Aboa Medica enzymes multienzyme 60tabl

What Enzymes Are

Enzymes are catalysts that speed up chemical reactions. They are usually proteins that are not themselves altered or consumed in the reaction, but instead act rather like specialised tools. Humans need enzymes in thousands of different processes. They accelerate vital reactions by breaking down or building up substances. Enzymes are essential for muscle growth and digestion, among other things. Proteases, for example, break down proteins, and lactase breaks down milk sugar, or lactose.

Sources of Enzymes

A healthy body produces enzymes as needed. They are also found in food, most abundantly in food that has not been heated. Papain is extracted from the papaya fruit, but enzymes for use in food supplements are also produced through natural fermentation.

Enzymes Differ

Every enzyme has its own ideal environment in which it works best. Most human enzymes work best at a temperature of around +37 degrees. Requirements for the pH range, or acidity, however, vary widely; the pH of bodily fluids, for instance, is 7.4, close to neutral, whereas the enzymes of the stomach work best in an acidic environment (pH 1-3).

Enzyme Units

Each enzyme has its own unit for expressing its activity. The units of different types of enzymes are therefore not comparable with one another. In addition, various standards are used for measurement, which makes comparison more difficult still.

Naming of Enzymes

Enzymes are usually named according to their action or their “target”, using the suffix -ase (cf. lactose – lactase). There are exceptions, however, such as pepsin, which breaks down proteins in the stomach.