BioSET

Food sensitivity testing | Enviromental allergy testing

BioSET (BioEnergetic Sensitivity and Enzyme Therapy) is a program developed by Dr. Ellen Cutler, D.C. of Mill Valley, California over a period of 25 years of study, research, clinical and personal experiences.

BioSET is a computerised electro dermal testing therapy used to assess specific areas of the body and their current function. This technique easily and accurately finds areas of dysfunction and disharmony within the body. In BioSET therapy we utilise meridian therapy, acupressure, and computer technology. BioSET is a comprehensive health care system that incorporates supplements, enzyme therapy, nutrition and homeopathy all working together supporting the body. BioSET takes disturbed information and helps the nervous system to reprogram.

Man is not nourished by what he swallows, but by what he digests and uses

BioSET is comprised of 3 branches of healing

Organ and tissue specific detoxification
Digestive and systemic enzyme therapy
A safe and unique, non invasive method of desensitisation.

The success of BioSET lies in its ability to help heal the person at the root of the problem, where it began.

BioSET Philosophy

The philosophy behind BioSET is that the digestive system governs the immune system. If a person is eating food that they are intolerant to or have a sensitivity to, this will cause stress on the digestive system which in turn, causes stress and weakens the immune system. The chain reaction causes the immune system to over react, leading to sensitivities and illness. By ensuring the complete digestion of foods using the proper BioSET protocol, we can get to the root cause of sensitivities and illness.

The BioSET system is not an overnight fix, but rather a carefully planned and monitored process that helps correct the body’s imbalances and sensitivities, resulting in healing and restoration. Motivated and compliant BioSET clients show dramatic improvement with all types of health challenges. These clients continue to show the effectiveness of the BioSET system.

BioSET consists of three approaches to obtain optimal health: Detoxification, Enzyme Therapy and Desensitisation Treatments . These 3 aspects are carefully balanced to promote healing in the digestive system as well as the immune system in order to maintain wellness. One without the others is not enough to establish whole body health.

3 Steps to Better Health

BioSET Enzyme Therapy

BioSET is a holistic health care system that builds your body’s strength and vitality to attain optimal health and relief from many acute and chronic conditions, including:

ADD/ADHD, Autoimmune Disorders, Chronic Fatigue, Depression, Anxiety, Diabetes, Digestive Issues, GERD, Crohn’s Disease, Colitis, IBS, Ear Infections, Eczema, Acne, Environmental Sensitivities, Fibromyalgia, Food Sensitivities, Hormonal Imbalances, Infertility, Menopause, Migraines, Headaches, PMS, Sinusitis, Asthma, Thyroid Disorders, Weight Gain.

Dr. Ellen Cutler, D.C., developed BioSET based on her years of advanced study and clinical experience.

How BioSET Works

I begin by using an EAV (Electro Acupuncture according to Voll device) to test the amount of energy passing through your body’s meridians (energetic pathways). By evaluating the health and flow of the meridians, the EAV helps me determine which major systems and organs of your body are stressed or weakened, so I can establish the best approach for achieving balance.

Testing is non-invasive and can be performed on children. Infants can also be tested using a parent as a surrogate tester.

The BioSET healing system consists of three elements:

1. Detoxification for drainage and purification of specific organ systems.

Toxins enter the body from external sources (polluted air, water, cosmetics, chemicals in foods and radiation) and internal sources (undigested foods, emotions). The body can handle some toxins. However, too many toxins can cause allergies and other health conditions.

By identifying your body’s level of toxic burden and the specific organs and systems under stress, I can recommend remedies for drainage and detoxification.

2. Enzyme therapy to enhance digestion and metabolism.

Digestive plant enzymes, taken before meals, enhance digestion, help the body assimilate and absorb nutrients, and help overcome food sensitivities.

By assessing your body during fasting, I can suggest systemic enzymes to be taken between meals that address stress and inflammation.

