Ayurveda and digestive enzymes

[Guest guest]

I am suffering from indigestion, acne and underweight. Bloated feeling

on having wheat, diary and other food sensitivities. Currently having

arogyavardhini, ashwagandha and chyawanprash. But not total relief. A

nutritionist has suggested to have digestive enzymes and probiotics

with meals. What is the view of ayurveda on supplementing with

digestive enzymes - will it hinder the bodys ability to produce

enzymes on its own later?

[Guest guest]

do you eat curd daily?

 

If so you may not have much need for digestive enzymes. Prefer pranayama to

that.

 

______________________________

nutritionist has suggested to have digestive enzymes and probiotics

with meals. What is the view of ayurveda on supplementing with

digestive enzymes - will it hinder the bodys ability to produce

enzymes on its own later?

[Guest guest]

It can be said that digestive enzymes is a part of what is called

jathara agni, the ayurvedic term for the digestive fire. They are

produced by the liver and pancreas. Ayurveda has no view on digestive

enzymes, as they are a recent discovery and therefore not described as

such in the ayurvedic litterature.

 

If you want to pursue ayurvedic healing for your symptoms, you have to

consult an ayurvedic physician for proper diagnosis and treatment

with appropriate remedies.

 

Digestive enzymes and probiotics are very beneficial for digestive

conditions, but is a not a panacea. These may very well be related to

your problems, but there could be other factors as well.

 

I would suggest both.

_______________________________

What is the view of ayurveda on supplementing with

digestive enzymes - will it hinder the bodys ability to produce

enzymes on its own later?

[Guest guest]

it was my understanding that this is one of the reasons for drinking

a lassi every day.

 

much tastier than taking a pill too (and probably less expensive).

 

and oh, when you use homemade yogurt, it's absolutely delicious!!!

 

Patti Garland

Ayurvedic Chef and LifeStyle Coach

Bliss Kitchen

http://www.BlissKitchen.com

(760) 902-7020

_______________________________

Digestive enzymes and probiotics are very beneficial for digestive

conditions, but is a not a panacea. These may very well be related to

your problems, but there could be other factors as well.

 

I would suggest both.

[Guest guest]

There are no digestive enzymes in cooked foods. Regarding probiotic cultures in

foods, Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus are the classic

yogurt starter cultures. However, neither survives the initial digestion phases

particularly well, and neither reaches the gastrointestinal tract in great

numbers. For this reason, some do not consider them probiotics. Most people,

however, point to the intermittent evidence that these two bacteria can improve

lactose digestion in some individuals and may help promote a healthy immune

system, so they are usually classified as probiotics. For a culture to be

considered genuinely probiotic, it must be safe to eat, remain alive for the

shelf life of the product and be present in a high enough quantity to have a

beneficial effect.

 

Patti Garland <patti wrote: it was my understanding

that this is one of the reasons for drinking

a lassi every day.

[Guest guest]

Here is a good overview article about probiotics in foods and their functions

 

http://www.thenibble.com/reviews/nutri/probiotic-food.asp#available

 

I have good experience with probiotic supplements and enzymes, especially

those from Garden of Life.

 

If one is eating cooked foods, the digestive enzymes are destroyed. Digestive

enzymes added to cooked foods will restore the balance and free up the body to

make less digestive enzymes and in turn more metabolic enzymes which is

beneficial for many conditions. Eating raw foods will supply the enzymes in

their natural form.

From a vedic perpective, raw foods were always the " Paramahansa " diet,

bramachari's forbidden to cook til Brahman initiation, Sannyasi's are no longer

allowed to use fire. Vannaprasti's learn gradually how to live more on raw

forest roots and leaves etc. However there are certain texturing skills and

flavoring with various spices so that the different Vata/Kapha/Pitta

constitutions will remain in balance..

[Guest guest]

Ayurveda does have a reference to digestive juices ( enzymes) besides digestive

fire.

This is named is PAACHAKA PITTA, one of the five main sub-types of Pitta Dosha,

the other four being RANJAK, SAADHAK, ALOCHAK and BHRAAJAK.

According to modern physiology, digestive enzymes start from the mouth itself.

The salivary secretions from mouth, gastric secretions from stomach, secretions

from liver and pancreas and secretions from small intestines all contribute

collectively as digestive enzymes.

Just a update.

 

Dr.D.B.Muzumdar

M.D.Ayurveda-Medicine (Maharashtra,INDIA)

http://indiamart.com/dhanwantariayurvedic

< dahpc >

_________________

 

It can be said that digestive enzymes is a part of what is called

jathara agni, the ayurvedic term for the digestive fire. They are

produced by the liver and pancreas. Ayurveda has no view on digestive

enzymes, as they are a recent discovery and therefore not described as

such in the ayurvedic litterature.

[Guest guest]

hi ole (haven't heard from you in awhile!)

