Enzymes
Enzymes, Orchestrators of the Body’s Symphony!
Enzymes are involved in all of the chemical reactions that occur in the body. We are accustomed to thinking about enzymes as only the ones that are useful for breaking down our food during digestion. In fact, enzymes orchestrate the entire “symphony” of the body’s biochemistry at the cellular level. The lack of or the presence of enzymes shapes how we absorb or don’t absorb nutrients. The enzymes in our cells help us make hormones and break them down. They help us make neurotransmitters (brain chemicals) and break them down. Enzymes help us make proteins and break them down. They are involved in how we detoxify the body, repair the body, and make energy for the body. Enzymes are the very core of our inner functioning at the cellular level.
Enzymes work by speeding up chemical reactions. Almost all processes in the cell need enzymes in order to make reactions occur at speeds fast enough to sustain life. These chemical reactions occur millions of times a second in every cell of our body. Without enzymes, we would not exist. We would not be able to sustain life as we know it. If you have inherited a genetic blueprint that is a variation from the normal genetic code for a gene, the corresponding enzyme will not function at optimal levels. This can impair the reaction that the enzyme is supposed to facilitate.
The ‘ase’ ending on a word indicates that there is an enzyme at work. One example of this is lactase, the enzyme that breaks down lactose. (The ‘ose’ ending indicates a sugar–in this case, a milk sugar). If you have inherited a variation from the normal genetic code for making the lactase enzyme, your ability to digest lactose will be impaired and you could be lactose intolerant.
In her book, Dr. J. Dunn explores how enzymes work, how your genetic makeup influences enzymes, and what you can do to make changes. It’s a whole new paradigm in understanding what causes disease and mental health issues. The basis of the book talks about how to bypass your genetic makeup to help you feel better.
My Happy Genes – Enzymes Explained
Dr. J. Dunn explains how her research was motivated because of her personal struggles to feel healthy. She had a case of mono when she was sixteen years old and suffered from lifelong depression. Since then, she has battled chronic fatigue syndrome caused by the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). Looking into the history of the virus, she found that 90 percent or more people have antibodies to the virus and yet don’t necessarily have an issue with it for the rest of their lives. She was also looking for true answers to her own depression. These were missing pieces in the puzzle of health, and she began her quest to search for why and how to fix them. She approached her research with a compassionate point of view, knowing that some types of behavior and health problems are caused by inherited biochemical imbalances and are not personal failings. Things such as:
Weight
Depression
Anxiety
Focusing Issues such as ADD and ADHD
Addictions
Chronic Fatigue
Genetic testing can identify potential health problems and give you another tool to make informed decisions about managing your health care. Dr. J. Dunn explores how to obtain correct results and what to do with the results. She also talks about compassion for yourself and others when it comes to problems beyond our control. Her book – Genetic Compassion – will help you to understand how genes play a very important role in how we feel.