World of Enzymes

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The little i know about.

Up until yesterday to me vinegar was acetic acid diluted in water eventually with some flavors and colors. But i found out something very important. It contains, as leftovers from fabrication, at least for natural brands, a couple of enzymes which are essential in metabolism of alcohol and aldehyde in our bodies. Alcohol and aldehyde dehydrogenase.

These enzymes, (also produced in our bodies), are responsible for us not getting killed or blinded by even small amounts of alcohol. For those who don't know, ethanol or the alcohol found in most alcoholic beverages is as toxic as methanol of which we have heard many stories. Or like ethylene glycol, the antifreeze, or any other alcohols.

In the past when people got to ER with methanol or ethylene glycol intoxication they were given whiskey.

The reason is ethanol in whiskey (or any other spirit) triggers the increased production in your body of dehydrogenase while the other alcohols don't. Because of a mutation in our bodies inherited since one of our ancestors, million years ago, survived after eating fermented fruit. However, once triggered, the enzyme breaks down all alcohols, not only ethanol.

Yesterday i found out those enzymes are present in vinegar. Together with an inhibitor of amylase, the enzyme that turns starch into monosaccharides (simple sugars) that are basis for alcohol fermentation and acetic fermentation into vinegar. Both the enzymes and the inhibitor are produced by acetic bacteria, the third in the chain processes of turning starch into acetic acid.

As zymase (yes, i know, it sounds like Zemu, who must have been Semitic, or Semi) from a yeast (same plain baking yeast) (yeast is something in between bacteria and mold) is responsible for turning simple sugars, cellulose etc. into alcohol, alcohol that can be further processed into acetic acid by a bacteria that uses the same two enzymes that are responsible for breaking down alcohol in our bodies.

Why an inhibitor of amylase? Simply because those acetic bacteria don't want the alcoholic fermentation of that food source (presumably starch which is ubiquitous in plants seeds) to continue and alcohol concentration to increase until it would kill  them. So they slow down the process of turning starch into sugar by amylase thus cutting the source for zymase to produce alcohol (otherwise the process will continue until alcohol concentration would eventually kill both the yeast, around 15% and acetic bacteria).

But what are enzymes?

That is a good question, because an enzyme is basically a whole standalone chemical nano reactor in one huge protein molecule. They can turn sugars into alcohols, alcohols into acetic acid, break down toxins, dirt in laundry, etc.. One single molecule of those can work in succession transforming many molecules of the primary substances mentioned substances before they break down themselves eventually.

Proteins which are encoded in the genetic material of each species and cells of those species or even individual unicellular beings. Organelles in every eukaryotic cell can produce according to that code proteins of which some maybe be enzymes which help them survive.

Today's industrial production of alcohol, acetic acid, medicine, other substance relies on enzymes.

Together with enzymes, some cells may produce enzymes inhibitors. Simply to compete with others ('s enzymes).

The presence of both hydrogenase and amylase inhibitor in vinegar is beneficial. Enzymes/inhibitors work in very small concentrations. Even smelling vinegar may both reduce transforming of starch in your gut, lowering blood sugar and/or help breaking down toxic alcohols that may be present in your gut from reasons such as fermentation produced by unwanted yeasts that may produce let's say methanol (aka wood alcohol) from the fibers you ingest.

Why some people could not have (maybe temporarily) enough hydrogenase? I don't know, could be liver disease, could also be an inhibitor produced by those unwanted yeasts in your gut during a hangover, moonwalking, who knows.

Years ago they discover drinking grapefruit juice or consuming the fruit interacts with medicine "bioavailability".

Our body is one universe away from being unicellular. It has organs with cells that specialize in let's say producing this and that enzymes and many other functions, like contracting, in the case of muscle cells.

There is a class of enzymes, CYP3, produced in again many individual cells or in our livers that help breaking down toxins. Either at cellular level of multicellular level, those enzymes are the defence of every living organism.

