Getting Digestive System Enzymes Naturally

Digestive system enzymes are something that we could all stand to get more of. While our bodies do digest food naturally, it could still stand to use a little help when you consider the importance of digestion and our health overall.

The process of digestion involves breaking foods down so that they can be absorbed into the blood and carried through our bodies, in order that they may nourish our cells, give us energy and keep our immune system in check. Thus, you can see why doing all we can to help things along is important.

While our body does its part, we can add certain foods and supplements that are made up of natural digestive system enzymes to keep things running smoothly - literally. By adding certain foods and supplements to your diet, you can ensure that your digestive system works at its best, which means helping it to break down your foods properly so that you get all the nourishment and nutrients you can from what you intake.

As well, digestive system enzymes help to keep you regular so that your body is able to get rid of waste and toxins to the best of its ability. This is far more important than many even realize, because when you aren't 'regular', you can quickly find yourself feeling tired and run down; irregular bowel movements have proven responsible for symptoms such as gastrointestinal issues, migraines, excess weight and much more.

Now that you know how important digestive enzymes are and why, it's time to discover natural sources of these enzymes so that you can start doing your part in helping your body function the way it should. Here are some essential enzymes, their function and the best food sources for them.

• Cellulase: This enzyme is crucial for breaking down fiber. It is the only enzyme that your body cannot produce on its own, so making an effort to get it is a must for good health. Cellulase can be found in alfalfa.
  
  
• Lipase: This digestive system enzyme is the one that most of us are interested in because it helps with the proper digestion of fat. You can get lipase naturally from several raw foods, including coconut, avocado and if you can stomach it - raw meat and fish are excellent sources of lipase as well.
  
  
• Amylase: This is crucial for the proper breakdown and absorption of carbohydrates and starches. The best food sources of amylase include pineapple, mango and papaya.
  
  
• Protease: Protein plays a big role in our health whether we're meat eaters or not, and protease is responsible for helping us digest protein effectively. This can be found in diary products such as milk and yogurt.

Along with the listed food sources for these essential digestive system enzymes, there are also supplements available that contain a variety of digestive enzymes. These can be found with names of the enzymes themselves or even the food sources - papaya enzyme, bromelain, fenugreek, etc.

One final thing to remember about digestive enzymes is that they are very temperature-sensitive and food sources should not be cooked before consumption, because that will kill off the enzymes that you're trying to take in.

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