3. Desensitization to reprogram responses to allergens or sensitivities.

The body requires balancing and reprogramming to avoid future reactions to allergens and other sensitivities.

I use BioSET’s gentle acupressure technique to balance meridians that have been blocked by allergens. By lightly tapping acupuncture points up and down the spine, I reprogram the body via the nervous and meridian system and clear you of sensitivities and allergies.

Creating Your Program

Your first appointment will be a comprehensive 1½ hour evaluation checking your body’s energy to identify areas of stress, toxicity, stagnation and possible deficiencies. Your digestion, methylation and liver detox pathways will also be evaluated.

After the testing, I will create a plan that will balance your immune system, assist detoxification and help relieve your body of food and environmental sensitivities, inflammation and toxicity. Any follow-up appointments will continue to address clearings as needed.

BioSET Explained

How does BioSET work?

BioSET treats each individual according to his or her own unique health challenge.

1. Detoxification

Everyday we are bombarded with toxins from internal and external sources. Internal sources consist of undigested food, genetic toxins, and emotional stress. External sources consist of physical stress / trauma, polluted air, cosmetics and body care items, chemically treated water we drink and bathe in, food that has been exposed to chemicals, antibiotics, hormones and pesticides, radiation from all sources of technology (microwaves, cell phones, security screenings, computers, etc.), environmental toxins, and medications.

The body can efficiently handle a certain amount of toxins and heavy metal through the normal detoxification organs (liver, small and large intestine), skin and lymphatic system. The manageable level of toxins is different for everybody. When the number of toxins in the body is more than it can handle, a person will begin to experience allergies, and acute and chronic health problems of all kinds.

With a thorough toxicity evaluation utilizing electrodermal screening technique, looking at methylation and liver detox pathways, it can be determined which organ(s) and system(s) are affected by the build up of toxins. Homeopathic and or herbal remedies and supplements are recommended to assist the body in its natural detoxification process.

Enhancing Drainage of Toxins with Homeopathy

Detoxification involves the conversion and excretion of toxic substances into non-toxic metabolites. This occurs primarily in the liver and in the intestines. There are two distinct phases of detoxification, commonly called Phase I and Phase II detoxification. These processes biochemically transform toxins into progressively more water-soluble, and therefore excretable, substances through a series of chemical reactions. The BioSET system uses homeopathic remedies to enhance detoxification and drainage of toxins for gentle detoxification without the uncomfortable side effects that sometimes accompany certain detoxification programs. Increasing water intake is necessary for enhanced detoxification as well.

The body is designed to be healthy and balanced. Allergies, sensitivities and disease are not normal functions of the body. Many health problems arise from sensitivities to foods, environmental toxins, emotional stress, and harmful lifestyle practices. Allergens such as grass, dust, pets, and food are often difficult, if not impossible, to avoid.

2. Enzyme Therapy

When a person is sensitive to a food, and that food is continually eaten, it does not break down properly in the digestive system. Not only are nutrients and vitamins not absorbed from this food, but unbroken down food particles can then pass through a weakened intestinal wall and get into the blood stream. The food particles, now being a foreign object in the body, become antigens causing the immune system to react, sending antibodies to investigate this invasion. This process sets off a chain reaction of events, basically causing the body to attack itself leading to auto immune disorders, illnesses, allergies and conditions of inflammation.

The first step in stopping this self attack on the body is by using a Digestive enzyme. In BioSET we use plant enzymes to break down foods making the particles smaller and allowing for easier absorption and utilization of the minerals and vitamins. By doing this, no food particles pass through the intestinal wall, therefore no self attack from the immune system.

The second step is to ensure proper bacterial growth in the intestine by using a probiotic. This step is very important. If you have bacterial or fungal overgrowth, your body’s gut flora will be out of balance and you may experience a myriad of symptoms such as skin rashes, eczema, psoriasis, bloating, constipation and or diarrhoea. A probiotic will replenish the good bacteria and help provide a healthy intestinal wall lining to ensure no food particles pass through. If your gut flora imbalance is severe you may have to do an anti parasitic cleanse to restore balance.

