February 6, 2006

10 Min Read
Functional Living Through Enzymes


Functional Living Through Enzymes
by Somlynn Rorie

Letfood be thy medicine and medicine be thy foodHippocrates

Aconventional diet consisting of few fruits and vegetables, an overabundance ofrefined carbohydrates and overcooked or processed food can wreak havoc anddeplete the body of vital nutrients and enzymes. This kind of consumption andlifestyle also puts an unusual strain on the digestive system, resulting inpartial digestion of food and malabsorption of nutrients, which can cause anarray of common digestive problems or more serious conditions such as celiacdisease, irritable bowel syndrome and acid reflux. Enzyme supplementation canimprove the digestion of food, reduce stress in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract,help maintain normal pH levels and promote the growth of intestinal flora. Whenadded to food or beverage products, enzymes assist the digestive system bybreaking down proteins, carbohydrates and fats.

As early as 1984, the term kinsei-shokuhinor functional food was coined by the JapaneseMinistry of Education Science and Culture as it began to recognize the healthproblems associated with an aging population. A report called FunctionalFoods and FOSHU Japan 2004, Market & Product Report found that functionalfoods dominated the Japanese marketplace. From 1995 to 2003, the average annualgrowth rate for functional foods was 11.9 percent, while the growth rate fordietary supplements rose 7.5 percent. According to Aroq Ltds report, GlobalMarket Review of Functional FoodsForecast to 2010, functional foodproducts will continue to make a presence in the global mainstream marketplaceand will experience an average global growth rate of up to 14 percent through2010.

As our society continues to age, we are going to see moreenzyme combinations in functional foods that address a larger range of specificdietary products with some products containing active enzymes and othersmodified using enzymes, said Peter Moodie, sales director with New York-basedEnzyme Development Corp. Enzymes are a critical part of the food processingindustry, and the move toward having active enzymes within food products willcontinue to grow.

Advances in science and food technology, increasing healthcare costs, changes in food laws, media attention on label and product claims,as well as a rising interest in attaining improved health through diet are someof the factors leading consumers to functional foods. The principal areas currently targeted by functional foodmanufacturers include heart health through cholesterol-lowering products andbone maintenance through products containing extra calcium and minerals. Otherareas of interest include strengthening the immune system and balancing thedigestive system by consuming products with vitamins, minerals and infusedenzymes. In addition, research has demonstrated the useful effects ofincorporating functional foods with added enzymes into ones diet to aid intreating digestive maladies, GI diseases and cardiovascular problems.

Aggressive marketing campaigns and increased availability offunctional foods and dietary supplements have also helped cast a spotlight onthe role of enzymes as preventive medicine. While most of the general public isnot educated on the benefits of enzyme supplements, many who suffer fromlactose-intolerance or other common digestive ailments have found improvementsby using enzymes. New products are enticing consumers to research and discussthe possibilities of enzyme supplementation. The latest combination enzymesupplements focus on anti-inflammatory, sports and targeted digestive problems.As we better understand the bodys subsystems such as inflammatory cascade,glycemic response or arterial disease, I see functional foods beingenzymatically tailored during processing to address specific health concerns,said Phil Ronsivalli, sales manager of Kennesaw, Ga.-based Deerland Enzymes.

Enzymes are present in every cell of every living entity.Theyaid in food digestion, energy production, tissue and organ repair, toxic wasteremoval. Approximately 22 digestive enzymes exist within the human bodyand are capable of digesting protein, carbohydrates, sugars and fats. Theirultimate function is to catalyze chemical reactions within the cells so thatphysiological processes can occur. The process of digestion begins in the mouth,makes its way to the stomach and concludes in the small intestine. During thisprocess, a group of digestive enzymes called hydrolases break down specifictypes of food. Protease enzymes, for example, not only digest protein from foodbut also organisms that cause certain viruses and toxic bacteria. Amylaseproteins break down carbohydrates into simple sugars like glucose and fructose.Lipase proteins digest fats and lipids. And cellulose proteins help withcellulose disintegration. Another group called metabolic enzymes speed upchemical reactions within cells for detoxification and energy production.Superoxide dismutase (SOD) is an antioxidant that protects cells from a commonfree radical; and catalase breaks down hydrogen peroxide, a waste product causedfrom metabolism, and frees oxygen for use by the body.

