MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS
AND
DIGESTIVE ENZYMES
There are three basic types of digestive enzymes, one for each of the food groups.
The pancreas produces much of the body's digestive enzymes.
Proteases - Digestion of Protein
Amylase - Carbohydrates/Starch/Sugar
Lipase - Fats
MS patients face several problems related to incomplete digestion:
In many MS patients the pancreas does not produce enough digestive
enzymes. This can result in an overallstate of poor nutrition despite "eating
normally."
Incompletely digested food, especially proteins, can trigger the immune
system to produce antibodies that combine with the protein in the blood to produce
"Circulating Immune Complexes."
Changes in the amount of Circulating Immune Complexes in the blood roughly
correlates with changes in the severity of symptoms in some
MS patients. Lowering the level of these Complexes has been associated with a decrease
in severity of MS symptoms.
Supplementation of Digestive Enzymes may provide the following benefits in MS patients:
- Improved nutritional status in general
- Decrease in Circulating Immune Complexes and decrease in severity of symptoms.
- Improved absorption of the Essential Fatty Acids
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