3. Desensitisation

Every living and non living thing has an energy field. Sometimes when energy fields come together they don’t interact well and cause conflict. When this happens in the body there is a chain reaction of events. It starts with the formation of energy blockages within the meridians (pathways where energy flows in the body). Since each organ has it’s own meridians, these blockages can also effect the optimal function of the organ. These energy blockages will also stimulate the nervous system, which sends a message to the brain asking the immune system to respond to the threatening item. In terms of energy medicine, this is the allergic reaction, which can develop in a great variety of symptoms.

In BioSET, these energy blockages are removed by performing acupressure on specific points along the spine, re-educating the body not to respond to the offending item, taking it from a threat to a non threat.

BioSET corrects energetic imbalances and blockages with the use of Enzymes, Homeopathic Remedies, Herbal supplements, Vitamins and Desensitisation process. The desensitisation technique releases the blockages, corrects imbalances and resets the nervous and immune systems to optimal function. This process is called a “Clearing”.

Once “cleared” of a specific imbalance or sensitivity using the BioSET system of healing, the physical symptoms associated with the sensitivity, (i.e. sneezing, runny nose, itchy eyes, headache, bloating, etc.) will markedly improve or be permanently eliminated. BioSET’s success lies in the fact that its amazing technology allows the BioSET Practitioner to determine the root cause of the condition, not merely manage the symptoms. BioSET is the answer to the myriad of health challenges healthcare practitioners encounter in their daily practices. It utilizes sound nutrition, purification of the body and enzyme therapy to achieve prolonged optimal digestive health and nutrient utilization.

Can BioSET Help ?

What Conditions can BioSET Help?

Any condition or immune mediated response where an allergic reaction may occur, can be helped with BioSET*. The BioSET system, along with dietary, healthy lifestyle modifications and exercise, can have beneficial influences in essentially any health challenge. Below are some of the conditions which have been clinically helped in patients who have sought treatment with a certified, properly trained health practitioner using the BioSET system.

*Please note we do not treat anaphylactic conditions due to their life threatening nature.

Allergies / Sensitivities to:

Chemicals
Environmental Allergens (Dust etc)
Eye Irritations
Foods and Essential Nutrients
Heavy metal toxicity

Autoimmune Diseases:

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
EBV- Epstein Barr Virus
Crohn’s Disease
Fibromyalgia
Lupus
Connective Tissue Disorders
Rheumatoid Arthritis

Digestive Disorders including:

Acid Reflux
Appetite fluctuations
Bad Breath
Bloating
Burping

Colitis
Spastic Colon
Constipation
Diarrhoea
Gastritis / Stomach Ulcers

Heartburn / Gastric Reflux
Indigestion
Intestinal Cramping
Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Loss of Taste / Smell

Metallic Taste in Mouth
Nausea
Nervous Stomach
Stomach Discomfort
Ulcers

Cardiovascular Disorders:

Hypertension
High Blood Pressure
High Cholesterol
High Triglyceride levels

Emotions:

Depression
Mood Swings

Neurological Disorders:

ADD / ADHD
Anxiety / Panic
Autistic Spectrum Disorders
Bipolar
Depression
Insomnia
Sleep Disorders

Pain Management:

Arthritis
Headaches
Joint Pain
Migraines
Numbness
Restless Leg
Swelling
Teeth pain

Respiratory System:

Asthma
Bronchitis
Congestion
Cough
Ear Infections
Frequent Colds

Hay Fever
Itchy Throat / Mouth
Nasal Congestion
Post Nasal Drip
Shortness of Breath
Sinusitis

Sneezing
Sore Throat
Swollen Glands
Throat Constriction
Tightness in Chest
Weakened Immune System

