vegetarianism and enzymes

[adrael]

Hi, I am curious what is known about (plant) enzymes. i was on a vegetarian diet for about six months, and after about two months i kind of stopped digesting my food....Icky. According to a vegan friend, vegetarians must take enzymes before each meal to aid in digestion. But, I know a far less educated vegetarian (lacto-ovo,) who has been on a vegetarian diet for ten years, and has never used enzymes, and seems fine. Perhaps it has something to do with blood type; i am type B positive. Any input is appreciated. I have had a hard time finding unbiased information on nutrition--it seems that regardless of intentions, be they good or bad, most people have their hearts so set on proving their point, that the truth becomes very hard to find.

[kpickell]

What do you mean you stopped digesting your food?

Your body produces enzymes naturally. It won't have anything to do with blood type. You shouldn't need supplemental enzymes unless there's a medical problem. See a doctor if you're unsure.

[adrael]

ex: "That should NOT still look like kale!" i could see undigested foods in my....you know. As i have come to undertand it, after much reading and discussion with a naturopathic doctor, your blood type definitely figures in to whether or not you can be/remain healthy on a vegan/vegetarian diet. For instance, most type O's hydrochloric acid levels will radically drop over years on a vegan/vegetarian diet. This happened to the naturopath who i spoke with. After twelve years as a vegetarian, she introduced some animal protein back into her diet, because she was no longer digesting food, and was very ill. Not anything goes for everyone though--if there is one thing that i have learned about health it is that everyone is different. (That is the largest problem with western medicine as i see it, the same thing does not work for all people, and a lot of doctors fail to recognize that.) Anyway, I am fuzzy at this point on why acid levels drop in some people, it's been so long. I think it has something to do with your body basically not thinking that you need as much of it, due to the lack of meat in the diet. It's all so complicated! :dizzy:

[kpickell]

Oh no, I meant see a real doctor. not a naturopathic doctor. That blood type stuff is pretty well debunked.

[adrael]

by the way, the reason i've asked about this is that regardless of my health, which at this point i don't know will be compromised or not, i am returning to a vegetarian diet, and want to do it right. There are too many good reasons not to eat meat, and it is against my nature. i have found so many conflicting view points from people in the health profession, that i don' know what to believe.

[adrael]

perhaps i should have....but the only time i have ever had trouble with digestion was two months into being a vegetarian, and after a short period of time with fish/chicken back in my diet, i was digesting just fine once more....

[adrael]

and....naturopathic doctors are real. the best efforts of medicine have been acheived through integrative work; the combination of both eastern and western medicine. i worked for a doctor of chinese medicine, (who was Italian,) and in the year and a half that i spent there he helped people with problems that regular doctors had given up on, or prescibed and endless list of medications for. Such as: lupis, depression, chronic fatigue type symptoms, but mostly strange and unidentified. We helped a lot of people with candida albican problems that they had had for years due to excess sugar consumption/over use of antibiotics, food and environmental allergies/intolerances....etc...i will not stand back and let someone debunk some of the best instruments of health. Granted, every field has it's quacks. There are uneducated people, or people with unjust motivations in every arena; just remember that that does not mean that the entire field should be dismissed. i would expect individuals on this board, being vegetarians, to be very familiar with this concept.

[eggplant]

I think some alternative health care providers are worth seeing, but yours seems to adhere to theories that, as kpickell mentioned, have been debunked by the majority of credible medical researchers. The blood type thing doesn't really make much sense once you put the theory under scrutiny.

When I was having digestive troubles (before being vegan), I went to both a gastroenterologist and an herbalist/accupuncturist so I was covering both the Western and Eastern medicine bases. The gastroenterologist diagnosed irritable bowel syndrome, and the accupuncturist diagnosed negative spleen chi. Guess what? The dietary suggestions from both were very similar, and both helped me. I guess the point I'm trying to make is that, while I agree with you that everyone's body and health needs are different, it's a good idea to get different perspectives on your health problem from different types of healthcare providers, especially if someone is giving you dubious information.

By the way, a possibility is that, like me, you may have problems digesting insoluble fiber. If that's the case you could up your intake of soluble fiber and reduce your intake of insoluble fiber. Just a thought, but a doctor specializing in digestive disorders would know more than I would...

[adrael]

thanks :)

[MollyGoat]

Oh no, I meant see a real doctor. not a naturopathic doctor.
Naturopaths are "real" doctors. And not all of them buy into the blood type bull****--mine certainly doesn't.

There are quack MDs as well as quack naturopaths. In my experience, a truly good doctor--of any ilk--is hard to find.

Back on topic: there are these things called "papaya enzymes" that are supposed to help a lot with digestion. You can get them in the health food store.

Are you chewing your kale properly? That stuff is dense. :)

[epski]

I do know someone with terrible problems after being vegetarian and vegan for decades. Couldn't produce certain enzymes anymore for animal foods he was eating, and they made him sick, but his doctor told him he had to eat that crap for the protein... if he'd simplyi ignore that advice, he wouldn't have those enzymatic issues. Buncha B.S. from uninformed physicians...