the MISSING PIECE of the EQUATION - enzymes in well-being and proper function of digestive organs

Vegetarian Times, Oct, 2000 by Robin Westen, Janet Webb

A Rising Star

Enzyme therapy is slowly gaining acceptance among the medical community. While still not universally embraced, it has moved in and out of the scientific spotlight in the past 100 years--as the recipient of both praise and skepticism. Mavericks like Nicholas Gonzales, M.D., the New York immunologist who uses pancreatic enzyme therapy and dietary guidelines to treat cancer of the pancreas, are still considered controversial. But Gonzales recently received $1.4 million from the National Institutes of Health to further research his method, and the patients whose lives he's saved consider him a godsend.

At the turn of the 20th century, Scottish physician and embryologist John Beard attracted attention when he injected purified enzyme juices into the veins and malignant tumors of cancer patients. In the United States during the 1960s, enzyme therapy created a minor flurry when Max Wolf, M.D., treated digestive disorders by having patients reduce animal fat intake, increase raw food consumption and take supplements. But Wolf was no fringe fanatic; his client list included a number of celebrities, like Pablo Picasso and members of the Kennedy family.

Enzyme therapy became more established among the American scientific community when Edward Howell, M.D., published his landmark book, Enzyme Nutrition (Avery, 1985). Today, there are more than 2,000 enzyme therapists in the United States, and the field is expanding every year. These practitioners come from varied medical disciplines: osteopathy, naturopathy, chiropractic and nutrition. And some conventional physicians are beginning to embrace enzyme therapy, says Trent Nichols, M.D., C.N.C., a gastroenterologist and nutritional counselor in Hanover, Pa. "There are a lot of physicians who have been out there for 10, 20 or 30 years who are just not getting results with conventional medicines and surgery," he says. "They're more willing to try something else."

R-E-L-I-E-F

Christine Dubiel, a 48-year-old interior designer living on New York's Long Island, had suffered from ear infections, high fevers, painful stomachaches, incessant coughing and excruciating headaches since she was a child. As an adult, her health problems only worsened. "I had numbness in my face, multiple joint pains, fatigue and bouts with depression," she recalls. Dubiel made the rounds to countless medical experts--from conventional specialists to homeopaths--and spent thousands of dollars on treatments with pharmaceutical drugs, herbs and acupuncture. But nothing seemed to help.

One evening last year, Dubiel happened to hear chiropractor Paul Inselman, D.C., discussing on a local radio show how people with her very symptoms were being successfully treated for digestive disorders. She called Inselman's office the next day and made an appointment. Dubiel's first visit with Inselman included an extensive interview, a complete physical, dietary analysis and urine test to screen for digestive problems and nutrient and enzyme deficiencies. Inselman's diagnosis: Dubiel's body was unable to digest simple carbohydrates and fats due to an enzyme deficiency. That problem had led to a case of toxic bowel syndrome hindering her body's ability to absorb nutrients. "Since Christine was enzyme-deficient, her organs had to work on overdrive to function, which created a disruption of her body's homeostasis or balance," explains Inselman.