Skin Disorders

Acne
Body Odour
Eczema
Gum Irritation
Infections
Rashes
Skin Rash / Itch / Burning

Weight Management/ Female

Breast Pain / Swelling
Food Cravings
Hot Flashes
Hormones
Menopausal Symptoms & PMS
Night Sweats
Thyroid Disorders
Weight Loss, Weight Gain
Yeast Infections / Candida

BioSET also supports detoxification through homeopathic remedies which help to gently release toxins which have accumulated in the body. It is important to recognize that toxins lead to imbalances or blockages in the body and ultimately to disease. Taking steps to reduce exposure to toxins is also important. Look carefully at products you use both inside and outside your body as well as what you use to clean your home. Other things to help support detoxification include drinking generous amounts of clean water, deep breathing, exercise, massage, dry skin brushing, periodic cleanses and reducing stress in your life.

Through identification of food sensitivities this system helps direct people to the proper diet for their bodies. BioSET also improves absorption & utilization of key nutrients through the desensitization technique for both foods and nutrients. Digestion is further supported through the use of high-quality digestive enzymes which ensures complete digestion and reduces stress on the body allowing it to take care of metabolic needs as well.

Eating a healthy diet and properly chewing your food helps to support digestive and immune health as well. As we are exposed to so many toxins, be sure your food is free of pesticides, additives and preservatives. Eating a large percentage of your diet as raw also helps promote good digestion and ensures optimum nutrient levels in your food.

BioSET has the potential to help overcome previously unsolved health challenges in a way that is non-invasive, safe, and at times seemingly miraculous. Our bodies have an innate ability to heal themselves when in a balanced state. Through the use of a revolutionary computer program, BioSET can assist the body in returning to this state of balance. BioSET’s success comes from its ability to reprogram the body, in effect correct a maladaptive response that no longer serves us. Through using the technology of BioSET, we can help you discover what areas of your body are not functioning properly; show you how these areas can heal, and provide you with ways to maintain a healthy balanced state of functioning.

The science of BioSET

Discover more about BioSET

What is the Scientific Basis of BioSET?

According to acupuncture theory our body has certain points in characteristic locations on the skin with a lower electrical resistance. These points are acupuncture points. Acupuncture meridians are characteristic pathways through which electromagnetic energy passes.

Until the early 1950’s, the lower electrical resistance corresponding to acupuncture points and meridians was not accurately detectable by traditional western methods of testing. In 1953 a German physician, Reinhold Voll, discovered and developed a way to measure the electromagnetic energy changes at acupuncture points.

Acupuncture theory has long held that the electrical conductance of the body’s acupuncture points vary depending upon physiological change and disease processes. Voll’s development of an electrical device to measure these changes became known as Electroacupuncture According to Voll or EAV. Because these devices measure electrical changes at certain points on the skin, the devices have also become known as electrodermal screening devices or EDS.

Dr. Voll also discovered that an allergenic substance in a glass vial in contact with a person could influence the EAV measurements. He further discovered that if the allergenic substance was placed on a metal plate into the circuit between the person and the EAV device, there would be a change in the EAV reading. More current research substantiates this. Dr. Voll correctly hypothesized that EAV could not only detect the lower resistance at acupuncture points, but could also be used for diagnostic purposes to measure changes in biological electromagnetic energy corresponding to alterations in disease processes. Ongoing research has shown that the electrical activity changes of the acupuncture points demonstrate a change long before pathology appears in the cells and tissues.

The BioSET system of healing, with its own innovative software, uses a twenty-first century version of an EAV device to detect an individuals electromagnetic energy responses for sensitivity to various allergens and sensitivities, as well as toxicity, nutritional inflammatory reactions, digestive incompetence and enzyme deficiency. The EAV evaluates blockages in electromagnetic current from nutrients, chemicals emotional imbalances and structural stress. The EAV measurements are also used to objectively measure desensitization of a person’s immune response to an allergen or sensitivity. Bioenergetic measurements of organ functions are obtained by measuring acupuncture meridians and electromagnetic energy signatures of various organs. Interestingly, many of the findings of bioenergetic testing correspond to findings of traditional laboratory and functional medicine tests.

