I have heard about enzymes over the years and the importance of them. Only recently have I started to dive into the why and how. Enzymes are primarily proteins, though some are RNA molecules which translate the information from DNA to proteins. Each cell contains thousands of these enzymes, providing specific help with functions throughout your body. Enzymes speed up chemical reactions within cells. They provide support for many processes within the body. Some examples of these processes are the digestion system, DNA replication, hormone production, nerve function, and cell regulation.
For the purpose of this blog I will be focusing on a particular digestive enzyme called phytase that I discovered recently through a post from Mathew Embry, founder of MS Hope, about the company The Good Phyte. But before we dive into phytase, let’s talk a bit about digestive enzymes in general. This type of enzyme helps break down food into nutrients, these in turn give you energy. Digestive enzymes are a protein that speeds up metabolic processes within our body. These enzymes move out of the body with digested food 2-5 hours after ingestion. Below you will find a list of the most common digestive enzymes.
Not listed on this list is phytase a digestive enzyme that breaks down phytates. I recently discovered the company The Good Phyte, they produce two different supplements that contain phytase. As mentioned, phytase breaks down phytates, if these phytates are not properly broken down they become anti-nutrients, depleting your body of minerals that it needs to thrive. Phytates are found in numerous whole foods, primarily nuts/seeds, legumes, and grains are the main culprits. Not only does phytase make minerals in food more bioavailable, it also allows vitamin supplements to reach their full potential. I also have found my bloating to go down around meals that contain phytates when I take the supplement IB Defense from Good Phyte. In addition to my digestion improving, I have found an increased amount of focused energy throughout my day since taking Immunity from the Good Phyte. The phytase allows my body to access the vitamins and minerals I consume more efficiently, along with the added iron and zinc in the Immunity product, I have more overall energy. My strength workouts have been consistently improving along with running. I had not been a runner for many years, but last moth after starting to take Phytase, I decided to sign up for a 10k at the end of May. My training is going great and I am looking forward to the race!
For those of us who have chronic conditions, it may be essential to consume digestive enzymes. As for those of you with no chronic conditions, I still would suggest looking in to digestive enzymes, more specifically phytase. Before taking these types of supplements be sure to consult with your medical provider to see if enzymes are a right fit for you!