Also known as digestive enzyme therapy, pancreatic enzyme therapy, systemic enzyme therapy, proteolytic enzyme therapy.
When our body is functioning optimally our cells naturally produce approximately 10,000 different enzymes. Enzymes are proteins that regulate many biological processes in the body. Enzymes are essential for normal metabolic function. ‘Metabolic’ refers to metabolism which is the chemical and physical processes that are always ongoing inside living organisms and cells. It includes building up protoplasm out of food consumed and breaking down the protoplasm into waste matter or simpler forms during which energy is released for use in vital processes.
Digestive enzymes (mainly produced by the pancreas) help with the breakdown of food and with the absorption of nutrients into the blood. The buildup of new cells and the repair of damaged cells in the blood, tissues and organs are regulated by metabolic enzymes. Metabolic enzymes also digest pathogens and carcinogens. A chronic deficiency of enzymes weakens the immune system, contributes to illness and ultimately promotes diseases such as cancer.
Pathogens, including cancer cells, are hard for the immune system to recognize as these cells are coated with a protein layer and appear as protein to the body. This coating of fibrin around cancer cells and pathogens are also much thicker than normal cell membranes. This is where metabolic enzymes are needed to digest the protein layer of these cells and to expose the foreign cells to the immune system. The majority of enzymes for this purpose are proteases. They are proteolytic enzymes and possess the capability to break down proteins. When large quantities of proteolytic enzymes are available they can digest the protective fibrin layer around cancer cells which assists the immune system in recognizing the cells for what they are.
Enzyme therapy involves taking enzyme supplements to ensure large amounts of enzymes available to the body. The pancreas produces most of the body’s enzymes and is often overworked due to eating a diet of mostly cooked and processed foods. Supplementing with metabolic enzymes supports the ‘tired’ pancreas and helps to conserve its enzyme supplies. Unlike digestive enzymes, metabolic enzymes are taken on an empty stomach in between meals to facilitate their entry into the bloodstream. The success of enzyme therapy to digest cancer cells and support immune function is dependent on treatment over an extended period of time.
Metabolic therapies in alternative cancer treatment that incorporate enzyme therapy that are notable are: the Gerson Therapy, Dr. Donald Kelley’s program and the program of Dr. Nicholas Gonzalez.
According to Dr. Max Gerson, –
“Pancreatin is given four times a day, three tablets each time. So they [patients] always have plenty of trypsin, pepsin, lipase, and diastase in their systems. The blood can carry this around and digest the tumor masses wherever they may be.”
Dr. Kelley briefly defines pancreatic function and purpose as follows:
A. Carbohydrate (Sugar) Metabolism
If this pancreatic function fails, the resulting disease process is what we call diabetes.
B. Production of Digestive Enzymes:
- Amylase, which digests starches, glycogen and other carbohydrates.
- Lipase, which digests fats.
- Protease, which digests proteins. If this pancreatic function fails, the resulting disease process is called:
- a. Cystic Fibrosis (usually in children) and/or;
- b. Malnutrition, starvation, cachexia, wasting, or emaciation (usually in adults).
C. To Digest or Cannibalize:
- The intercellular metabolic waste and toxic metabolic materials.
- The intracellular waste products and dead or dysfunctional normal cells.
- The normal dormant pre-placenta cells as they become cancer cells.
When this pancreatic function fails we have the resulting disease process we call cancer.