If you have significant health challenges, I hope you will contact me so that I can assist you in your pursuit of a healthier, more fulfilling life.

BioSET’s success lies in the fact that its amazing technology allows the BioSET Practitioner to determine the root cause of the condition, not merely manage the symptoms. BioSET is the answer to the myriad of health challenges practitioners encounter in their daily practices. It utilizes sound nutrition, purification of the body and enzyme therapy to achieve prolonged optimal digestive health and nutrient utilization. The BioSET treatment plan works best when clients are compliant and consistent with their self care regime which includes individualized supplementation, balanced hydration and nutrition. With BioSET, children and adults can permanently eliminate allergies, sensitivities, and chronic health problems without using drugs. BioSET has the potential to help one overcome previously unsolved health challenges in a way that is non-invasive, safe, and at times seemingly miraculous.

Our bodies have an innate ability to heal themselves when in a balanced state. Through the use of a revolutionary computer program, BioSET can assist the body in returning to this state of balance. BioSET’s success comes from its ability to reprogram the body. Through using the technology of BioSET, we can help you discover what areas of your body are not functioning properly; show you how these areas can heal, and provide you with ways to maintain a healthy balanced state.

Please continue to roam through this website and discover more about BioSET and what it can do for you. Feel free to contact the clinic by phone or email with any questions that you may have.

As with any treatment, the BioSET protocol cannot work without your cooperation and compliance.

Enzymes Q & A

BioSET Enzyme Therapy

More information – Facts and Questions

Enzymes are the workers in the human body that make everything function by enabling chemical reactions. All the living cells in body contain enzymes.

Enzymes deliver nutrients, break down and carry away toxic waste, digest food, purify the blood, deliver hormones, balance cholesterol and triglyceride levels, feed the brain, build protein into muscle, and feed and fortify the endocrine system. They also contribute to immune system activity. White blood cells are especially enzyme-rich in order to digest foreign invading substances.

Digestive enzymes improve Gastro-Intestinal (GI) function by replenishing natural enzymes that are

Destroyed By Heat From Cooking
Not Present, Because Of Nutritional Depletion In Soil
Not Released, Because Food Is Not Broken Down Properly While Chewing

Replacing these lost enzymes is vital to ensure proper digestion. When food is not properly digested, it passes into the gut where foods can ferment and rot, and become toxic to the body.

Enzymes perform so many important functions in the body that they have been called the basis of all metabolic activity. These functions include:

Transform foods into muscles, nerves, bones and glands.
Help to store excess nutrients in muscles or the liver for future use.
Help to rid carbon dioxide from the lungs.
Metabolise iron for utilisation by the blood.
Aid in blood coagulation
Extract minerals from food for use.
Decompose hydrogen peroxide and liberate healthful oxygen
Attack toxic substances in the body so they can be eliminated (essential for patients with chronic health problems).
Help convert dietary phosphorus to bone.
Convert protein, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, and nutrients for the body’s use.

What are enzymes?

Enzymes help in digestion of food. The digestive enzymes in our human bodies break down food into tiny particles, allowing easy access into the blood stream. These are the compounds that our human body uses for fuel, repair and growth. Food is filled with enzymes called “food enzymes” that help in the digestion of food. When we cook our food we unconsciously destroy those enzymes.

Enzymes are protein molecules that are manufactured by all plant and animal cells. All cells require enzymes to survive and function.

Enzymes are catalysts, which means that they make chemical reactions go faster, but are not changed by the reaction. For example, digestive enzymes cause food that you eat to be broken down much faster than would occur without them, but they are not broken down in the reaction they are speeding up.

