Over 7 billion dollars a year is spent on over-the-counter and prescription digestive aids for symptoms including acid indigestion, digestive upsets, gas, bloat, poor elimination, and more. Every cell, tissue, and organ in your body depends on the healthy digestion, absorption, and assimilation of food.

Unfortunately, cooking and processing methods destroy enzymes in our food that are so necessary for proper digestion. Our bodies can't manufacture enough of the right ones. As a result, our bodies attempt to compensate by withdrawing enzymes needed for digestion from its own "bank". Over time, these heavy withdrawals coupled with skimpy deposits lead to a bankrupt digestive system and ultimately, a lifetime of improper digestion, poor nutrient absorption, and less than ideal cell regeneration-degeneration. Tagamet, Pepcid, Tums, and other antacids, designed to reduce stomach acid, are merely masking the symptoms and may make a bad situation worse by disrupting the body's natural digestive process.

When there is insufficient hydrochloric/gastric acid, whether naturally or from taking antacids, nutrients cannot be absorbed. Antacids also reduce hydrochloric acid so that food isn't broken down completely, resulting in fermentation, allergic symptoms, and painful intestinal problems. Meat needs large amounts of acid to be broken down. Without adequate stomach acid it rots in the intestine, inviting bacteria that can cause painful gas, bloating, and if chronic, colon infections and eventually cancer. In masking the symptoms in the stomach, are we neglecting the real cause of the problems in the pancreas? The pancreas is a digestive organ in the abdomen, located just below the stomach. The primary job of the pancreas is to produce enzymes required for the digestion and absorption of food.

Each day the pancreas secretes about 1.5 quarts of pancreatic juice into the small intestine. The enzymes secreted by the pancreas break down food by breaking the chemical bonds that hold food molecules together. Enzymes secreted include lipases which digest fat, proteases which digest proteins, and amylases which digest starch molecules.

Health Through Self-Education... June's Quest For Digestive Health

Essentials Of Life was officially established in 1994, but was actually founded in the mid 70's, unintentionally, by my wife June, as a result of health problems she had when we were living in Vermont. Despite one doctors' suggestion that she examine alternatives before electing to have surgery, a dairy product triggered an attack that left no choice but to have her gall bladder removed. After the operation, we assumed that her digestive problems would be history.

By the time we moved back to New Hampshire, in 1982, June's digestive problems had resumed. Doctors, even a referred specialist in gastroenterology (digestive system) didn't seem to have the answers. She was diagnosed with IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), but even the recommended dietary changes made little difference. All too often, stomach pain became a normal interruption to her sleep pattern. She read all of the medical books and related articles she could find.

Frustrated and determined to get well, she began reading about natural alternatives. A whole new world opened up when she discovered digestive enzymes. Unlike harsh OTC drugs that interact with and deplete stomach acid, digestive enzymes work in the pancreas to properly break the food down. Foods were once rich with built-in enzymes but have become deficient. Less than two weeks after taking enzymes with meals, stomach cramps previously occurring within a half hour after eating, became a rarity instead of the norm. For under $20.00, years of pain and thousands of dollars in medical costs were virtually erased and Essentials Of Life was being born.

We realize that digestive enzymes may not be the single remedy for every stomach disorder. But, we know that it isn't normal to be sick. Behind every symptom there's a cause. June's dedication to learning about her illness ultimately led to the quality of life she can finally enjoy. More than twenty five years before Essentials Of Life was established, Dr. Jim Perry in Vermont unknowingly planted a seed as he implied that there may be other options to surgery. We only wish we had explored those options then and discovered what we know now.

Learn More About "Natural" Enzymes That Support Digestive Health

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Information presented on this web site is designed for educational purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice. Further, product statements made have not been evaluated by the Food & Drug Administration.