by Mila McManus MD

Proteolytic Enzymes, or Protease, is a supplement which serves multiple purposes that support the immune system and all inflammatory processes.  They are extremely useful as part of a holistic regimen in the treatment of cancers, chronic infections, digestive issues, cardiovascular disease, and auto immune diseases, just to name a few.

Proteolytic enzymes, or proteases, are produced in our stomach and pancreas and used in the digestive process to break proteins down into amino acids.  Many people have heard of protease as a component of digestive enzymes taken as a supplement at meals to support healthy digestion; however, proteases have many systemic (i.e., full body) uses and are essential to good health.  When taken between meals, protease is absorbed through the gut lining and into the blood stream where they begin to distribute throughout the body to serve many critical functions, including:

• Improving blood flow.  Under a microscope, healthy blood cells are dispersed and fluid, while unhealthy ones are clumped and crowded, or sticky.   UNclumped cells have more surface area to accept nutrients, oxygenate, and rid themselves of debris.
• Improving circulation of blood which helps to repair and heal.  Blood and its components deliver nutrients to cells, removes waste from cells, delivers oxygen to the brain, muscles and tissues, and transports immune cells to sites of infection, inflammation and damage.
• Stimulating the immune system by pairing up with white blood cells, working to make the immune system more precise and efficient.  This results in fewer colds, allergies, and infections.  Improved detoxification frees up the immune system to focus on real threats and also helps to manage the inflammatory response, thereby reducing  allergies, inflammation and pain, and overreaction to minor triggers.
• Improving detoxification through removal of metabolic waste, environmental toxins and helping to maintain a clean and healthy internal environment.  Proteases help to break down and eliminate damaging, allergenic, or compromised proteins and thus reduce inflammatory responses. Proteases also break down defensive biofilms created by pathogens (e.g., bacteria). These pathogens create the biofilms in the body to hide themselves from the immune system.  Once revealed again, the immune system can attack those pathogens and eliminate them. Breaking down biofilm also allows medications, such as antibiotics, to reach their targets.

I like to think of proteases as a great cleaning crew that goes all over the body to scavenge for waste, cleaning up debris and removing the sticky film on surfaces that make it hard to tell what is underneath. Dirty=irritated and inflamed.  Clean=calm and peaceful.

Talk to your healthcare provider about proteolytic enzymes, or proteases.  Whether you are well and want to be preventative or if you suffer from any kind of inflammation, pain, organ or system dysfunction, compromised immune function, metabolic or genetic disorders, cardiovascular or circulatory concerns, you should consider proteases. We carry Transformation Enzyme formulas and can recommend the best one for you.

And if you really want to ‘nerd out’, you can read a Scientific Brief.