 

the idea that enzymes in food make a big difference to our digestion

i think is a mistaken notion

 

an understanding of basic digestive physiology will tell you that

enzymes are proteins, and as such, all proteins will undergo

denaturation in the gut - in other words, the comparatively small

amounts of naturally occurring enzymes in raw food contribute

minimally to overall digestion simply because they are rendered inert

and are broken down into their individual constituents during the

digestive process

 

the notion of the importance of enzymes in food i think is way

overestimated, and has absolutely no tradition or hard science behind it

 

almost the entire thrust of this movement is based on a book called

" Enzyme Nutrition, " by Dr. Edward Howell, who provides very little

evidence to support his contention, but as we see in the alternative

health field, there is little critical assessment of such mythologies

and once adapted as " truth " are very difficult to overcome, and now,

there is a whole generation of people eating raw food based on this

mistaken and quite frankly outdated theories

 

for a balanced scientific appraisement of these theories see:

 

http://beyondveg.com/tu-j-l/raw-cooked/raw-cooked-2b.shtml#enzymes

 

unpasteurized fermented foods (e.g. kefir, yogurt, saurkraut,

vinegar, etc) contain probiotic organisms that restore a proper

ecological balance in the gut which support digestion, but these are

not enzymes per se

 

also, fresh whole foods contain an abundance of other nutrients that

assist digestion, such as fiber, or nutrients that generally support

health, including vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, etc. - this is

why people feel better eating whole, properly prepared foods (rather

than preserved and overcooked food)

 

sometimes we do use what are basically pharmaceutical grade highly

concentrated digestive enzymes to restore digestion, but in my

opinion this should be reserved for people that have chronically weak

digestion even after the normal methods of dietary adjustment fail,

or in the elderly, who may not be producing enough digestive juice

period (including HCl and bile) - there are also other uses for such

products, such as in the reduction of inflammation in arthritis or

other inflammatory states

 

healthy people however should not need to take digestive enzymes

 

in ayurveda, there is no notion that we need to take digestive

enzymes, and further, there is the consideration that improperly

prepared foods (i.e. undercooked) are more difficult to digest - the

one exception to this in my opinion are animal products, which

actually are better consumed raw and minimally cooked

 

rather than worry about digestive enzymes, we should seek to

strengthen agni by avoiding foods that produce ama, and by eating

foods and taking herbs that naturally stimulate the digestion

(dipana) and " cook " ama (pachana) - so much attention is given to

digestion in ayurveda, that it doesn't necessarily need help from the

idea of using digestive enzymes, although as i point out above, there

are times when they can be very helpful

 

best...

Caldecott

todd

www.toddcaldecott.com

_

 

If one is eating cooked foods, the digestive enzymes are destroyed.

Digestive enzymes added to cooked foods will restore the balance

and free up the body to make less digestive enzymes and in turn

more metabolic enzymes which is beneficial for many conditions.

Eating raw foods will supply the enzymes in their natural form.

From a vedic perpective, raw foods were always the " Paramahansa "

diet, bramachari's forbidden to cook til Brahman initiation,

Sannyasi's are no longer allowed to use fire. Vannaprasti's learn

gradually how to live more on raw forest roots and leaves etc.

However there are certain texturing skills and flavoring with

various spices so that the different Vata/Kapha/Pitta constitutions

will remain in balance..

[Guest guest]

hi todd

 

I am afraid you are mistaken. There is good hard evidence to support the use

of digestive enzymes. One example is found here:

 

http://www.nationalenzyme.com/data_files/TNO_Research_Web.pdf

 

The beyond article you are referring to is quite biased based on a negative

agenda towards raw foods. There are very little arguments and a lot of claims. I

should be able to post a rebuttal of their arguments here in the near future.

 

Thanks,

 

Ole

 

_

 

the idea that enzymes in food make a big difference to our digestion

i think is a mistaken notion

 

an understanding of basic digestive physiology will tell you that

enzymes are proteins, and as such, all proteins will undergo

denaturation in the gut - in other words, the comparatively small

amounts of naturally occurring enzymes in raw food contribute

minimally to overall digestion simply because they are rendered inert

and are broken down into their individual constituents during the

digestive process<snip>

[Guest guest]

Hi Ole,

 

I am not to sure about this study. From a biochemical point of view

you have to look at the big picture - hormonal interaction,

bacterial population,pH, ion concentration, absorption rates etc. One

can only really test for most of these paramaters " in vivo " rather

than " in vitro " .

From my experience I have found that patients/clients using

these " mock-enzymes " have had little benefit from them, but working

from the basic Ayurvedic principles has reaped greater benefits.

 

Ray

 

_____________

There is good hard evidence to support the use of digestive enzymes. One

example:

 

http://www.nationalenzyme.com/data_files/TNO_Research_Web.pdf

 

The beyond article you are referring to is quite biased based on

a negative agenda towards raw foods.

[Guest guest]

Anything processed, manufactured by human hands or machines is less

than the original offered by God. And do not believe this author.

