Digestive enzymes in plant-based food and their contribution to health
Digestive enzymes in plant-based food and their contribution to health
Avocados
Do you ever wonder why is avocado so popular these days and every year more? First, its popularity came from the knowledge of having healthy fats, later the vegan community replaced animal fats with avocado, and further everyone starts to loving it and eating it instead of other types of fat. Avocado proved to be great in salads, as a spread on toast and even great in deserts, for all those people who care about their food choices- avocado became a must-have on tables and fridges. This superfood is so popular that it became part of our stories, humor, even a character in children's books etc.
But why avocado is a superfood?
Content of healthy fats and low sugar is its first power, later comes the content of digestive enzyme lipase-for breaking fat molecules to acids and glycerols and further until absorbed. Since avocados have another enzyme (polyphenol oxidase) similar to our natural enzyme produced by the pancreas, it is recommended to be consumed with other fat food, to help to break lipids indigestion. Although very healthy, many consumers with pancreas problems reported certain troubles in digestion-maybe precisely because of the enzyme origin and their crushing within our system once avocados were consumed.
2. Tempeh
This is a plant-based alternative to meat, made from fermented soybeans. The content of nutrients and probiotics is very high and recommended for a healthy diet. This food is not easy to find in every country since mostly Asian and some developed countries have it on their market but tempeh is not difficult to make. Because of its benefits and simplicity, once included in the diet, usually stay within the food choices of individuals. Tempeh can be regularly cooked in different ways which are also one of its benefits. This superfood can decrease cholesterol levels in the blood and improve heart health.
3. Miso
This popular food in the Japanese kitchen soon became very demanding on the market of many countries around the world. It is a type of-seasoning-soy beans are treated with specific digestive enzymes, salt, and fungus. Because of this process, miso contains a lot of digestive enzymes which, once consumed, improve digestive functions in the organism. Digestive enzymes present in miso are amylases, lipases, lactases, and proteases. Adding some of this Japanese seasoning to our meals can easily breaking the process of complex macromolecules and improve digestion.
4. Sauerkraut
Most of the Northern countries and all western countries regularly have this product on their market. It is even made in houses, within preparations for the winter season, together with jams and fermenting all sorts of vegetables. Sauerkraut is sour cabbage, made by adding some digestive enzymes or simply salt, vinegar, water. At the endpoint, the result is food products enriched with digestive enzymes, rich in vitamins. During long winters, sauerkraut is eaten with hearty bean soups and stew, when adds freshness and helps indigestion.
5. Kimchi
Very similar to its previous super-food presentative, kimchi is a type f fermented food (variety of vegetables) that can be consumed with nearly any other food and further help its digestion. What is special about kimchi is hidden also in healthy bacteria-Bacillus species. Because of this, kimchi will be enriched with nutrients and enzymes. Bacteria is capable of producing protease, amylase, and lipase. They will break any protein, sugar, or fat in other food we consume. As previously said, kimchi’s superpower is the reduction of bad blood cholesterol and further improvement of heart health.
6. Honey
Another popular super-food is so widely spread around the globe that these days it is very difficult to find raw honey. Any other form will lack in amazing content of vitamins and enzymes, so we will end up only consuming carbs. That’s the first lesson after reaching for honey, but another problem is honey is made for bees and by bees-to keep their energy and their communities going-it is not made for us. The vegan community will often avoid honey most of the environmentalists will but when controlled and taken with caution, some amount of honey can be taken from bees. This means they will have to work harder. If we provide a better environment for our bees, then the harm is lower. Anyway, honey is always been known as a superfood. Just a small amount of this sweet sticky liquid will add amylases, invertase, proteases, diastases, and vitamins to our system. Together they will improve our digestion, our mood, and vitamins to our system.
Finally..there are many types of superfoods, different for a variety of world’s kitchens. Knowing what is best and adapting it to our taste could bring a great benefit. What is left is to dare and try-often very difficult tasks for many. Food from different parts of the world becomes acceptable forms and we can try any but often keep to our choices- that is why I choose sauerkraut, honey, and fruits as bananas, kiwi, and apples on the top of my list.
Finally a short lesson about digestive enzymes:
Proteases: break proteins into peptides and amin0-acids
Lipase- fat into fatty acids and glycerol molecule and
amylases - carbs into simple sugars.
