The key difference between systemic and proteolytic enzymes is that systemic enzymes mainly help against inflammation throughout the body while proteolytic enzymes help the breakdown of proteins in the body.
Enzymes are biocatalysts that speed up a chemical reaction. Almost every process in the human body involves various chemical reactions. Enzymes are specific organic molecules that allow cellular life to exist and function properly. They play an important role in digestion, liver functions, immunity, and many more. Systemic and proteolytic enzymes are two main types of enzymes the body requires to function properly.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What are Systemic Enzymes
3. What are Proteolytic Enzymes
4. Similarities – Systemic and Proteolytic Enzymes
5. Systemic vs Proteolytic Enzymes in Tabular Form
6. Summary – Systemic and Proteolytic Enzymes
What are Systemic Enzymes?
Systemic enzymes are mostly supplement enzymes that function in the whole body outside of the digestive system. Their main functions are promoting defense mechanisms against inflammation, fighting infections, purifying blood of cellular waste, and modulating the immune system.
Systemic enzymes provide health benefits such as cardiovascular, circulatory, and joint health. They also provide healing and repair in body tissues naturally without causing any side effects. Systemic enzymes catalyze the resolution of fibrin and clear out the cellular waste from the blood, providing normal liver functions. This helps in boosting the immune system. Overgrowth of yeast results in the release of excess toxins from the liver to the bloodstream. This causes additional stress on the liver to filter the toxins. Thus, systemic enzymes help to maintain an optimal yeast level to support the liver.
Figure 01: Serrapeptase Supplements
The most common systemic enzyme supplements are serrapeptase and nattokinase. Serrapeptase is a chemical taken from silkworms and is mainly used to support the body’s response to inflammation, respiratory system, and muscle elasticity and viscosity. Nattokinase is extracted from Japanese food natto. This enzyme helps in degrading fibrin and supporting circulatory and respiratory health.
What are Proteolytic Enzymes?
Proteolytic enzymes are enzymes that break down proteins in the body. Such enzymes help with the digestion and breakdown of proteins. Proteolytic enzymes are mainly functional in the digestion process of proteins, where they take part in breaking down complex proteins into amino acids. These amino acids are then absorbed via the small intestines.
Figure 02: Proteolytic Enzymes
Proteolytic enzymes can be isolated from plant sources such as papaya and pineapple. Two common proteolytic enzymes thus isolated are papain from papaya and bromelain from pineapple. These enzymes help in supporting and maintaining a healthy immune system, promote healing of tissues, encourage muscle recovery, and most importantly, aid in the digestive function
The three main proteolytic enzymes produced naturally in the digestive system are pepsin, trypsin, and chymotrypsin. The body produces them to break down dietary proteins into smaller fragments called amino acids to facilitate effective absorption and digestion. Proteolytic enzyme supplements are also available as capsules, tablets, or powders.
What are the Similarities Between Systemic and Proteolytic Enzymes?
- Systemic and proteolytic enzymes are two types of enzymes needed for the body.
- Both involve facilitating protein metabolism within the organism.
- They catalyze chemical reactions.
- Both may require energy for their catalysis.
- Moreover, they are available for commercial usage as tablets or capsules.
What is the Difference Between Systemic and Proteolytic Enzymes?
Systemic enzymes mainly help against inflammation throughout the body whereas proteolytic enzymes help the breakdown of proteins in the body. Thus, this is the key difference between systemic and proteolytic enzymes. Serrapeptase and Nattokinase are examples of systemic enzymes, while papain and bromelain are examples of natural proteolytic enzymes. Moreover, silkworms and soybean are sources of systemic enzymes, while papaya and pineapple are sources of proteolytic enzymes.
The below infographic presents the differences between systemic and proteolytic enzymes in tabular form for side by side comparison.
Summary – Systemic vs Proteolytic Enzymes
Enzymes are biocatalysts that speed up a chemical reaction. Systemic and proteolytic enzymes are two main types of enzymes. Systemic enzymes mainly help against inflammation throughout the body, whereas proteolytic enzymes help the breakdown of proteins in the body. Systemic enzymes have a wide range of functionality in terms of metabolic control of the whole body. The function of proteolytic enzymes is mainly visible during the protein digestion and protein breakdown pathways. So, this summarizes the difference between systemic and proteolytic enzymes.
Reference:
1. Christiansen, Sherry. “What Are Proteolytic Enzymes?” Verywell Health.
2. “Systemic Enzymes: A Powerful Catalyst for Optimal Overall Health.” Deerland Probiotics and Enzymes.
Image Courtesy:
1. “2517 Protein-Digesting EnzymesN” By OpenStax College – Anatomy & Physiology, Connexions Web site, Jun 19, 2013. (CC BY 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Tainac-sp” By Taionremedies (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Commons Wikimedia
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