Test the truth on your own experience, the ultimate GURU.

 

When a natural vegetable/fruit is processed, heated, or something is

added to preserve it, it looses nutriotional value or its enzymes.

So if we have to preserve something we cant heat it.

 

Enzymes are lost even by vaccum drying or drying under sunlight.

 

Take any vegetable such as bottle gourd. Health benifits of bottle

gourd are found here:

 

http://www.furtherhealth.com/blog/archives/category/ayurveda/

 

Now allow bottle gourd pieces to dry in vaccum drier. We have not

subjected it to heat. Vaccum drier sucks out only water part,

leaving chemicals intact. If you do not have vaccum drier, use table fan to blow

air over the bottle gourd pieces. Low volatile matter may also vanish. We

will find out by experience.

 

Now after you have dried the pieces, grind them to powder manually,

so that heat is not generated. Let us assume that 1 Kilogram of

Bottle gourd produced 500 gram of powder.

 

now soak 100 gram powder in a cup of 100 ml distilled water

overnight. We have added just the water lost by vaccum drying.

 

Also remove the juice of fresh bottle gourd 200 ml, thus keeping

equivalence by weight. Now both weigh 200 grams, one is fresh

juice, other is powder rehydrated to give us juice.

 

Drink one day fresh juice, next morning soaked water. Do both taste

the same? Which one gives more satisfaction, taste and better

ultimate effect on health? find it out yourself.

 

That is the reason, Vaidyas use fresh herbal juices to coat the hand

made tablets, and tablets are dried in shade. In drying process, hete too, some

enzymes are lost, but then patient cant come to vaidya everyday for fresh juice.

He should take a live herb to his house, and extract juice himself. Since this

is impractical and wasteful, acharyas devised the process so that minimum loss

occurs.

The best example of this is aloe vera juice. You can keep a plant in house and

also buy juice from market and compare their efficacy.

 

The rot to modern medicine was the pill culture, copied by ayurvedic pharmacies

too, many juices are now available ready to drink and we have vaccum dried wheat

grass powder too.

 

The time which could be used to make a fresh juice is used for watching the

breakfast news and scanning the stock prices. Fast lifestyle has taken the

health toll.

 

Certain vegetables/fruit juices are easier to digest raw, than when

they are cooked. You can make a list for your own use based on your

own experience. this kind of knowledge is not looked into texts, but

developed by experiencwe and passed on by one generation to next.

 

_

One

can only really test for most of these paramaters " in vivo " rather

than " in vitro " .

From my experience I have found that patients/clients using

these " mock-enzymes " have had little benefit from them, but working

from the basic Ayurvedic principles has reaped greater benefits.

[Guest guest]

hi ole

 

i'm sorry but this research is kind of silly - how on earth does this

" dynamic gastrointestinal model (TIM) " even come close to the human

digestive tract? a collection of metal tubes, tanks and pipe

fittings... for one thing, where is the ECOLOGY? but maybe i'm being

too harsh - maybe we should ignore several thousand years of

empirical evidence and wait for the machine to tell us what to do... ;-)

 

anyway, if you read my post carefully i have already stated that

digestive enzymes (even those bioengineered from fungi mentioned in

the study) have practical utility in digestive deficiency, and may

need to be taken on a regular basis in chronic digestive impairment,

such as in the elderly (for one thing, to prevent anemia)

 

however, in over a decade of clinical practice i have very rarely

needed anyone to take digestive enzymes longer than a couple months

while simultaneously improving their digestion through diet and herbs

- i use them as a tool, not as an end

 

as for a refutation of the scholarly exegesis on raw foodism/fadism,

i look forward to it

did you read the article i sent? make sure your arguments address

each point

here it is again: http://beyondveg.com/tu-j-l/raw-cooked/raw-

cooked-1a.shtml

 

i will expect the same level of detail

 

and please note that i am not " anti-raw " - the issue is not black and

white:

 

1. some foods are better raw, e.g. most animal products, ripe fruits,

some vegetables, and some kinds of nuts and seed oil

2. some times of the year are better for raw food, for e.g. late

spring and summer

3. some people require more raw foods in the diet, for e.g. pitta

prakriti

 

best...

Caldecott, Dip. Cl.H, RH(AHG)

Ayurvedic practitioner, Medical Herbalist

203 - 1750 East 10th Ave

Vancouver, BC V5N 5K4 CANADA

web: http//:www.toddcaldecott.com

email: todd

tel: (1)778.896.8894

fax: (1)866.703.2792

______________

I am afraid you are mistaken. There is good hard evidence to

support the use of digestive enzymes. One example is found here:

 

http://www.nationalenzyme.com/data_files/TNO_Research_Web.pdf

 

The beyond article you are referring to is quite biased based on a

negative agenda towards raw foods. There are very little arguments

and a lot of claims. I should be able to post a rebuttal of their

arguments here in the near future.