In order to understand systemic proteolytic enzymes, it is important to have a basic understanding of enzymes and how they work in the body. Enzymes are proteins that facilitate chemical reactions in living organisms. They are required for every single chemical action, called metabolism, in the body. All of your tissues, muscles, bones, organs, and cells are run by enzymes. Without enzymes, human life would seek to exist. Cell metabolism is the process by which living cells take in nutrients, eliminate waste, and maintain life. The vast majority of metabolic enzymes in the body are proteases or proteolytic enzymes. A healthy supply of these proteins specific enzymes is essential for sustaining and maintaining optimal health.
If the enzymes breakdown process happens in your gut, we call the enzymes “digestive” because they help us digest our food. Systemic enzymes have a completely different purpose. When taking specially coated enzymes – capsules with enteric coating – on an empty stomach, the enzymes pass through the stomach or intestine lining and enter the circulatory stem. This is why they are called “systemic”. Once they enter the bloodstream, systemic enzymes circulate throughout the body. Systemic Proteolytic Enzymes come from three sources.
- Animal-based such as Pancreatin
- Plant-based such as Bromelain and Papain
- Fungus-based such as Aspergillus.
One of the most important things that systemic enzymes do is breakdown excess fibrin in your circulatory system and in other connective tissue, such as your muscles. These enzymes bring nutrients and oxygen-rich blood that remove the metabolic waste produced by inflammation and excess fibrin. Some possible indicators of excess fibrin include:
- chronic fatigue
- Slow healing
- Inflammation
- Aches and Pain
- Elevated blood pressure.
If you have an injury, and your blood flow is restricted, the exchange of nutrients and oxygen will be limited and there may be a long recovery process with increased pain and inflammation. Whenever you are recovering from an injury or surgery, the body uses fibrin to help heal itself. The only problem is that with poor blood flow and a lack of enzyme activity, fibrin will start to buildup. If the area is slow to heal, an excess of fibrin will appear as clumps of scar tissue in and around the muscle. One way the body compensates from lack of blood flow and from fibrin restriction is by forcing the heart to work harder thereby increasing blood pressure.
One great property of enzymes is that when taken properly they go to work immediately. A major difference between enzymes and vitamins is the way they are measured. Enzymes are not measured by weight like most substances. They are measured in Units of Fibrinolytic Activity which means how much fibrin they break down in a set amount of time. Never buy an enzyme-based on purely the amount of the substance. Just because there is a large amount of the enzyme-based on weight does not mean there will be enough activity to relieve a health problem.
Remember, enzymes are supporting the healing process, so recovery from any condition is going to take time. You don’t just start taking enzymes and expect to get better immediately. By using SPE’s as part of a well-planned recovery process, you are committing to doing what it takes to make improvements in a long-term health program for the rest of your life.