heart which consumes more energy than any other organ. You get some coenzyme Q10 from the food you consume but most of it is produced naturally by your body. But, before conventional CoQ10 can benefit your body, it needs to be converted by your body into a more advanced form referred to as Ubiquinol.

Ubiquinol is the most reduced version of ubiquinone. Although they’re of the same molecule, after CoQ10 is reduced, it takes on two more electrons and turns into ubiquinol. This conversion occurs millions of times per second inside the mitochondria where energy is produced. Unfortunately, as you age, your bodies’ ability to convert ubiquinone into ubiquinol declines, especially from the age of 30 years. What’s more is that ubiquinol can be absorbed by your body up to eight times faster than ubiquinone.This explains why most adults are opting for the more advanced form of CoQ10.

Other Health Benefits of Ubiquinol

• Apart from converting food into energy, ubiquinol has other health benefits. For starters, it is a lipid-soluble antioxidant. This means that it can work in the lipid parts of your body including cell membranes. This is one of very few fat-soluble antioxidants.
• Ubiquinol is the only lipid-soluble antioxidant that is generated within your body without the need of ingesting it from food.
• Because ubiquinol helps in the production of energy in all cells, anti-aging experts believe optimizing the mitochondria is a powerful strategy to extend your life.

Why Ubiquinol is Better than Ubiquinone
The most important organs in your body including the heart and brain need higher amounts of cellular energy for them to function at optimal levels. For your body to make this energy, it needs CoQ10 in its most reduced form (ubiquinol). Inside the mitochondria, ubiquinol uses the additional two electrons to help convert food to a fuel commonly referred to as ATP.

Unlike ubiquinone, ubiquinol is a powerful antioxidant due to its two extra electrons. These electrons are important because they help in neutralizing free radicals that are produced by the mitochondria. Free radicals are harmful to your body because they are always looking to steal more electrons in your body from proteins, DNA, and lipids. Removing electrons from a cell oxidizes molecules and eventually cause damage to your health. The additional two electrons in ubiquinol are used to neutralize free radicals that would otherwise cause metabolic problems. This means ubiquinol is the only form of CoQ10 that can help protect the mitochondria from free radicals.

Where can you Find Ubiquinol?
You can find small amounts of ubiquinol in the foods you eat like avocados. Unfortunately, you would have to eat over 50 avocados a day to get 100mg of ubiquinol which is the daily recommended amount. However, due to the insufficient dietary CoQ10 intake, you can find this vital nutrient in supplements like Energize by New Earth.

Whether you need additional support for a healthy heart—or you just want to stay healthy as you age, ubiquinol will help promote heart health and healthy energy levels in your body. Keep in mind that over 90 percent of your body’s cellular energy production requires ubiquinol.