UPC Digestive Enzymes™

Product Information

Retail Price: $35.00

What Are Enzymes?

Enzymes are a delicate lifelike substance found in all living cells. Enzymes are energized protein molecules necessary for life. They catalyze and regulate nearly all biochemical reactions that occur within the human body. Enzymes turn the food we eat into energy and unlock this energy for use in the body. They can not be seen with even the most powerful microscope, but their presence and strength can be determined by improved blood and immune system functioning. Our bodies naturally produce both digestive and metabolic enzymes as they are needed. Surplus enzymes can be stored by some organs for later use or used as fuel for the brain.

Metabolic Enzymes speed up the chemical reaction within the cells for detoxification and energy production. They enable us to see, hear, feel and move. Metabolic enzymes are produced by the liver, pancreas, gallbladder and the other organs.

Digestive Enzymes are secreted along the digestive tract to break food down into nutrients and waste. This allows nutrients to be absorbed into the blood stream and the waste to be discarded. Human digestive enzymes include ptyalin, pepsin, trypsin, lipase, protease and amylase. The body does not make cellulase, an enzyme necessary for proper digestion of fiber, so it must be introduced through the raw foods we eat.

Food Enzymes are introduced to the body through the raw foods we eat and through consumption of supplemental enzyme fortifiers. Raw foods naturally contain enzymes providing an erogenous source of digestive enzymes when ingested. However, raw food manifests only enough enzymes to digest that particular food, not enough to be stored in the body for later use. The cooking and processing of food destroys all of its enzymes. Since most of the foods we eat are cooked or processed in some way, and since the raw foods we do eat contain only enough enzymes to process that particular food, our bodies must produce the majority of the digestive enzymes we require, unless we use supplementation enzymes to aid in the digestive process. A variety of supplemental enzymes are available through different sources. All bodily functions can be enhanced and improved by supplemental enzymes ingested orally in capsule or powder form. It is important to understand the differences between the enzyme types and make sure you are using an enzyme that will meet your particular needs. The following is a list of several types of enzymes offered today.

A.) Pancreatin is a substance from the pancreas of the hog or ox containing enzymes. Pancreatin contains proteolytic enzymes, amylase and lipase. However, it is only broken down in an alkaline setting of 8.0 to 9.0 pH. This occurs within the small intestine after carbohydrate and protein digestion has already taken place. It is suggested that pancreatic enzymes should not be taken during pregnancy or when using blood thinners. Pancreatin has been used successfully for fortifying the pancreas since it is a glandular compound. Pancreatin is not used in UPC formulations.

B.) Pepsin is a proteolytic enzyme usually prepared from the stomach of pigs and is the principle digestive component of gastric juice. It is usually given to those whose digestion of protein is impaired. However, pepsin is only activated at a temperature higher than normal body temperature. Pepsin is not used in UPC formulations.

C.) Bromelain is a group of proteolytic and milk clotting enzymes derived from the pineapple stem, ananas sativus and protein hydrolysates. Together, a concentrate of these enzymes can be used as an anti-inflammatory agent and a meat tenderizer. Like pepsin, bromelain is only activated at a temperature higher than normal body temperature. Bromelain is not used in UPC formulations.

D.) Papain is an enzyme derived from the latex of papaya. This enzyme becomes active in an environment of 6.0 to 8.0 pH, and required temperatures above normal human body temperature. For this reason it is not conducive to use in humans. Papain is not used in UPC formulations.

E.) Chymotrypsin is an enzyme from the pancreas of ox and pigs. This enzyme requires a pH level of 8.0 to become active. Chymotrypsin is not used in UPC formulations.

F.) Trypsin is a proteolytic enzyme formed in the intestine and can be taken from the intestine or pancreas of an animal. Trypsin breaks down arginine or lysine and works only in an alkaline setting. It is often coated so that it can make it to the 8.0 pH occurring in the small intestine. Trypsin is not used in UPC formulations.

