The Wonderful World of Digestive Enzymes
Have you ever kept white rice in your mouth? After a while it would start to get mushy without any chewing, and eventually it would start to taste sweet. This is due to digestive enzymes in your saliva that break down complex carbohydrates/starch molecules in the white rice into simple sugars such as glucose.
WHAT ARE ENZYMES?
Enzymes are biological catalysts that speed up metabolic reactions such as digestion. Enzymes can be very particular. In the white rice example, the enzyme in the saliva that makes rice sweet will only digest starch. Similarly, it requires a different enzyme to digest protein and another one to digest fat. This is why enzymes are said to be specific.
In school, we teach our students about the key enzymes involved in digestion:
amylases (saliva) and other carbohydrases break down starch into sugar.
proteases (pancreas) break down proteins into amino acids.
lipases (pancreas, mouth, and stomach) break down lipids (fats and oils) into fatty acids and glycerol.
Teaching students about digestive enzymes allows them to think about their diet on a molecular level and how it affects their digestive system. Digestive enzymes help maintain our gut microbiome to ensure digestion is effective. While our bodies’ naturally produce digestive enzymes to help us break down food, what about the benefits of digestive enzyme supplementation?
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN YOUR GUT AND YOUR BRAIN
The discovery of the complexity of the human microbiome has resulted in an ongoing reevaluation of many concepts of health and disease, including diseases affecting the Central Nervous System. As research demonstrated the bidirectional signalling between the brain and the gut microbiome, digestive issues such as bloating or gas may cause a mental strain.
Digestive diseases that affect the stomach and the small intestines such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) may reduce the number of enzymes released by these organs. Digestive enzymes are usually modelled after the primary three enzymes found in our bodies, which is why studies have shown that digestive enzyme supplements help in patients with digestive diseases.
Teaching often means eating meals at the wrong time or having larger meals in a single serving, and these take a toll on your digestive system. Since I started on Arrae’s Bloat capsules, I have been able to keep my digestive system happy and healthy. One of the major things I teach about in Chemistry is the importance of concentration, namely “the dose that makes the poison.” With the amount of naturopathic supplements readily available, it’s hard to feel disenfranchised by it all when they don’t work. But Arrae’s formula with a mixture of five herbs and a fruit-based digestive enzyme has the right concentration that worked wonders for me. I function better and have less head fog. Now, these capsules are part of my teacher wellness kit.
What are some of your teacher wellness must-haves?
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Hi, I’m Isabella
I’m a chemistry teacher with a demonstrated history of working in the secondary education and non-profit industries. I have taught students with diverse backgrounds in three different countries. As a recognized Apple Distinguished Educator and Google for Education Trainer, I am skilled in educational technology, curriculum design and assessment delivery. Through this platform, I hope to share my expertise in using technology to help engage students in new ways.