In this blog post, we will scientifically examine the true role of enzymes, which are gaining attention as health foods, and the misconceptions in exaggerated advertisements.
“Enzymes are so good?” This is an advertising slogan that we often see in newspaper articles or online media. Consumers are lured into thinking that just by eating enzymes, they will strengthen their stomach and heal their aches and pains. Most people buy and consume health supplements such as enzyme foods to improve their health. Enzymes are advertised as a panacea, and they are said to be effective in relieving fatigue, losing weight, and even preventing aging. This seems like an easy way for consumers to alleviate their health concerns, but in reality, there is often a lack of scientific evidence for the effectiveness of these enzymes. However, in fact, taking enzymes that the body needs does not promote overall body function. Taking enzymes is just like eating a lump of protein. For enzymes to function properly, chemical changes must occur in the right place and according to the mechanism. However, ordinary people who do not have such specialized scientific knowledge have no choice but to eat enzyme foods that are said to be good for the body without any doubt and pay a high price. This is a problem that stems from the asymmetry of health-related information in modern society, and consumers are easily misled by exaggerated advertisements or false information. Therefore, this article will explain the functions and mechanisms of enzymes and their various types in an easy-to-understand manner.
As mentioned earlier, enzymes are clearly a mass of proteins. Enzymes are globulin proteins made up of residues of numerous amino acids. Humans have 23 homologous pairs of chromosomes with DNA of varying sequences, which give them different biological characteristics. Similarly, enzymes are activated so that amino acids can be linked and twisted like a chain to form a structure and perform their role. For example, the appearance of a person is influenced by the genes inherited from their parents. Similarly, the structure of the digestive enzyme pepsin is formed so that it can receive an amino acid sequence from tRNA and break down proteins in the stomach. The structure and function of these enzymes are very important in that they play an essential catalytic role in the complex metabolic process of living organisms, beyond their role as simple proteins.
Enzymes bind to a substrate, that is, a certain reactant, to form an enzyme-substrate complex and lower the activation energy of the chemical reaction so that the reaction can occur more easily. Activation energy is the minimum energy required for a chemical reaction to occur, and if the barrier is lowered by an enzyme, the reactant can be more easily transformed into another substance. Pepsin, which helps digest the protein I just mentioned, binds to the protein and breaks it down into small units called polypeptides. This is like an enzyme making a low hill instead of climbing a high mountain. This allows chemical reactions to proceed more efficiently. However, there are many types of enzymes in the body besides pepsin. The form of the catalytic reaction was selected and the criteria were established through international consensus as the basis for classifying enzymes. They are divided into six broad categories, and the enzyme types according to the numbers are as follows. EC 1 is oxidoreductases. EC 2 is transferases that transfer functional groups. EC 3 is hydrolases. EC 4 is lyases. EC 5 is isomerases. EC 6 is a connecting enzyme that binds two molecules with a covalent bond. Each enzyme works a lot in the digestion and metabolism process and also contributes to the discharge of waste, detoxification, and sterilization. Each enzyme has a specific location where it is produced and works, and if a certain enzyme is present in the body in more or less than the right amount, it causes excess or deficiency. This is why taking enzymes may not be helpful. If the digestive enzymes needed by the gastrointestinal tract eat enzymes needed by other organs, it is difficult for the enzymes to enter the bloodstream through the digestive system. This is because enzymes are proteins, and they are all broken down into amino acids when absorbed.
Each type of enzyme has a different structure and catalyzes a single or very similar reaction in the body. This phenomenon is called enzyme substrate specificity. The concept is that enzymes have specific active sites depending on their structure, and that reactions occur when substrates that are suitable for the structure bind to the active sites. This property was previously explained using the key-lock model. As the old saying goes, “Everything has a pair,” there are enzyme keys that fit each of the many locks called substrates. However, there was a logical contradiction in this concept. It was possible to explain that the enzyme reaction was specific, but it was not possible to explain how the reaction was promoted by lowering the activation energy. Therefore, the newly proposed theory is the induced fit theory. It is said that the substrate is not exactly the same as the active site of the enzyme, but when it binds, the enzyme slightly changes the structure of the active site to form a complex. This is just like meeting a man or a woman. Let’s say that a man and a woman have a good rapport with each other and continue their relationship with a fondness for one another. If they get married and try to create a single couple community, they can learn how to create a single couple community through enzymes. As they live together, they may have conflicts in their lifestyles as they grow up in different environments. If you think of getting married as a chemical reaction, it is not easy for an enzyme and a substrate to accept each other as they are, with the enzyme being male and the substrate being female. However, if you understand the differences and make an effort to adjust your personality a little to that of your partner, you can become much closer and get married more easily. As such, the interaction between enzymes and substrates plays an indispensable and key role in the important metabolic process within living organisms.
However, just as there are uninvited guests in relationships between men and women, there are enzyme inhibitors that reduce the reaction rate in reactions between enzymes and substrates. There are two main types of enzyme inhibitors: competitive inhibitors and uncompetitive inhibitors, which literally describe their role. Competitive inhibitors compete to occupy the active site of the substrate and the enzyme. Non-competitive inhibitors bind to another site of the enzyme and alter the shape of the active site, preventing it from binding to the substrate. This is also easy to understand if we think about it in terms of human relationships. Going back to the relationship between a man and a woman, an enzyme inhibitor is a hindrance that spoils the relationship between the two. Two women, substrate and competitive inhibitor, fight over a man. This lowers the probability of a woman’s temperament and a man’s enzyme falling in love. Even if a woman’s temperament and a man’s enzyme are a perfect match, non-competitive inhibitors play a role in breaking up their relationship through indirect methods such as forced migration. As such, enzyme inhibitors play an important role in regulating or inhibiting the speed of certain reactions in the body by interfering with the activity of enzymes.
Enzymes are essential for maintaining homeostasis and keeping the body functioning in a normal mechanism. As mentioned above, enzymes act at specific locations and undergo various competitive reactions, reacting with suitable substrates. People can get the benefits of digestive enzymes by taking them as functional foods to help the digestive system function. However, I hope that this article dispels the false belief that enzymes will cure all diseases. Finally, it is important to remember that maintaining a healthy lifestyle is more important than supplementing with enzymes, and that a balanced diet and proper exercise are more important than enzyme supplements. It is also important to learn how to manage your health and condition so that your body can make the enzymes it needs, rather than trying to supply them.