Plant enzymes are grown from plant protein foods in a laboratory setting with specific actions rendered in units. They are non-pathogenic pharmaceutical Aspergillus species and are free of mycelium contamination. Removal of all the aspergilli and fungi leave only the enzymatic action. Aspergillus enzymes have a strong record of safe use in the food industry. They are considered food by the FDA. UPC Enzymes are designed to be taken with meals to aid in digestion. They should also be used in between meals to help de-toxify the body. Plant enzymes are not disposed of after a meal is digested. If there are any portions of the enzymes left after a meal, they will continue to work until there is no more activity in them. Since they are a food that is natural to the body, and since they are proven to be a catalyst, plant enzymes are in a completely different arena from other enzymes. Plant enzymes are useful to develop and maintain a proper digestive system and to allow the body to produce more metabolic enzymes by reducing the need to produce digestive enzymes. They can also be used in varying formulas to treat certain ailments. The other types of enzymes mentioned above are better suited for specific treatment purposes rather than in enzyme maintenance programs. Plant enzymes from Aspergillus are the only type used in UPC formulations. Enzyme Deficiencies

A.) Protease Deficiency: Protease digests protein. Acidity is created through the digestion of protein. A protease deficiency results in an alkaline excess in the blood. This alkaline environment can cause anxiety and insomnia. Since protein is required to carry protein bound calcium in the blood, a protease deficiency lays the foundation of arthritis, osteoporosis and other calcium deficient diseases.

B.) Amylase Deficiency: Amylase digests carbohydrates along with dead white blood cells (pus). When you are low in amylase you are a candidate for abscesses (inflamed areas of pus). Amylase is also involved in anti-inflammatory reactions such as those caused by the release of histamine and similar substances. An Amylase deficiency can result in skin problems such as psoriasis, eczema, hives, allergic reactions to bee and bug stings, atopic dermatitis, and all types of herpes. Asthma and emphysema may also be exacerbated by an amylase deficiency.

C.) Lipase Deficiency: Lipase digest fat, fat-soluble vitamins and balances fatty acids. Lipase deficient people can be expected to have a tendency towards high cholesterol, high triglycerides, difficulty losing weight and diabetes. The future outcome of these tendencies is heart disease, which kills one out of two Americans. Lipase deficient people also have decreased cell permeability, which can cause nutrients not to get in and waste to get out. Other conditions such as vertigo or dizziness aggravated by movement can result from lipase deficiency.

D.) Cellulase Deficiency: Cellulase breaks down the fiber in our diet. Because our body does not produce cellulose, this food enzyme is essential. We must eat it on a daily basis. Only raw foods contain cellulose. Of all the enzymes, this deficiency carries with it the most categories of problems. Cellulose deficiency can be described as a malabsorption syndrome. This can cause lower abdominal gas, pain, bloating and problems with the pancreas. The consumption of fiber enriched nutritional drinks, which are full of cellulose, can intensify these problems.

E.) Sucrase Deficiency: Sucrase intolerance is when a person cannot split the sucrose disaccharide into twin partners, two units of glucose. Glucose is a primary brain food. A lack of this can cause mental and emotional problems in people who cannot get glucose into the brain. Symptoms include panic attacks, depression, moodiness and severe mood swings.

F.) Lactase Deficiency: Lactase intolerance include symptoms such as abdominal cramps and diarrhea. Asthma has also been witnessed from the ingestion of lactose containing products.

G.) Maltase Deficiency: Maltose intolerance can cause sensitivity to environmental conditions.

Syndromes Common to Enzyme Deficiency

Enzyme Potential

We are all born with the ability to produce a finite number of enzymes during our lifetime. Studies prove that this ability varies in each of us based on our individual DNA.

When we eat, the priority of the body is to digest and assimilate the nutrients from our meal. Our body must work overtime and often still can not meet the demand for all of the enzyme requirements the body may have. When digestion is under way, many of the body functions requiring metabolic enzymes are often neglected during these times. This results in lowering the disease fighting capability and a general weakening of the body's ability to heal itself. By using so much of our enzyme potential during digestion, we begin to run short and thus the aging process begins. This deficiency leads to malabsorption and poor nutrition.

Poorly digested protein putrefies, fats turn rancid and carbohydrates ferment. These undigested food particles leak back into the bloodstream from the colon and create further toxicity. As we use up our enzymes, we begin to loose energy, lose our ability to fight disease and lose the ability for our body to remedy its own naturally occurring malfunctions. This loss may lead to disease and eventually death.

It is clear that due to the complete destruction enzymes in the foods that we eat, we must supplement our daily enzyme potential with plant enzymes. By doing this, we not only get the nutrients from the foods we eat, but allow the body to use it's resources for fighting disease and aging.

