THE HEALING POWER OF PROTEOLYTIC ENZYMES

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THE HEALING POWER OF PROTEOLYTIC ENZYMES

 

 

Introduction

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Proteolytic enzymes (or proteases) refer to the various enzymes that

digest (break down into smaller units) protein. These enzymes include

the pancreatic proteases chymotrypsin and trypsin, bromelain (pineapple

enzyme), papain (papaya enzyme), fungal proteases, and Serratia

peptidase (the “silk worm” enzyme).

 

Preparations of proteolytic enzymes have been shown to be useful in the

following situations:

 

Cancer

Digestion support

Fibrocystic breast disease

Food allergies

 

Hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis)

 

Hepatitis C

Herpes zoster (shingles)

Inflammation, sports injuries and trauma

Pancreatic insufficiency

Multiple sclerosis

Rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune disorders

Sinusitis, asthma, bronchitis, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

 

 

Proteolytic enzymes in cancer therapy

 

Proteolytic enzymes have a long history of use in cancer treatment. In

1906, John Beard, a Scottish embryologist, reported on the successful

treatment of cancer using a pancreatic extract in his book The Enzyme

Treatment of Cancer and its Scientific Basis.

 

Proteolytic enzymes have been promoted by numerous alternative cancer

practitioners for many years, but most recently by Nicholas Gonzalez,

M.D., who is evaluating the benefit of proteolytic enzymes in patients

with advanced pancreatic cancer in a large-scale study, funded by the

National Institute of Health's National Center for Complementary and

Alternative Medicine, with collaboration from the National Cancer

Institute. This larger trial is a follow-up to a smaller study that

showed dramatic improvements in these patients.1

 

What clinical research has been done with proteolytic enzymes in cancer?

 

 

The clinical research that currently exists on proteolytic enzymes

suggests significant benefits in the treatment of many forms of cancer.2

Specifically these studies have shown improvements in the general

condition of patients, quality of life, and modest to significant

improvements in life expectancy. Studies have consisted of patients with

cancers of the breast lung, stomach, head and neck, ovaries, cervix, and

colon; and lymphomas and multiple myeloma.

 

These studies involved the use of proteolytic enzymes in conjunction

with conventional therapy (surgery, chemotherapy and/or radiation)

indicating that proteolytic enzymes can be used safely and effectively

with these treatments.

 

Proteolytic enzymes are not recommended for at least two days before or

after a surgery as they may increase the risk of bleeding.

 

Proteolytic enzymes have been shown to be quite helpful in speeding up

post-surgical recovery and relieving a complication of surgery and

radiation known as lymphedema.

 

Are proteolytic enzymes actually absorbed?

 

Yes. One of the outdated arguments against the effectiveness of orally

administered proteolytic enzymes was that they either got digested or

they were too large to be absorbed.

 

Absorption studies with the various proteolytic enzymes have confirmed

that they are absorbed intact. In fact, they appear to be actively

transported across the gut wall.3

 

Since stomach acid can destroy proteolytic enzymes, the best formulas

are “enteric coated” – meaning that the pills have a coating around them

to prevent the pill from being broken down in the stomach.

 

An enteric-coated pill passes into the small intestine, where due to

the pH change it will break down there.

 

Can taking proteolytic enzymes actually improve digestion?

 

Yes, in fact, using enzyme preparations to support proper digestive

function is used in conventional medicine in cases of pancreatic

insufficiency and cystic fibrosis (a rare inherited disorder).

 

Pancreatic insufficiency is characterized by impaired digestion,

malabsorption, nutrient deficiencies, and abdominal discomfort.

 

Do the proteolytic enzymes digest blood proteins?

 

NO! There are special factors in the blood that block the enzymes so

that they do not digest blood proteins.

 

How do the proteolytic enzymes help autoimmune conditions like

rheumatoid arthritis?

 

The benefits in some inflammatory conditions appears to be related to

helping the body breakdown immune complexes formed between antibodies

produced by the immune system and the compounds they bind to (antigens).

 

 

Conditions associated with high levels of immune complexes in the blood

are often referred to as “autoimmune diseases” and include such diseases

as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, scleroderma, and multiple sclerosis.

 

Higher levels of circulating immune complexes are also seen in

ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, and AIDS.4-6

 

What other conditions might proteolytic enzymes be helpful for?

 

The list of conditions benefited by pancreatic enzyme supplementation

seems to be growing all the time. For example, one potential use is in

the treatment of viral related illness including hepatitis C and herpes

simplex infections.

 

For example, in one study in the treatment of herpes zoster (shingles)

an orally administered proteolytic enzyme preparation was more effective

than the standard drug therapy (acyclovir).8

 

In a study in patients with hepatitis C, proteolytic enzymes were shown

to be slightly superior to alpha-interferon in improving laboratory

values and symptoms.9

 

Proteolytic enzymes also appear to be quite helpful in recovery from

surgery, fibrocystic breast disease, acute and chronic sinusitis and

bronchitis, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma.10-13

 

What proteolytic enzyme product do you recommend?

 

In order to get the most out of proteolytic enzymes it is essential to

use a high quality product at an adequate dosage. To judge the quality

of an enzyme preparation it is important to know what you are looking

for.

 

Most of the proteolytic enzymes have well established guidelines

developed by the United States Pharmacopoeia (USP) or the Food Chemical

Codex (FCC). The product that I recommend contains the following

ingredients per enteric-coated tablet. It is more than twice as potent

as other popular preparations:

 

Pancreatin (8X) 200 mg.

