Proteolytic Enzyme Therapy
Enzymes are complex proteins that catalyze metabolic reactions throughout the body, and sufficient levels are required for optimizing many of the body’s functions.
Although the body produces its own supply of enzymes, the amount produced can vary from person to person and is affected by age, diet, biochemistry and stress.
Enzymes fall into three broad categories: metabolic enzymes, manufactured by cells to carry out various functions; digestive enzymes, primarily manufactured by the pancreas to digest foods and absorb nutrients and food enzymes; and exogenous (from outside the body) enzymes from plants and animals, also necessary for aiding and accelerating digestion.
Proteases and proteolytic enzymes play fundamental roles in multiple biological processes and are associated with a wide variety of pathological conditions, including cancer. Studies have demonstrated that systemic enzyme therapy significantly decreased tumor-induced and therapy-induced side effects and complaints such as nausea, gastrointestinal complaints, fatigue, weight loss, and restlessness and obviously stabilized the quality of life.
Studies have also highlighted the efficacy of systemic proteolytic enzyme therapy for a variety of uses, including maintaining normal inflammatory balance, nasal passage health, bronchial health, musculoskeletal health and exercise-related recovery. In vitro, animal and human data show that proteolytic enzyme therapies are capable of cleaving immune complexes, which are known inflammatory mediators.
