Digestive Enzymes And The Role Of Raw Honey

Digestive enzymes are made in the body by its organs and are found in the gastrointestinal tract.

They are secreted in the salivary glands, stomach, pancreas and the small intestine. In some way, these enzymes are also known as metabolic enzymes that play the metabolic role of digesting food.

The food is digested for it to be absorbed through the walls of the small intestine and into the blood stream.

Importance of Digestive Enzymes

Food in its raw state has got enough natural food enzymes to help digest the food, when food is cooked the enzymes are denatured and they can no longer assist in the breaking down of food.

Eating raw food is acceptable in some cases, but in others it is not. This is where the body has to take the role of digesting this cooked food with the help of these enzymes.

This is important because in many cases we eat cooked food.

Digestive enzymes play the role of turning food into the various nutrients that the body requires.

The first stage of breaking down food starts in the mouth by chewing. The salivary glands produce an enzyme called amylase which acts on the food as it is being chewed.

This is where the digestion process starts. When the food is swallowed and reaches the stomach, Hcl and other gastric acids that are secreted in the stomach take over.

The food then to the small intestine, bile from the liver and gall bladder and pancreatic enzyme as well as other digestive enzymes breakdown the food further. At each stage the enzymes breakdown different kinds of food. The enzymes reduce the chances of ailments and diseases that can occur, such as food allergies, candidiasis, indigestion, skin problems and much more.

With all these processes that occur in the body, it tends to be stressed, especially because we eat more of cooked food. The body tends to use a lot of energy.

With time the body loses its ability to produce the digestive enzymes and that is why there are digestive enzyme supplements.

With this in mind it is also important to know that raw honey aids in digestion. Well, how does it work? Raw honey naturally has a number of enzymes all in small amounts. The major enzymes are invertase, diastase, and glucose oxidase. There are other enzymes that are present in honey, but in very small amounts. The level of the enzymes will vary depending on where it comes from.

Diastase

This is found in nectar. The honeybee also adds some amount of the enzyme. Diastase aids in digesting starches into smaller compounds.

The amount of diastase will vary depending on the flower form which the bee got its nectar.

Glucose Oxidase

This enzyme converts glucose into gluconolactone which then yields gluconic acid and hydrogen peroxide. This plays an antibacterial role in the process of digestion.

Invertase

This enzyme hydrolyzes sucrose to glucose and fructose. This aids in the levels of energy in the body as well as cellular respiration.

Catalase

This enzyme plays the role of converting peroxide into water and oxygen. This then aids in the transportation of nutrients into the blood stream.

In a nutshell, honey can play a major role in assisting the digestive enzymes that are produced in the body. Taking raw honey will boost the digestion of the food you eat. Choose honey over sugar.