Hi everybody,

I had bought an enzyme supplement months ago. E3 Enzymes Supreme specifically. I've started carrying it around with me and using it in cases where I eat cooked or processed food. I've put it on pizza for example.

My understanding of what the enzyme supplement does is that it literally digests whatever food it was sprinkled on. In my mind it's like eating something and having it liquify a great deal before it reaches the acidic core of my natural digestive system.

I found myself imagining that since I'd ingested pizza with the enzyme supplement, that it was comparable to juicing pizza, the cheese the cooked oil and junk flour going straight into my blood stream and getting deposited wherever unnatural alien substances are deposited for emergency famine situations.

So that made me wonder, if I had not used the enzyme supplement, maybe the pizza would just go out the other end without being absorbed as much although requiring more energy to digest and pass through?

The idea of the enzyme supplement is that it makes digestion and absorption easier, but is this desirable if the food in question is junk?

The ideal situation is to not eat processed/cooked food in the first place, but the question still stands.

Can anyone clear this up for me?

Doubt the pizza would just go the other end - i think it'll get absorbed just as much without enzymes it will only take longer.

One thing is I wouldnt sprinkle enzymes on your pizza, unless you plan to swallow the pizza without chewing. Enzymes have protective coating to help them avoid stomach acid and get to intestines where they do their work; if you chew them you risk breaking that protective coating.

The only way food would just go to the other end is if your digestion was poor i.e low stomach acid, poor bile flow and even then you would likely still breakdown and absorb some of the food.

Digestive enzyme supplements are OK for those who have aren't secreting sufficient levels of pancreatic digestive enzymes but there are better choices such as bitter herbs which stimulate the release rather than substitute them.

Digestive enzymes shouldn't be used long term as they can actually weaken digestion further by making your digestive system lazy.

[www.vegankingdom.co.uk]

A very attractive idea these enzymes.
I can see it now....folks sprinkling them on all their fast food burgers.
How about just training your mind to stay away from all those foods.
Seems like a better option to me.

I laughed my head off starting this thread. My questions are sincere but at the same time it seems kinda ludicrous too.

Chat, I don't get it. How are you supposed to take enzyme supplements if you're not supposed to eat it on the food? I would think people need help with digesting solid food, not liquid food. I have wondered what would happen if you eat something and then drink the enzyme supplement with water or another beverage like orange juice (I guess the acidity of the orange juice would break the protective coating?). Are enzyme supplements different than meat tenderizer products?

Powerlifer, I've heard mention of the bitter herbs. What are you referring to when you say this? Any herb that is bitter? As far as I know my digestive juices are just fine, should I still check out bitter herbs? Or should I wait until I've grown old?

Eaglefly,
I'm not trying to weasel my way out of eating healthy nutritious food, quite the contrary. Regardless, under situations of extreme stress I lose control over my diet. I do not want to waste the supplement I bought either.

I originally bought the supplement when I saw a youtube video of a guy adding the supplement to green smoothies. It sounds like it's borderline appropriate for that scenario. I'd gladly give the supplement to someone who needs it if it's not appropriate for me to use it.

adamlogan Wrote:
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> Chat, I don't get it. How are you supposed to take
> enzyme supplements if you're not supposed to eat
> it on the food? I would think people need help
> with digesting solid food, not liquid food. I have
> wondered what would happen if you eat something
> and then drink the enzyme supplement with water or
> another beverage like orange juice (I guess the
> acidity of the orange juice would break the
> protective coating?). Are enzyme supplements
> different than meat tenderizer products?

You take them as you eat the food, not necessarily on it You can swallow them with small amount of water or juice, or you can scoop a bit of something dip-like consistency in a spoon, sprinkle enzymes on top, and swallow the lot. As long as you don't chew them they will be fine.

Acidic juice such as orange or lemon is generally not recommended if you are eating heavy food, as far as I remember but I may be wrong!

Adam,

It's E3 Live, not Sensa! It won't make things magically not digest

Ah thanks chat. That's interesting about the acidic juice and heavy food. I'm glad you told me about the protective coating on the supplement. I am a salsa addict, I juice and blend lemons regularly too so I gotta be careful about my digestive lining.

Tamukha,
I'm a skinny guy, I'm 135 lbs as is. I could benefit from putting on a little bit of lean muscle mass, certainly not lose any more weight. I'm just striving towards a healthier saner me that's all. I've relapsed lately but I'm recovering. I brought the e3 supreme out of the cupboards to try and cut my losses so to speak. E3 Supreme is a different product than E3 Live.

