Many people have inflammation in the discs of their back, their muscles, and various joints in the body. In addition to pain, inflammation can result in damage to soft tissues. And while there have long been products with mineral, products with enzymes, and products that combine both, Inflam-Enzymes appears to be the first 100% Food product with both (products from other manufacturers typically include mineral salts, hence they are not 100% Food). This product was designed for chiropractors.

Speaking of doctors of chiropractic, they have long recognized that out-of-alignment situations occur when one or more of the bones of the spine (vertebrae) move out of position and create pressure on, or irritate, spinal nerves. Spinal nerves are the nerves that come out from between each of the bones in the spine, and they connect to other parts (or organs) of the body. This pressure or irritation on the nerves then causes those nerves to malfunction and interfere with the signals traveling over those nerves. This pressure/irritation can cause inflammation to occur. And while moving the displaced vertebrae(s) into its proper place is essential, reducing inflammation is often the key to reducing pain or discomfort. Inflam-Enzymes should be considered a foundational product for those interested in chiropractic nutrition.

Mineral Salts

Many nutritional products intended to assist with vertebral misalignments actually contain mineral salts and not minerals in food form. Actually, with the exception of chromium GTF, any time two words are used to describe a mineral (like calcium lactate) that two-word expression is describing a mineral salt and not a mineral as found in food. Minerals in foods simply are not bound together with compounds such as carbonate, chloride, gluconate, oxide, phosphate, picolinate, sulfate, etc. as they are actually simply attached to food constituents. The taking of inorganic mineral salts can cause irritations to occur as the body must somehow dispose of “the other half” of the mineral salt. Additionally, for proper absorption of a mineral salt to occur, it will somehow need to cannibalize a protein chaperone from somewhere else in the body (protein chaperones are needed for the utilization of minerals [1].

Because it is 100% Food and does not contain of the mineral salt that normally needs to be disposed of somehow by the body, Inflam-Enzymes does not contribute to irritating the body like inorganic mineral salts can [2].

Acerola Cherry Acerola is a cherry-like berry that is one of the most naturally concentrated vitamin C Foods known to exist--various cherries have been recommended to help people with arthritis [3]. Vitamin C has collagen and other soft tissue-supporting properties [4].

“Bromelain is composed of several proteolytic enzymes…It also has putative anti-inflammatory activity” [5]. “Bromelain is absorbed unchanged from the intestine at a rate of about 40%...The pharmacological effects of bromelain are caused by an enhancement of serum fibrinolytic activity and inhibition of fibrinogen synthesis, as well as by the direct degradation of fibrin and fibrinogen” [6]. “Beneficial therapeutic effects of bromelain have been suggested or proven in several human inflammatory diseases and animal models of inflammation, including arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease” [7].

Calcium Muscles need calcium to contract [5]. Inflam-Enzymes contains 100% food calcium and no mineral salts.

Magnesium Muscles need magnesium to relax [5]. Inflam-Enzymes contains 100% food magnesium and no mineral salts.

Manganese is an essential trace mineral.“Mn is essential as a cofactor for the metalloenzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD), xanthine oxidase, arginase, galactosyl transferase, and pyruvate carboxylase…Mn also activates numerous enzymes including various decarboxylases, glutamine synthetase, hydrolases, kinases, and transferases usch as glycol transferases, the latter which are involved in polysaccharide biosynthesis, Depressed galactosyl transferase activity may account for connective-tissue damage observed in Mn-deficient animals” [8]. “Dietary manganese deficiency results in skeletal and cartilage malformations in animals and in one human report” [5]. While the mainstream has reported that 13-20 mg is safe to take daily [8], chiropractors have regularly advised daily dosages between 105-175 mg per day for problems such as Achilles tendonitis, skeletal fatigue, pulled calf muscles, cartilage damage, pulled ligaments, forward curvature of the spine, hernias, and various injuries (though for what length of time is unclear) [9]. “Manganese supplements are contraindicated in those with liver failure’ [5].

“Papain is a mixture of proteolytic enzymes…Papain has putative anti-inflammatory activity” [5]. One study concluded, “papain in doses of 0.325 and 0.75 mg/kg possesses strongly marked antiinflammatory activity and this ability is no less than that of butadion and indomethacin” [10].

Serrapeptase is also known as Serratia peptidase. Serrapeptase is a proteolytic enzyme isolated from a fermentation process involving the non-pathogenic enterobacteria Serratia E15. Serrapeptase (TSP) has been shown to be a powerful fibrinolytic enzyme [11]. One study concluded that “results indicate that orally administered TSP was absorbed from the intestinal tract and transferred into the circulation in an enzymically active form” [12]. A double-blind placebo controlled study involving 193 subjects who took 30 mg of Serrapeptase per day, “concluded that Serratia peptidase has anti-inflammatory, anti-oedemic and fibrinolytic activity and acts rapidly on localized inflammation.” [11].

Some chiropractors have reported that adjustments hold better when nutrition for the spine and the related organ is addressed.

Tablets in Inflam-Enzymes have received an enteric coating because the product’s effectiveness can be reduced by stomach acids if left unprotected. Enteric coatings are selectively insoluble substances as they do not dissolve in the acidic environment of the stomach, but they will dissolve in the higher pH (above pH 5.5) of the small intestine.

Inflam-Enzymes is the only 100% vegetarian Food mineral and enzyme product of its kind.

Inflam-Enzymes Video

[1] Rouhi AM. Escorting metal ions: protein chaperone protects, guides, copper ions in transit. Chem Eng News, 1999;11:34-35

[2] Implications of the 'other half' of a mineral compound. Albion Research Notes 2000;9(3):1-5

[3] Airola P. How to Get Well. Health Plus, Sherwood (OR), 1974

[4] Levine M, Katz A, Padayatty J. Vitamin C. In Modern Nutrition in Health & Disease, 10 th ed. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Phil., 2006: 507-524

[5] Hendler S, Rorvik D, editors. PDR for Nutritional Supplements. Medical Economics, Montvale (NJ), 2001

[6] DerMarderosian A, ed. The Review of Natural Products. Facts and Comparisons, St. Louis 2001

[7] Hale LP, Greer PK, Trinh CT, James CL. Proteinase activity and stability of natural bromelain preparations. Int Immunopharmacol. 2005;5(4):783-93

[8] Buchman AL. Manganese. In Modern Nutrition in Health & Disease, 10 th ed. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Phil., 2006: 326-331

[9] Versandal D.A. Contact Reflex Analysis and Applied Trophology, XVIII edition. D.A. Versandall, Holland (MI), 1990

[10] Rakhimov MR. Anti-inflammatory activity of domestic papain. Eksp Klin Farmakol. 2001;64(4):48-9

[11] Mazzone A, Catalani M, Costanzo M, Drusian A, Mandoli A, Russo S, Guarini E, Vesperini G. Evaluation of Serratia peptidase in acute or chronic inflammation of otorhinolaryngology pathology: a multicentre, double-blind, randomized trial versus placebo. J Int Med Res. 1990;18(5):379-88

[12] Moriya N, Nakata M, Nakamura M, Takaoka M, Iwasa S, Kato K, Kakinuma A. Intestinal absorption of serrapeptase (TSP) in rats. Biotechnol Appl Biochem. 1994;20 ( Pt 1):101-8

[13] Biron W.A. Chiropractic Principles and Technic. National College of Chiropractic, Chicago, 1939

[14] Chart of Your Nervous System. National Health Education, Atlanta