Research has shown that people who have a chronic disease or have low energy levels also have lower enzyme content in their blood, urine, and tissues. While there is clearly a direct relationship between disease states and a person’s enzyme levels, only recently has the NATURE of that relationship been better understood. Researchers began to question if a person’s enzyme levels were low because they were sick or were they sick because their enzyme levels were low. The researchers found something surprising.

A person may not have a low enzyme content because he is sick or old, but instead, the reason a person may be sick or old is because of low enzyme content.

Why are enzymes important?

Enzymes are one of the most essential elements in our body. Enzymes are more important than the air you breathe, the water you drink, and the food you eat. Why is this? Enzymes are required for your body to function properly because without enzymes you wouldn’t be able to breathe, swallow, drink, eat, or digest your food. To do all of these things, your body needs some help. You must have enzymes to help perform these tasks. Enzymes are an absolute necessity to live.

Enzymes are your body’s workers. They are responsible for constructing, synthesising, carrying, dispensing, delivering, and eliminating the many ingredients and chemicals our body uses in its daily business of living. Your body makes enzymes. When you were young, you had an abundant supply of enzymes. You felt great. Your energy level seemed never ending. You had “enzymes to burn” which kept you running at tip top efficiency.

As time goes by, you SLOWLY begin to lose this efficiency. For years you don’t even notice the changes. But then you are less able to eat the spicy foods you love or less able to recover as quickly from the aches and pains of weekend sports. This reduced vitality and stamina can signal a weakened and compromised body.

You’re running low on the enzymes you need to fuel your life. The process of depleting your enzymes is a slow one, and most likely you didn’t notice your energy and vitality disappearing until one day something you once loved to do was suddenly too much work. You aren’t getting too old to enjoy life, you are running out of enzymes that would ensure you the energy you need to enjoy life. You simply need to restore your enzyme potential.

What is happening to our enzymes?

The reason we are running out of enzymes is a LIFESTYLE PROBLEM. Our poor dietary habits, fast food obsessions, and excessive intake of fat and sugars, all require excessive amounts of enzymes to digest our foods. Stress kills and damages cells, resulting in our enzyme-making machinery having to work overtime to help rebuild and replace them. Environmental pollution causes cellular damage requiring ongoing assistance from enzymes just to maintain a healthy immune system. And time is a big factor. Time and the process of living uses up enzymes that must be replaced if we expect to retain the healthy active lifestyle we have grown accustomed to. Every one of these factors diminishes our body’s capacity to act, to do, to feel the way we want to feel; and, as many reputable scientists will tell you, these factors may even shorten your life.

ENZYMES are ESSENTIAL, but your enzyme potential is dropping. Many researchers now view the aging process and death itself as nothing more than an enzyme potential which has decreased to a level where the living organism can no longer be repaired and maintained in its existing environment.

You may slow down this trend by fortifying your body with supplemental digestive enzymes. You can help minimize this inevitable downward spiral in your body’s efficiency, a spiral created by a growing shortage of available enzymes.

How can I maintain my enzyme potential?

There is much you can do to combat your waning enzyme potential. The sooner you start, the quicker you begin to restore and extend the vitality you once had. If you still think you have it, you might be surprised what you have ever so slowly lost without knowing it until you get it back. And, if you’re young enough not yet to have lost it, then here’s a way to keep it.

Enzymes & Nutrition

What role do enzymes play in nutrition?

To better understand digestive enzymes, we must first understand the role of NUTRITION in our health. Nutrition is the body’s ability to use and metabolise food. There are 45 known essential nutrients that are required in specific amounts for the body to function properly. The term “essential,” as used here, means the body cannot synthesise them internally. Therefore all “essential” nutrients must come from exogenous, or outside, sources. In addition to carbohydrates, fats (lipids), complete proteins, and water, there are at least 13 kinds of vitamins, and at least 20 kinds of minerals required for proper metabolic function.

