I have been in the juicing/blending section quite a bit for help deciding on a blender & juicer. In my research online about blenders I came across a video a typical Vitamix VS Blendtec comparison.

What was interesting to me is that this is the only video I saw where the presenter uses a digestive enzyme in a smoothie. The specific product is the E3 Enzyme Supreme (8 OZ powder) in particular. I bought it since it sounded like a great idea, almost seems like getting the benefit of juicing (less energy expended digesting food equates to more energy available to my other organs) without the fuss of juicing albeit still suffering loss of nutrition due to oxidization/heating.

## PS ##
Please note that the powder version seems to be missing on that webpage, odd, as I purchased and received my order online just last week. Afaik the ingredients should be the same as the pill form so the info is still thereā€¦

For the record I am not trying to replace a juicer and am seriously thinking about and intending to purchase a high end juicer but the question still stands, should I be using this digestive enzyme in my green smoothies, or even at all with say cooked foods?

Also this thread is a re-post of this thread in the Juicing sub forum. At the prodding of Wheatgrass Yogi I am re-posting here in the main forum where more people might respond. Reading or quoting the other thread is fine but please post here to keep the discussion going in one place.

Im not fond of digestive enzyme products that contain cellulase and hemicellulase, these are fibers which are needed to feed the gut flora amongst other issues and what happens is that these fibers get broken down into excess sugar which has its problems alone.

Enzymes are so easy to make at home using cabbage

[www.eregimens.com]

[www.newmediaexplorer.org]

The commercial powder enzymes are less effective



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/15/2011 11:05AM by madinah.

madinah i think your thinking of probiotics/good bacteria there as you linked cultured/fermented food recipes.

Although like all raw food they do contain enzymes. Not the same thing though as the OP linked. Cultured foods are great though for repopulating the gut flora, and are much better than capsuled/powder probiotics.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/15/2011 11:51AM by powerlifer.

What do E3 Enzymes bring to the table that is not already in raw food? For those who have use them what is the difference?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/15/2011 12:00PM by madinah.

madinah Wrote:
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> What do E3 Enzymes bring to the table that is not
> already in raw food? For those who have use them
> what is the difference?

Digestive enzymes can be of some use in those with weak/poor digestion but substituting for your own supply is not a good idea as long term you can shut down your own supply.

Better choices would be bitter herbs if your having digestive problems which stimulate the release rather than substitute. Or as you linked cultured foods are great for those with weak digestion by repopulating the gut flora and maintaining stomach acidity for proper digestion.

Also like i say above the enzyme formulas mostly always contain cellulase and hemicellulase which will break down fibers into sugar. Fiber is essential and has many functions such as feeding the gut flora, binding to toxins for elimination, bile formation etc.

My question is where is the science behind this? Are there any studies or research showing a digestive enzyme deficiency in humans eating a predominately raw plant based diet? If so, what were the measures/metrics? How did adding E3 Enyzme Supreme improve performance in people? If we've got answers to those questions showing a benefit to the product, that would be one thing. Everything I have read on digestive enzymes in humans suggests we make whatever we need. Our supply is not finite. Open to other data.

Paul

@Madinah

Thanks, never heard of cabbages being used this way. Am pretty much entirely clueless about probiotics and enzymes in general. Definitely jumped the gun on my purchase.

@Powerlifter
Could you give some good examples of what bitter herbs would stimulate the release of enzymes (saliva is the enzyme I take it?).

For me the main draw of the E3 Supreme Enzymes was I thought it was essentially liquifying the blended drink for me partway, and that my digestion system would have a decreased workload. Figured my digestion system was like the core of the Earth magma/acid and the smoothie/enzymes would be molten/absorbed pretty much effortlessly and that would be the end of the story. Guess I was naive to think so.

What I'm wondering now is when stimulation of natural enzymes, or use of artificial enzymes is appropriate, how am I supposed to know, and the same goes for probiotics.

For the last year I've been drinking quite a bit of probiotic beverages thinking you could never drink too much. Was drinking excessive amounts of Kefir (flavored versions), then I added Kombucha as another daily staple beverage I love and kinda moved away from Kefir as I was avoiding dairy.

The reason I was avoiding dairy was because I read an article which stated that we humans are the only species to drink milk after weaning, that it is detrimental to our health once we have reached adult size. I also felt like it was coming out of my pores and I had been struggling with acne forever and Kombucha seemed healthier in comparison.

Now that I am on hardcore acne medication (similar to Acutane) my joints ache incredibly especially my spine which is scary and unpleasant. My mom warned me that maybe I should stop drinking Kombucha since it has caffeine & alcohol, which kind of surprised me it did not occur to me that Kombucha had caffeine in it so I did. Don't think I have noticed much of a difference, but my dosage has increased, and my diet has changed too much recently to keep track of things.

Is the saying "if it aint broke don't fix it" appropriate for introducing enzymes and probiotics in our bodies? Is there a sustainable daily dosage?

There is no real need to supplement enzymes even if you have digestive problems, Bitter herbs or bitter tasting anything works in the same way once it comes in contact with the back of your tongue it stimulates the vagus nerve to release stomach acid, pancreatic enzymes, stimulates the flow of bile and flushes/cleanses the liver.

There is no drawback too drinking alot of kefir or fermented foods, these are great for digestion and immunity. Being that around 70-80% of your immune system is the gut flora its wise to support it. The alcohol levels are rather small and wouldn't even compare to a glass of wine daily.

Yeah for the enzymes, but like i say there is no harm in supporting your gut flora and in turn digestion.

For intestinal flora health, the seminal book on the subject was by Robert Gray, he left us early in a car accident.
[www.amazon.com]