What do pineapples, papayas, your skin, and your gut all have in common? They each utilize a certain category of molecule, called enzymes.
What are Enzymes?
Enzymes are a class of proteins that speed up and execute chemical and biological reactions that wouldn’t otherwise immediately happen on their own. Some of these reactions include things like quicker digestion, or even quicker removal of dead skin build up. Enzymes can be naturally found all over the human body, as well as in other organisms – so it’s no question why the personal care and wellness industry utilize enzymes almost ubiquitously.
Enzymes for Digestion
As an example, pineapples and papayas both have digestive enzymes called bromelain (in pineapples) and papain (in papayas) that are naturally found in each fruit. While these enzymes have their own specific functions in their respective fruit, they have also been found to be excellent for speeding up digestion once ingested, which can be helpful for those experiencing gas and bloat. Some other tried and true digestive enzymes are peptidase (helps break down peptides), protease (helps break down proteins), lactase (helps break down lactose), amylase (helps break down complex carbs), and lipase (helps break down fats).
Enzymes for Skin
Similarly, it’s been studied that an enzyme called stratum corneum chymotryptic enzyme (SCCE) is responsible for the skin’s natural exfoliation process. (Rawlings, et al 2012). Furthermore, earlier cosmetic innovations have discovered that the digestive enzymes bromelain and papain both display enzymatic functions similar to SCCE when applied to the skin, resulting in gentle skin exfoliation. Therefore, papain and bromelain have become widely trusted skincare ingredients over several decades when it comes to tackling exfoliation.
There are thousands of other jobs for enzymes and their applications throughout wellness. Seriously, there are thousands and thousands of enzymes in nature. However being MULTI, we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to demonstrate the coolness of these biological molecules in nature, and their synergistic effects throughout the body.
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Citations:
Rawlings, A.V., Voegeli, R. Stratum corneum proteases and dry skin conditions. Cell Tissue Res 351, 217–235 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00441-012-1501-x
DISCLAIMER: THIS POST DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AS MEDICAL ADVICE. THIS POST IS NOT MEANT TO TREAT, CURE, PREVENT, OR DIAGNOSE CONDITIONS OR DISEASES; AND IS MEANT FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES. AS ALWAYS, PLEASE CONSULT YOUR DOCTOR BEFORE TRYING ANY NEW TREATMENTS OR SUPPLEMENTS.