The "Identity Crisis" Behind Autoimmunity

Enzymes are proteins. Your body can do almost nothing without enzymes. The pancreas and other glands produce digestive enzymes. They are also present in raw foods. Even though the body can manufacture digestive enzymes, it is strained to produce enough if we are not getting them from our food sources, supplements, and by chewing our food properly, which allows enzyme-rich saliva to be incorporated into the food. Unfortunately, cooking and processing foods destroys enzymes and most people only chew their food about 25% of the amount that is needed. Stomach acid, in other words hydrochloric acid (HCL), is ineffective at breaking down food that hasn’t been chewed properly. To add to the problem, 50% of people with autoimmunity don’t have enough HCL in their stomachs in the first place.

When enzyme-free, undigested food enters the small intestine, everything falls upon the poor overworked pancreas. The pancreas is forced to draw reserves from the entire body in order to provide enough enzymes for digestion. This problem is so significant that studies show virtually all Americans have an enlarged pancreas by age 40. With this kind of strain on the insulin-producing pancreas, it is amazing we all don’t have diabetes.

If you are eating food that has been cooked or processed in any way, you need to chew your food properly and take digestive enzyme supplements with every meal. This is vital for diabetics. Your pancreas is already unable to keep up with demands placed upon it.

Digestive enzyme deficiencies may cause reduced thyroid hormone production and constipation or hard stools. Also, undigested food leads to toxicity that strains the immune system, but that is not the only significant problem associated with a lack of enzymes. A lack of enzymes contributes to a “cell identity crisis.”

Each cell of the body has a nametag called a cell marker. This nametag or cell marker is what tells the immune system, "Hey, I am part of your body so leave me be." When the nametag is not present, the immune system treats the tissue or system as a foreign invader and attacks. Creating these nametags is an enzyme intensive process. A body that is already straining to produce enough digestive enzymes will not be able to keep up with the other kinds of enzymes it needs. A body that is low on enzymes, will also suffer a nametag shortage, and attack itself. This is a major component in autoimmunity.

On its own, eating cooked and processed foods can cause an enzyme deficiency. However, nutritional deficiencies and toxins can compound the problem. The amino acid L-Lysine is necessary in enzyme production. Often, individuals with Fibromyalgia are lacking L-Lysine. Fluoride and seed oils also block enzyme action.

Digestive enzymes, besides being anti-inflammatory, play yet another vital role in preventing autoimmune dysfunction. Research has found that 80% of people with autoimmune disease suffer from a condition known as hypercoalgulation. Hypercoagulation causes fibrins (or small fibers) to begin coating the inside walls of your blood vessels, capillaries, and arteries. It is believed that this process is set in motion by pathogens, or germs, like viruses, bacteria, and mycoplasmas.

These germs can add insult to injury by causing your oxygen-carrying red blood cells to stick together, which causes further clogging. With our blood vessels clogged by fibrins and sticky red blood cells, the body has a reduced ability to deliver oxygen to the cells. This is a tremendous problem because people with autoimmune dysfunctions, like Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and diabetes, need more, not less oxygen than the average person.

So what do digestive enzymes have to do with hypercaugulation? Taking digestive enzymes between meals and at bedtime can actually clean up the fibrin and sticky red blood cells from the inside of the blood vessels. Additionally, because of their ability to digest foreign proteins, digestive enzymes work to clear out bad bugs like viruses.