Complete November Edition in PDF - E Yorkshire Terriers

CUnderstanding Digestive Enzymes & Probioticsby Nancy Andersonhances are that in recent years you’ve heard about digestive enzymes and probiotics.Why all the buzz? What are they, actually, and why are they being touted as so crucial?Researchers are really only just beginning to understand them and their important roles in the body.Enzymes are catalysts made up of amino acids that enable chemical reactions to occur in the body(such as the breakdown of food, in digestive enzymes). There are different types of enzymes,metabolic and digestive, and within these types, enzymes are further broken down. For example,digestive enzymes are broken down into the different food types that they help to digest; i.e.,protease breaks down proteins, amylase breaks down carbohydrates, and lipase breaks down fats. When notaiding digestion, these enzymes perform other crucial roles; for example, lipase supports hormone productionand gallbladder function. Researchers now believe that the body does not produce digestive enzymes, butstarts out with a supply (or, bank) which is drawn upon when the enzymes needed are not available with thefood entering the digestive tract. Food consumed by animals in the wild contains the enzymes necessary forthe breakdown and digestion of that food. Unfortunately,enzymes are destroyed at temperatures of 1180 or higher, so food that is processed or cooked contains noviable enzymes to help digest it. What happens then? A withdrawal will need to be made from the enzymebank!To further complicate things, metabolic enzymes function throughout the body to enable biochemicalreactions in the cells (remember the Krebs Cycle in high school biology?). They are responsible forevery function in the body - including fighting disease. When enzymes are not available for digestiveprocesses, metabolic enzymes are utilized to aid in processing the food instead of performing the role theyare designed for. This is called enzyme robbing. With the increase in our pets’ chronic health issues since theintroduction of processed food, many are linking it with the lack of enzymes.Farther down the digestive system, we meet the probiotics, which are live microorganisms that live inthe intestines. Also called the “good bacteria” or “flora,” they are continuously interacting with eachother and with the cells lining the intestinal walls, aiding in the assimilation of nutrients. Theseorganisms are also involved constantly with the immune, endocrine, and central nervous systems.While there are over 400 species of bacteria in the gut, probiotics usually fall into two groups,Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium. These overpower and crowd out the bad or pathogenic bacteriawhich may otherwise wreak havoc in the system. Probiotics also stimulate the intestinal immunesystem and produce some vitamins, as well as short-chain fatty acids, amino acids, and antioxidants.Some increase the production of intestinal anti-inflammatory modulators, which is why they areindicated specifically for conditions such as IBS and IBD.Probiotics are destroyed by the use of antibiotics, but they are also destroyed by chemicals such aschlorine, and even stress. So, a pet treated with amoxicillin or doxycycline would benefit bya3D-dayregimen of probiotics, but many would benefit by having them on a continual basis, since evensomething as seemingly harmless as drinking tap water may be wiping out your pet’s good intestinalflora.So, while digestive enzymes and probiotics are distinctly different and function separately in the body, eachplays a significant role in the digestion and assimilation of nutrients, helping to keep your pets healthy. If youhave any questions regarding how they may apply to your pets or to betterunderstand them, feel free to contact me. If we don’t know the answer, we’ll find out for you.Nancy Anderson is a canine herbalist. To learn more, visit her at:http://web.mac.com/canis_major/iWeb/Site/Welcome.html