Selecting Enzymes for Processing

Food processing is a great candidate for enzymes, sinceenzymes will help break down molecules that can be more readily absorbed by thehuman body, said Tony Reinsch from American Laboratories Inc., located inOmaha, Neb. Enzymes hydrolyze proteins for improved protein digestion, assistwith fat breakdown and the breakdown of sugars and carbohydrates.

The concept of enzymatically tailoring food during processingto address specific health concerns is a fairly new concept in food production.Products such as margarine, fruit juices, health bars, beverages, dried goodsand candy can function as delivery systems for active enzymes. Other productssuch as a light beer add enzymes to reduce the caloric content, and dairyproducts treated with lactase provide comfort to an individual who wants toconsume the product but is lactose intolerant. Currently, many food productscould benefit from the indirect or direct addition of enzymes, Ronsivallisaid. Products containing difficult-to-digest components could bepretreated for easier digestion or to remove these components.

Among the potential problems that food manufacturers face whencreating new products is the presence of undesirable characteristics such asflavor and odor. Enzymes can be used to adjust taste, viscosity, color andtexture. One of the great things about enzymes is their specificity,Ronsivalli added. A manufacturer may be able to achieve a desired functionwith specific enzymes or enzyme blends without adversely affecting the product.

In the past 35 years, the use of commercial enzymes has grownfrom an insignificant role in the food industry to a critical aspect of foodprocessing. Many food applications use enzymes for baking, brewing, distilling,cheese-making and dairy products, flavor systems, fruit juice processing, syrupand starch systems. In fact, all corn syrup is produced enzymatically and mostsweetness comes from enzyme modification.

Factors such as pH, temperature, diluents, additives and the physical/chemicaland/or physiological conditions of the application determine an enzymesefficacy. Since enzymes are proteins they are subject to denaturization,Moodie said. Its much like the difference between an egg white versus acooked egg.They are still proteins; but the cooked egg is denatured, and theliquid egg has not been subjected to heat.

Amalase, protease and lipases are the primary enzymes used inthe food industry; however, selecting an enzyme for use in a food product canbecome rather complicated. A manufacturer must determine which enzymes could bemost beneficial to the food product the company is attempting to create. If, forexample, a manufacturer wants to produce a product that is vegan-, kosher- orhalal-friendly, an enzyme sourced from animal tissue such as rennet cannot beused. Instead, a microbially-formed enzyme such as chymosin could besubstituted.

All enzymes used for food products or supplements are sourcedfrom animal tissue, plants or microorganisms such as fungi or bacteria. Plantenzymes are derived from a variety of plant sources and are most effective whenaddressing a broad pH range. Animal enzymes such as pancreatic enzymes, trypsinand rennet have a limited pH range, are specific in action and can have adelayed effect. Fungal and bacteria enzymes work in a broad pH range and areextracted from microorganisms through fermentation. This flexibility allowsmicrobial enzymes to function better throughout the GI tract. This makes them particularly suitable for digestivesupplements and when enzymes are added to help digest the nutrient components ina food product to ensure a more complete breakdown.

Each enzyme possesses a unique breakdown mechanism that canhelp manufacturers determine what type of enzyme is appropriate for a particulartype of product or process. Reinsch noted certain enzymes will cleave a moleculeat a different molecular bonding site. For instance, endo-enzymes cleave the molecular bonds in thecenter of the molecule, whereas exo-enzymes will slice molecular bonds along theouter region of the molecule.

Part of the quandary for many functional food manufacturers ishow to keep the enzyme stable without the food product deteriorating the enzyme.Products requiring a long shelf-life like canned or bottled goods canpotentially neutralize the active enzyme, or the enzyme itself can create arancid environment. Low moisture foods have an easier time retaining enzymaticfunction without product degradation. Scott Daniel Davenport, marketing and communications managerwith Forsyth, Mo.-based National Enzyme Co., said: Enzymes are activated bymoisture; therefore, the taste, texture and appearance of some beverages andfunctional foods would be affected by the addition of enzymes unless they wereprotected from moisture activation in storage, but in such a way that theyregain their activity when ingested.