From the point of view of oud body as a whole, and usually for a target organ, medicine is beneficial. From the point of view of most other cells, they are toxins that must be eliminated. That's why concentrations of medicine in your body starting right after peaking after ingestion, is being decreased, by several mechanisms, one of them being breaking down by the CYP3 class of enzymes. Thus, when given medications, concentration and time of repeating doses is calculated taking into account the breaking down time of medication by those mechanisms.

Grapefruit juice, pulp, peel, other fruit, contain a substance called bergamottin, because it was first found in bergamot, a type of citrus fruit that inhibits those enzymes. It cannot harm us because it stays in the gut or at most in the blood stream all the way to liver. It can harm the microbes (bacteria, mold, some unwanted, present in your hut by inhibiting the CYP3 enzymes of those cells). It also inhibits the CYP3 enzymes from your liver responsible with breaking down medicines, thus increasing breakdown time or "bioavailability".

That is why grapefruit juice is a potent anti-parasitic cause it inhibits CYP3 enzyme inside parasites like T gondii in your intestine rendering them defenseless to your body's immune system or hostile environment (digestive enzymes, antigens, etc.). Outside of your body, when used wisely, it can be a life saver disinfectant.

However vinegar could have more than those two enzymes and one inhibitor. Got into temptation of eating cereal with soy milk and a few raisins while (not knowing) outside there was smell of laundry and got nauseated again. Smelled vinegar and nausea that otherwise would have lasted for hours, increasing acid production and loading my already sick pancreas. The nausea would have turned the next day into intestinal pains, etc..

Proteases are enzymes that break down proteins. They are commonly used for fabrication of cheese. Starting with small amounts in farms, where the source is the stomach of a slaughtered calf and continuing to industrial scale preparation of cheese. Still present in fresh cheeses, like cottage cheese and mozzarella, are beneficial to your body as they may break down proteins belonging to parasites, thus killing them.

Kallikreins are digestive enzymes. In moles and shrew, they have, during a case of parallel evolution, turned into a venom that can paralyze or "zombify" prey.

I long suspected sulfur as being an enzyme inhibitor. Right before i ate sugar and was perfumed by the laundry, there was a walk upstairs. Walking on the moon pumps sulfur dioxide that may form inside the cells of drywall (open cells aerated calcium sulfate).

In the image. Sulfur on paper in the reflection chamber of apprentice masons. Exactly the same materials American houses are made of. Drywall is a sandwich of calcium sulfate and cardboard. Calcium sulfate is hardly a rock.

"Thou shall not build your house of sulfur".

Did you reflect long enough after reading this blog post?
Another suspicion for enzyme blockers or even destroyers is smoke. Cigarette, wildfire, city smoke, car exhaust all contain heavy metals freed from organic combinations and thousands of other harmful substances. Some of those may attach to the huge proteins that made enzymes, blocking their activity.

Smokers and drinkers know, when you smoke you will get a higher high than when drinking only. Because dehydrogenase, blocked by the smoke, will be less available to break down alcohol.

Trouble begins though when you lack not alcohol dehydrogenase or ADH but the second, aldehyde dehydrogenase or ALDH, that is responsible with breaking down aldehyde, the highly cancerigen intermediary byproduct of your body processing alcohol, also contained in coffee, bread, some fruit. Most interesting is coffee, that also contains freed heavy metals from roasting, that may block the enzyme as well.

Conclusion is, i recommend a drop of natural apple vinegar in every glass of water, even in your morning tea. it even tastes pleasant. Like soda. One drop only.

I also remembered, there was a trend in recent years, with a justification, drinking warm water with some lemon juice in the morning which is acid, will render you body less acid during the whole day. It didn't make sense to me back then, it does now. Lemon juice may contain enzymes or enzyme blockers like CYP3 blockers that may reduce the number of bad bacteria in you stomach, thus the stomach would have to produce less acid to kill those, etc..