Papain (30,000 USP/mg) 120 mg.

Peptizyme SP (200,000 SPU/g) 52 mg.

Bromelain (1,200 MCU/g) 50 mg.

 

Pancreatin refers to pancreatic enzyme preparations prepared from fresh

hog pancreas. The two primary proteases of pancreatin are chymotrypsin

and trypsin (also available from ox bile).

 

Papain and bromelain are proteolytic derived from papaya and pineapple,

respectively.

 

Peptizyme SP (a special serrapeptase) is derived from a bacteria that

resides in the intestines of silk worms. It is also called “silk worm”

enzyme as it is the enzyme used to breakdown the cocoon of the silk

worm.

 

The Miracle Enzyme

 

Dr. Han’s Nieper, a legendary medical doctor known for his extensive use

of proteolytic enzymes, called serrapeptase the “Miracle Enzyme.”

 

Dr. Nieper used the enzyme primarily to open up clogged arteries

supplying the brain.

 

This enzyme is more powerful than the pancreatic enzymes chymotrypsin

and trypsin. It has been used in Europe and Japan for over 25 years. As

evident in Table 1, good clinical results have been demonstrated in

clinical trials.

 

In addition to its general anti-inflammatory effects, it is particularly

beneficial in fibrocystic breast disease as well as upper respiratory

tract conditions like sinusitis, bronchitis, asthma, and chronic

obstructive pulmonary disease due to its ability to improve the

structure and function of the mucus lining.10-13

 

Table 1. Clinical results from trials with the “Miracle Enzyme”

Condition Cases % Effectiveness

 

Post-surgical swelling 742 88.5%

Sports injuries/trauma 208 87.5%

Inflammatory disease 906 77%

COPD/Bronchitis 556 74%

Enhancement of antibiotic 124 79%

ENT infection and inflammation 140 97.3%

Fibrocystic breast disease 70 85.7%

 

What is the proper dosage of proteolytic enzymes?

 

The typical dosage for the formula listed above is one to three capsules

10-20 minutes before meals or on an empty stomach when non-digestive

effects are desired.

 

If it is being taken for digestive support, then it can be taken just

before meals.

 

Are proteolytic enzymes preparations safe?

 

Proteolytic enzymes are generally well-tolerated and are not associated

with any significant side effects. Even in people with presumably normal

pancreatic function, taking proteolytic enzymes produced no untoward

side effects nor did it reduce the capacity for these subjects to

produce their own pancreatic enzymes.14 However, my recommendation is to

utilize these preparations only when there is apparent need.

 

Although no significant side effects have been noted with any of the

proteolytic enzymes, allergic reactions may occur (as with most

therapeutic agents).

 

Pancreatic enzymes should not be used by anyone allergic to pork;

bromelain should not be used in anyone allergic to pineapple; and papain

should not be used in anyone sensitive to papaya.

 

References:

 

Gonzalez NJ, Isaacs LL: Evaluation of pancreatic proteolytic enzyme

treatment of adenocarcinoma of the pancreas, with nutrition and

detoxification support. Nutr Cancer 1999;33:117-24.

Leipner J, Saller R: Systemic enzyme therapy in oncology: effect and

mode of action. Drugs. 2000;59:769-80.

Ambrus JL, et al.: Absorption of exogenous and endogenous proteolytic

enzymes. Clin Pharmacol Therap 1967;8:362-8.

Mazurov VI, et al. Beneficial effects of concomitant oral enzymes in the

treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Int J Tiss React 1997;19:91.

Ransberger K: Enzyme treatment of immune complex diseases. Arthritis

Rheuma 1986;8:16-9.

Steffen C, et al.: Enzyme therapy in comparison with immune complex

determinations in chronic polyarteritis. Rheumatologie 1985;44:51-6.

Ransberger K, van Schaik W: Enzyme therapy in multiple sclerosis. Der

Kassenarzt 1986;41:42-5.

Kleine MW, et al.: The intestinal absorption of orally administered

hydrolytic enzymes and their effects in the treatment of acute herpes

zoster as compared with those of oral acyclovir therapy. Phytomedicine

1995;2:7-15.

Kabil SM, Stauder G: Oral enzyme therapy in hepatitis C patients. Int J

Tiss React 1997;19:97-8.

Esch PM, Gerngross H, Fabian A: Reduction of postoperative swelling.

Objective measurement of swelling of the upper ankle joint in treatment

with serrapeptase-a prospective study (German). Fortschr Med.

1989;107(4):67-8, 71-2.

Kee WH, et al.: The treatment of breast engorgement with Serrapeptase

(Danzen): a randomized double-blind controlled trial. Singapore Med J

1989;30(1):48-54.

Mazzone A, et al.: Evaluation of Serratia peptidase in acute or chronic

inflammation of otorhinolaryngology pathology: a multicentre,

double-blind, randomized trial versus placebo. J Int Med Res 1990;

18(5):379-88.

Majima Y, et al.: The effect of an orally administered proteolytic

enzyme on the elasticity and viscosity of nasal mucus. Arch

Otorhinolaryngol. 1988;244(6):355-9.

Friess H, et al.: Influence of high-dose pancreatic enzyme treatment on

pancreatic function in healthy volunteers. Int J Pancreatol

1998;23:115-23

 

 

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