Putting the puzzle of health together would not be complete without the
understanding of enzymes. The physical world, on all levels, is in a continual
process of consumption. One living structure consumes another for part of its
energy source. The consumption of food by animals and humans is just one
small example of this. There is a chemical and biochemical interplay among
all aspects of life. Elements and compounds are constantly being transmuted
(changed) into other compounds or elements. As a rule, the “complex” is
broken down to the “simple.” One example of this would be protein
structures—complex structures that are broken down through digestion (by
enzyme action) into amino acids. Amino acids are simple compounds or basic
building materials used by the body for growth and repair. In another
example, complex-sugars like maltose and sucrose are broken down into a
simple sugar, glucose. These processes are all essential for proper utilization.
However, each life form is unique and will utilize these building materials in
a variety of ways to suit its uniqueness.
Enzymes are the catalysts of all these chemical and biochemical
processes. No chemical or biochemical process can take place without an
enzyme present to initiate this process; whether this process is catabolic
(tearing down) or anabolic (building up). An example of catabolic action
would be digestion (the process described above), where the structures are
broken down into building materials. We also have anabolic building and
rebuilding processes going on in our bodies, such as cellular birth and
cellular repair.
All body processes including liver function, kidney function, immune
and lymphatic response, and the grand communication of the nervous system,
depend upon enzymes to function. Enzymes have been called the
“workforce” of life. They are the laborers, the builders, the construction
workers. They make life happen.
Enzymes are organic catalysts produced by living cells, which act upon
what are called “substrates.” They form a temporary bond with these
substrates and are then referred to as “enzyme substrate complexes.”
Enzymes are like magnets, promoting the formation or destruction of
elements or their substrates to produce the desired product. We need and use
thousands of enzymes throughout the body. Metabolism alone requires
several thousand enzymes. Enzymes can act like some proteins, which means
they can be carriers for nutrients. But they are mainly used as catalysts,
required anytime a chemical action or reaction needs to take place. They also