Never heard of Sensa till you mentioned it. Nothing replaces reasonable exercise and nutrition, but yeah it sounds like sensa would be a nice compliment. I think I'd be better off eating more avocados though.

Oh speaking of which I read recently that enzyme supplements usually have Papain from Papaya and Bromelain from Pineapple. So I figure why not just eat a bit of pineapple with my meals. Pineapple is a great addition to my smoothies.

I'm a kid in a candy store on this forum. I love learning about all the benefits of various foods and stuff.

Adam,

Quote

Oh speaking of which I read recently that enzyme supplements usually have Papain from Papaya and Bromelain from Pineapple. So I figure why not just eat a bit of pineapple with my meals. Pineapple is a great addition to my smoothies.

Exactly!

adamlogan Wrote:
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> Powerlifer, I've heard mention of the bitter
> herbs. What are you referring to when you say
> this? Any herb that is bitter? As far as I know my
> digestive juices are just fine, should I still
> check out bitter herbs? Or should I wait until
> I've grown old?

Thats right Adam any bitter herb and must come into contact with the back of the tongue which is where the bitter receptors are located. This stimulates the vagus nerve to release stomach acid, pancreatic digestive enzymes, improves bile flow thus improving fat digestion and "flushes" the liver.

I like bitters because they help keep you're digestion tip top aswell as that they are one of the best and safest methods for cleansing the liver. Really up to you whether you think including bitter herbs is worthwhile, as we age our stomach acid naturally lowers so bitters can be helpful to stimulate the release.

I prefer using bitters to stimulate the release of the above rather than substitute it in the way digestive enzymes do or betaine HCL etc. Sometimes these are needed but bitters are a safer more natural option.

[www.vegankingdom.co.uk]

What do you tend to use for bitters Powerlifer? Are you purchasing liquid extracts?

I just read in THeSt0rm's thread Do Greens Slow Digestion? that lemon juice inhibits indigestion. I'm kind of surprised. I thought that lemon juice was corrosive in nature since it's acidic.

I know so little. Good thing I'm here =).

~Adam

For bitters i have so many different herbal powders on hand that i tend to just use a little bitter powder such as artichoke leaf, bitters need to come in contact with the back of the tongue.

But sometimes i will use the liquid bitter formulas, i tend to give swedish bitters a swerve because they contain stimulant laxative herbs which weaken bowel function. Chinese or grape bitters are a better choice.

I am of a different opinion, lemon juice can actually aid digestion by increasing stomach acid.

[www.vegankingdom.co.uk]

I believe that all citrus is actually base-forming or has an alkaline affect in the body. Just cause the fruit contains citric acid doesn't make it acid-forming. Please correct me if wrong, but all my research says this. Also, all animal products are acid-forming in the body. Oh, not all, as I think that oysters are alkaline and the exception.

Now, regarding an aid to improving stomach acid, I'm not sure if the alkaline affect of citrus is after or before digestion, cause I also thought it aided digestion. Does anyone know?

Cheers, jalan

Both is true Jalan, the citric acid aids digestion initially and as such is helpful for those with low stomach acid.

I found lemon water to be great for digestion other than it really is quite harsh on the teeth. Brushing a while after is a good idea or at the least rinsing the mouth with water.

[www.vegankingdom.co.uk]

Thanks Powerlifer, that was helpful.


I'm pretty sure that lemons are acidic, but the body's reaction to it is alkaline (the acidic lemon is converted to alkaline ash once digested). I've been juicing or blending lemons quite a bit and from what I can tell it's definitely a plus for my health although I don't know if it slows or speeds up digestion, my impression was that it speeds it up if anything. But it's hard for me to tell since I usually have it with water, or with fruits that are naturally high in enzymes.

I'm gonna keep consuming lemons for sure. I'll ask people at my health food store about bitters later maybe. No point in fixing what's not broken, but it's good to know about ahead of time. I think I'll use up the e3 enzymes intermittently until it's gone. My parents would probably benefit more from using it, especially my step dad.

Anyways I think that about does it for me on this topic. Thanks for responding everybody.

Sweet, and thanks for posting, as the degree of knowledge on this forum is astounding. I've neverrrr seen a forum such as this, and thx powerlifter for clearing that up for me. I remember that I used to have a hot freshly squeezed lemon drink with a little honey each and every night prior to retiring. Even though at that time I wasn't raw vegan, I NEVER got a cold or flu or any other viral thing. Actually, I might start that up again....Oh, would the heat be a no-no??? It's very tempting as it's heading into winter over here.

Cheers, jalan