Why Plant Enzymes

Animal Enzymes (pancreatic enzymes) come from the pancreas of a hog or ox. Pancreatin, Pepsin, Trypsin and Chymotrypsin are animal enzymes that can only be activated in a pH balance of 7.2 or higher which only takes place in the small intestine, and only after major digestion has already taken place. Some of these enzymes also require body temperatures higher than normal to work. Pancreatic enzymes are usually measured in USP amounts. This measurement does not indicate the actual enzyme activity level and the effectiveness does not depend on the weight such as mcg or mg in each capsule.

Plant enzymes are grown from plant protein in a laboratory setting. This source is nonpathogenic and is free from all aspergilla and fungi. The FDA considers these enzymes to be food. Plant enzymes are used to develop and maintain proper digestion, allowing the body to produce more metabolic enzymes for other body functions. The raw material used by UPC Nutrition is based on the Food Chemical Codex (FCC) which is accepted by the FDA.

The appropriate codes and functions are as follows:

You must recognize the difference in raw material used and the strength in each capsule when choosing your enzymes. Oral digestive enzymes are to be used as supplements for food digestion, and to help aid in production of metabolic enzymes. Due to the formulation, it is only necessary to take one capsule with each meal. The formula is based on the "Food Guide Pyramid Diet" (55% Carbohydrates, 15% Protein, 30% Fat) and assuming your daily caloric intake is 2000 calories. Since everyone has a different caloric intake and a different carb, protein and fat mixture, you must take your enzymes according to your diet. Remember, the enzymes you take with a meal will usually by used up by that meal. If you are trying to clean and detoxify your system, you should take at least one enzyme between each meal or snack. It is important to be consistent. One or more enzymes per meal include taking them even with snacks, protein shakes, bars or any other food you ingest. For the best results, it is suggested to take your enzymes at the beginning of the meal. This is due to the fact that the acid in the stomach is not overwhelming, as of yet, and there is less interference with acid hydrolysis of the stomach.

The Bottom Line on Plant Enzymes

Enhance Blood: Can enzymes clean the blood? It is a known fact that fungal forms, parasites, and bacteria are made up of protein, and that the shell that protects a virus in our bodies is in fact a protein coating. The enzyme protease breaks down proteins, and since the invaders of our blood system are protein, it would make sense that ingesting protease on an empty stomach would help purify the blood of protein invaders. An empty stomach is suggested since the protease would not have to be held in the digestive system to digest food protein. Enzymes deliver nutrients, carry away toxic wastes, digest food, purify the blood, deliver hormones by feeding and fortifying the endocrine system, balance cholesterol and triglyceride levels, feed the brain and cause no harm to the body. All of these factors contribute to the strengthening of the immune system.

Break Down Fats: It is proven that lipase breaks down or digest fat. When added to your meal as a supplement it is able to do this in the digestive tract. This takes stress off the gallbladder, liver and pancreas. When taken between meals, it will be stored in the liver and called upon as needed.

Shed Excess Weight: Many overweight people have metabolism imbalance or will soon create one. The endocrine system is our metabolism. Once we are able to fortify the endocrine system, get the bowels working regularly and digest our food rather than turning it into fat, we have a successful combination for losing weight. This process is not automatic due to the fact that we have to lose fat instead of weight. It takes a great amount of fat to equal one pound of weight loss. It will take longer, but it is more healthy and lasts longer. It also will do no harm to the body.

Enhance Mental Capacity: Your body uses glucose from the liver to feed and fortify the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus directs our endocrine system and is responsible for balancing emotions. This long lasting glucose is made from the protein stored in the liver. All plant enzymes come from protein foods, thus, they help fortify the liver for this function. Red blood cells carry oxygen and nutrients to the glands, muscles and all the organs of the body, including the brain. Nutrients can only be delivered throughout the body by means of the enzyme delivery system. When this is not accomplished, you become fatigued and are less able to think clearly.

Improve Aging Skin: An adequate supply of enzymes are absolutely essential for keeping your skin young looking and healthy. According to researchers, enzymes fight the aging process by increasing blood supply to the skin, bringing with it life giving nutrients and carrying away waste products that can make your skin look dull and wrinkled. Circulation slows down as we get older. Taking a complete enzyme supplement becomes more important as we age.

Product Points:

To order by phone please call UPC Nutrition (702) 263-8830