Once consumed, the food containing these nutrients must be digested, meaning they must be broken apart and reduced to a state that the nutrients can be absorbed into and transported by the blood stream to all parts of the body.

Our body’s cells are programmed to direct each nutrient to combine and interact with other nutrients and chemicals to create still other chemicals and compounds which, in turn, are used to build and repair the body’s cells, bones, tissue, and organs. The process is called metabolism. Each metabolic reaction is started, controlled, and terminated by enzymes.

Without enzymes, no metabolic activity will occur. A body that does not consistently and efficiently metabolise the essential food nutrients necessary for life will fare poorly, and many illnesses are the result of a dietary problem that causes toxemia inside of the body.

What are the types of enzymes?

Enzymes are classified into three categories.

DIGESTIVE ENZYMES
FOOD ENZYMES
METABOLIC ENZYMES

Metabolic enzymes run the body. They exist throughout the body in the organs, the bones, the blood, and inside the cells themselves. These enzymes are instrumental in the growth of new cells and the maintenance of all tissue. Every organ and tissue has its own group of specialised enzymes. They are trained to run and maintain their host. When these enzymes are healthy, robust, and present in adequate numbers, they do an excellent job carrying out their mission.

The two kinds of enzymes we are concentrating on here are DIGESTIVE ENZYMES and FOOD ENZYMES. These two are active only within our digestive system. These enzymes have only one job — to digest our food.

DIGESTIVE ENZYMES are made by our body’s organs. Digestive enzymes are secreted by the salivary glands, stomach, pancreas, and the small intestine. [Technically, digestive enzymes are also considered to be metabolic enzymes whose metabolic role is to digest food. We are specifically distinguishing these particular enzymes here, because they deal with digestion and they can be supplemented from an outside source.]

FOOD ENZYMES are already present WITHIN the food we eat. Food enzymes exist naturally in raw food. If the food is cooked, however, the high temperature involved in the cooking process will destroy the enzymes.

Digestive enzymes and food enzymes basically serve the same function, which is to digest our food so it can be absorbed through the walls of the small intestine into the blood stream. From this viewpoint the only real difference between food enzymes and digestive enzymes is whether they come from inside our body or from the food we eat.

Why are enzymes so important for digestion?

Most food, when it is uncooked, contains enough natural food enzymes to digest that food. When you cook the food the enzymes are inactivated (denatured) and can no longer assist in the digestive (breaking down) process. Eating raw food is totally acceptable in some cases and quite unacceptable in others. We eat raw fruit and many raw vegetables, but less often do we eat raw meat, raw fish (not withstanding sushi), or raw pork. Eating uncooked rice is nearly a guaranteed trip to your dentist! So, obviously we cook our food.

Here’s where the problem occurs. Cooked food contains no enzymes because they have been destroyed. If you eat a meal consisting of a salad, a steak and a baked potato, there are likely enough food enzymes contained in the salad to digest it (break it down so your body can use its nutrients). But, there are no extra enzymes available to help digest the steak or the baked potato. Because the steak and potato are cooked, there are no FOOD ENZYMES available to digest them, so our body must take over and internally create the needed amount of DIGESTIVE ENZYMES to handle the digestive task.

The more we depend on our internally generated DIGESTIVE ENZYMES, the more stress we put on our body’s systems and organs and the less time these systems and organs have for rebuilding and replacing worn out and damaged cells and tissue and keeping our immune system strong. Your body’s top priority is making sure it has enough nutrients to run its systems. This means digesting food and converting it into nutrients. There is no activity more important to the body than this. This takes a lot of energy and enzymes, particularly if the body must make most or all of these enzymes. Remember that no food can be digested without digestive enzymes.

“Eighty percent of our body’s energy is expended by the digestive process. If you are run down, under stress, living in a very hot or very cold climate, pregnant, or are a frequent air traveler, then enormous quantities of extra enzymes are required by your body. Because our entire system functions through enzymatic action, we must supplement our enzymes. Aging deprives us of our ability to produce necessary enzymes. ”

Which digestive enzymes digest food?

