We have all heard the saying, “You are what you eat!!", but do we ever really contemplate what it means? Now obviously, if all you ate was carrots, you would not literally turn into a carrot, but your body would suffer consequences of extreme deficiencies, as well as orange skin color saturation. The lesson here is that in order for optimal health, we need to control our daily intake with moderation and care.

If this is all true, and now we understand that in some truth we are what we eat, then it is also true that we are only as health as our digestive system. Now this may raise some questions - Let me explain…

The digestive system is a crucial part of our body’s overall function. This system includes over 10 different organs and methods for consuming, extracting, absorbing, and disposing of nutrients and toxins:

1. Mouth – intake and consumption of the food

2. Swallowing – transportation of the food across the respiratory tract

3. Esophagus – first part of the digestive tract, transportation of the food to the stomach

4. Stomach – temporary storage and break-down of food

5. Duodenum – first part of small intestine, chemical breakdown of food

6. Small Intestine – chemical breakdown and absorption of nutrients, transportation of toxins

7. Large Intestine – reabsorbs water and nutrients, transportation of toxins

8. Salivary Glands – crucial accessory in chemical breakdown of food particles

9. Pancreas – insulin and enzyme producer for chemical breakdown

10. Liver and Gallbladder – bile salts store and emulsify fats, excretion of wastes and toxins

The digestive system prepares food for use by hundreds of millions of body cells. Food when eaten cannot reach cells (because it cannot pass through the intestinal walls to the bloodstream and, if it could, would not be in a useful chemical state. The gut modifies food physically and chemically and disposes of unusable waste. Physical and chemical modification (digestion) depends on exocrine and endocrine secretions and controlled movement of food through the digestive tract.

Digestion begins in the mouth when food is chewed and starch is broken down by ptyalin, an enzyme secreted in saliva. Food then enters the stomach, where it is reduced to tiny particles and further transformed by gastric juices. The solid portion remains in the stomach for one to six hours until it liquefies completely; liquid passes into the duodenum (small intestine), where numerous enzymes produced by the pancreas, along with bile from the liver, break it down further for absorption. When it finally arrives in the large intestine, all nutritional value has been spent, and the only remaining process is the removal of water before final elimination.

As a person ages, their digestive system start to show wear and tear from years of functioning at top performance. Example … If you ran your car at top performance for 6 straight, months with no maintenance, it would not be long before you are at the car lot, looking for something to replace the car you just burned up.

The same thing happens with your body, except it can take the abuse much, much longer. Eventually, your body will start to slow down, and require maintenance in the form of digestive aids. There are many problems associated with a mal-functioning digestive system. Some of which include:

• Abdominal Wall Hernia
• Chronic Liver Disease and Cirrhosis
• Constipation
• Diverticular Disease
• Gallstones
• Gastritis and Nonulcer Dyspepsia (NUD)
• Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease and Related Esophageal Disorders
• Hemorrhoids
• Infectious Diarrhea
• Inflammatory Bowel Disease
• Irritable Bowel Syndrome
• Lactose Intolerance
• Pancreatitis
• Peptic Ulcer
• Viral Hepatitis

Clinical studies have been performed trying to examine our nation’s effects of improper digestive system functions. One such study found the following statistics:

• Prevalence: 60 to 70 million people affected by all digestive diseases (1985)
• Mortality: 191,000, including deaths from cancer (1985)
• Hospitalizations: 10 million (13 percent of all hospitalizations) (1985)
• Diagnostic and therapeutic procedures: 6 million (14 percent of all procedures) (1987)
• Physician office visits: 50 million (1985)
• Disability: 1.4 million people (1987)
• Costs:
• $107 billion (1992)
• $87 billion direct medical costs
• $20 billion indirect costs (e.g., disability and mortality)

There are many forms of digestive system help that are available today. As always, if possible, natural forms of digestive help are the best for reasons of fixing rather than covering up the problem, and no harmful side-effects.

There are many naturally growing herbs and plants that have powerful, enzymatic properties. Properties that are powerfully, gentle to the stomach, yet nearly non-existent in disruption or discomfort to the user. Some of the common forms include:

Betaine Hydrochloride

• Aids in digestion
• Aids against gallstones
• Anti-inflammatory

Bromelain

• Aids circulation
• Aids digestion
• Aids in respiratory problems

Papain

• Aids digestion / Reduces flatulence
• Anti-inflammatory
• Reduces pain/stiffness of arthritis

Papaya Fruit

• Aids and sooths digestion
• Aids in breakdown and assimilation of amino acids
• Diuretic and Anthelmintic

Apple Pectin

• Aids constipation
• Reduces cholesterol levels
• Aids in treating and preventing heart disease

HHN’s DigestZyme is an all-natural, digestion supplement that contains these, as well as other exciting herbs and natural enzymes. This supplement was carefully formulated to supply the digestive system just enough in enzymatic properties to aid digestion and breakdown of food, but not enough to disturb or disrupt the body’s normal functions.

Only $19.50 per bottle

** These statements have not been evaluated or approved by the FDA. **
** These statements are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. **
** As always, check with your doctor or health care professional before taking these products. **