By working alongside an enzyme supplier, manufacturers candetermine what processes will work best when dealing with product formulation,shelf life and delivery system. For example, entericcoating ormicro-encapsulation, which is ideal for dietary supplements composed of dryingredients, allows the enzyme to pass through stomach acids to be broken downmore readily in the intestines and the pancreas. Another innovative process wascreated by the Israeli-based biotech firm Enzymotec, which developed an enzymetechnology to improve targeted delivery of nutrients in oils to human organs.The technology allows lipase, which breaks down lipids, to reach the secondposition of triglyceridesmaking it easier for manufacturers get thenutritional or therapeutic benefits of lipase.

Manufacturers need to know their suppliers capabilities andreputation, Reinsch noted. Is the enzyme supplier a manufacturer or a distributor? A manufacturer or supplement buyer shouldtalk with the supplier to determine what processes and parameters could be usedand where enzymes would be most efficacious. Also, a manufacturer should findout who is generating the certificate of analysis that is meaningful to theirenzyme application. Is the certificate of analysis and the number initiated bythe company they are purchasing from, or was the certificate generated by theirraw material supplier or lab? If they are using an outside lab or if thenumber is generated by someone else, that company needs to be very upfront aboutsaying we did not generate this number, Moodie said.

Enzyme buyers should familiarize themselves with current assaystandards (FCC, FIP and USP) for enzymatic activity. This understanding iscritical to making an informed decision when comparing offerings from otherenzyme suppliers. When published assay methods are not available, correlationbetween suppliers products can only be made using side-by-side analysis. Assay results for enzymes should meet or exceedmanufacturer claims, and assay methods should either be from approved publishedcompendia or should be made available by the supplier, Ronsivalli said.Additionally, there are no RDIs for enzymes and the declaration of enzymeactivity varies widely. Unlike vitamins, enzymes cannot be labeled by quantity orweight and must be measured by potencyassaying the quantity of hydrolysisthat occurs under specific conditions. Buyers should be attentive to the way inwhich the individual enzymes are listed. Most animal, and many plant and microbial, enzymes arelisted by weight, which is really not a good indicator of activity andbeneficial functioning of the enzymes, Davenport said. There are also manyactivity measurements that will list large numbers, but are not necessarilyindicative of the ability of the enzyme to perform its function in the body.

Clinical studies are another reference that enzyme buyers canturn to when deciding from whom they should buy and what enzymes will servetheir purpose most efficaciously. Manufacturers looking at an enzyme productmust understand the potential functionality the enzymes and then test them,said Rodger Rohde, Jr., president of Triarco Industries in Wayne, N.J. Manytests can be done in a lab or serve as bio-assays but ultimately these are justpre-qualifiers of completing the final process, which is a clinical study.The company makes large investments in providing clinical studies of theirproducts. For example, two in vitro studies have already been conductedon its Aminogen® product, a naturally derived patented plant enzyme that helpsthe body liberate free-form amino acids from food protein. Rohde said the point of conducting studies on the specificingredient is to provide consumers and enzyme buyers the satisfaction of knowingthat the product they are purchasing has been proven to work. He asked, Ifyou were a consumer, would you take choose to take a product based on hope orproven results?

Manufacturers can further help consumers select the rightproduct by informing them of what to look for on labels. When looking atenzymes and their activity levels, a consumer should follow the labels and makesure they understand the unit of potencies, Reinsch said. A manufacturer needs to cover the basics. Does the productinform the consumer of the common name of the enzyme? Does the enzyme have aspecific commonly known potency per gram or milligram? Does the product inform the consumer of the number ofmilligrams of each enzyme in the tablet? If each of these questions is answered,it will be much easier for consumers to compare the potency and quality of afinished product.

Somlynn Rorie is a Phoenix-based journalist and formerassociate editor for INSIDER.

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