You know that proteins, carbohydrates, and fats are the three main food groups that make up the bulk of our daily diet. A “balanced” diet means we consume the proper proportions of these three basic food groups on a daily basis. This balance, when combined with the assurance that we also get the essential nutrients, can help provide a healthy life — IF we properly process and metabolize these nutrients. To do this we also need an adequate source of the major types of digestive enzymes: Proteases, Amylases, and Lipases.

FOOD GROUP	% OF DAILY DIET	ENZYME CLASS	ENZYME’S FUNCTION
Proteins	20-25 %	Protease	Digests Protein
Carbohydrates	50-60 %	Amylase	Digests Carbohydrates
Fats	20-30 %	Lipase	Digests Fat (lipids)

There are numerous categories of digestive enzymes, but for the purpose of this discussion, we will cover the three primary classes of digestive enzymes that digest our food. [NOTE: generally speaking, enzymes end with the suffix “ase.”]

If the proper QUANTITY and required TYPE of enzymes are not present, your body becomes TOXIC from the left over waste of incomplete digestion. This is the reason why most illnesses and diseases are initially a dietary mistake. This can be prevented and it can be reversed. It’s all a matter of having the right amount and the right kind of enzymes available at the right time to prevent your body from becoming a receptacle for pollution and waste — a receptacle that then breeds and harbors disease.

Your Enzyme Potential

Do I have an infinite supply of enzymes?

No. Until recently, many within the scientific community labored under the misconception that the digestive enzymes in our body are constant and last forever; that they can be used and reused; that they never get old and never wear out. Enzymes act as catalysts to speed up chemical reactions. They are not destroyed or changed in the process. However, the number of enzymes we can produce is limited. Every person is born with an enzyme potential or number of enzymes the body can produce in a lifetime. This number is determined by the DNA code. Each enzyme can only perform a certain amount of work before it becomes exhausted and must be replaced by another. If we do not eat an enzyme-rich diet, we deplete our enzyme potential without replenishing it. Cooking or processing foods effectively destroys their enzyme content; this is why supplementation and a good diet are essential.

Researchers now know that we lose digestive enzymes through sweat and body waste. Through constant use, enzymes lose their strength and ability to do their work. As we age, the organs responsible for producing our digestive enzymes become less efficient. Today’s environmental pollution, overly processed fast foods, genetically modified food, and microwave cooking can result in free radical damage, which lowers the body’s effectiveness to produce enzymes. To offset this loss, we need to supplement our system with oral digestive enzymes.

What happens when we start to run low on enzymes?

Here’s the bottom line. Many illnesses and health conditions are the result of a digestive malfunction causing toxicity inside of the body. This malfunction is the result of not enough DIGESTIVE ENZYMES to properly digest and metabolize nutrients. Significant short- and long-term health problems could develop when these nutrients are not digested.

Some lifestyle problems like high blood pressure, kidney disease, liver problems, indigestion and heartburn, adult onset diabetes, fibromyalgia, migraines, PMS, even hyperactivity in children, often have their starting point in nutritional problems.

When our body is stressed by a shortage of digestive enzymes two things can happen and both are bad:

1. Our body continues to work overtime to create the needed enzymes required to digest our food. This extra stress adversely affects our immune system and lowers our ability to protect ourselves from and fight off disease.

2. Because our body finally becomes so overworked, it can’t make enough enzymes to properly digest our food. As this undigested food begins to pollute our body, the chances of chronic disease increase.

Supplemental digestive enzymes will deliver the necessary nutrients to fortify your body and can enhance your body’s healing system often resulting in improved overall health and vitality.

What can I do to maintain my enzyme levels?

Make an appointment to have a full evaluation and start supplementation that your body actually needs.