One day my friend, the
Lipase, said to me:” Use me and I will guard your health.”
LIPASE and the FAT
METABOLISM
by Walter Last
Lipase is the fat-splitting enzyme. Lipase has vast importance for our health,
not just in regard to the commonly recognized diseases of the fat metabolism
such as overweight and underweight, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, strokes
and degenerative muscle diseases, but also for skin problems, autoimmune
diseases, cancer, degenerative diseases of the brain and nervous system, and
also for rejuvenation and regeneration in general. How can lipase be important
with all of these problems and diseases?
The answer lies in the overriding importance of fats and oils not only
for our energy metabolism, but even more so for the structural integrity of our
body. Fats, oils and related fat-soluble vitamins and other biochemicals,
such as lecithin and cholesterol, are collectively called lipids. Most of our
brain, nerves and cell membranes consist of lipids. Lipase is important to
maintain optimal cell membrane permeability; this allows adequate nutrient
supply into the cells and wastes to flow out. P.G. Seeger, the most prolific researcher into
the relationship between nutrition and cancer, has clearly shown that the first
biochemical step towards cancer is a deterioration of the cell membrane.
Fats are chemically called triglycerides, and consist of three fatty
acid molecules combined with the alcohol glycerol. The biochemical function of
lipase is to split fats into their components, specifically to remove two or
all three fatty acids from their glycerol base in order to transport the
individual components through the intestinal wall. There are several lipases
for different functions, including phospholipases,
which split phospholipids, such as lecithin. Phospholipids are important
structural components of brain, nerves and cell walls. Lipase is not only
needed to digest and absorb lipids from food, but also for the internal use of
lipids.
Most of our digestive lipase is released by the pancreas. It is
water-soluble and works at the interface between water and lipids. Therefore,
lipase can only do its work properly if the lipids in our food are finely
emulsified which is done by bile released from the liver and gallbladder. The
sulfur-amino acid taurine is a major component of
bile. A deficiency of lipase, taurine or lecithin can
lead to a lack of bile and the formation of gallstones from cholesterol. This
can then lead to malabsorption of lipids and liver
problems. Lipase and lecithin added to meals help to avoid deficiencies of
essential lipids after gallbladder removal, and are also beneficial with liver
diseases.
Another common cause of lipid and mineral malabsorption
is gluten sensitivity. Gluten causes irritation and inflammation of the
intestinal wall and this erases the absorption villi.
Instead of long and slender they now become blunt with a greatly reduced
absorption surface. Fat malabsorption is called steatorrhea. It leads to fatty, bulky and smelly stools
that may be noticed to frequently stick to the side of the toilet bowel. The stickier it is the higher is the fat content. In
this case the fat is split into fatty acids but instead of being absorbed,
these combine with mineral ions, especially calcium, to form insoluble soaps.
This causes chronic deficiencies of minerals, essential fatty acids and
fat-soluble vitamins.
As we age, also pancreatic lipase production declines. This combination
of declining lipase production, reduced bile flow, reduced intestinal
absorption surface, and poor food choices leads to internal lipid deficiencies,
especially in regard to fat-soluble vitamins, phospholipids and essential
omega-3-fatty acids. This, in turn, causes or contributes to the common
symptoms of aging and the development of degenerative diseases. Widespread
mineral deficiency despite an adequate diet is commonly due to a lack of
gastric acid, or fat malabsorption, or usually a
combination of both.
After
passing the intestinal wall, the individual components are put together again
to form fats and phospholipids. Now they are combined with protein carriers,
called chylomicrons, and carried in the
bloodstream to all the cell structures. Chylomicrons
belong to the class of lipid carriers called lipoproteins. They are the largest
and least dense lipoproteins because of their high fat content.
Another group is the VLDL or Very Low Density
Lipoproteins. They are made in the liver to carry fats synthesized in the
liver from glucose and fructose to the body cells. As they lose some of their
triglycerides they collect cholesterol from other lipoproteins and are then
called LDL or Low Density Lipoproteins. They carry
cholesterol to tissue cells and fat stores. HDL or High
Density Lipoproteins are the smallest and densest lipoprotein, they
carry cholesterol and phospholipids back from the cells to the liver for
recycling or disposal.
As you can see from
this short description, there is a lot of internal lipase required to keep the
body functioning and in good working order. If there is not enough liver
lipase, we may develop fatty degeneration of the liver, if there is a
deficiency in the blood, the blood vessels may clog up, if it is lacking in fat
cells, then we may only be able to deposit fat but not mobilize it again when
needed, and when lipoprotein lipase is in short supply, then chylomicrons and VLDL build up in the blood and cause a
range of problems, while cells are starved of lipids for energy production or
structural regeneration.
Internal lipase
deficiency may develop when more lipase is needed for fat digestion and
absorption than can be produced in the pancreas. Then lipase is taken from the
internal lipase store to prop up the pancreas. Actually, lipase is recycled
similar to bile. For the purpose of fat digestion bile and lipase are released,
but unused amounts of each are reabsorbed in the lower parts of the small
intestines, and re-supplied to the liver and pancreas through the blood and
lymph circulation. Internal lipase deficiency arises when we habitually eat
food low in lipase. Then the body has difficulties reabsorbing and generating
enough lipase as we get older, and we develop age-related degenerative body
changes.
Another problem is
the increasing incidence of genetic, inherited or familial lipoprotein lipase
deficiency, also called familial chylomicronemia.
This leads to all of these problems already at a younger age. The most severe
form is seen when a genetic lipoprotein lipase deficiency is inherited from
both parents. Fortunately, this is rare with a frequency of only one in a
million. Much more common is a relative deficiency inherited from only one
parent. In this case problems may be mild in childhood, and become more
disabling as we get older.
Depending on the
exact nature of the deficiency, cholesterol may accumulate and lead to
cardiovascular disease, or problems may be due to excess triglycerides. This
may cause enlargement of liver and spleen, inflammation of the pancreas or
chronic pancreatitis; fatty deposits, fatty tumors or lipoma
under the skin; deposits in the retina of the eye, white inner eyelids,
yellow-brown skin patches, inflammatory skin and muscle diseases, chronic muscle
pain, spasms and cramps, varicose veins and fragile arteries, and generally
lack of energy. A
frequent sign is the early formation of an arcus senilis – a bluish-white opaque arc in the top part of the
iris, which may later become a full ring around the iris.
With this I see
lipase deficiency causing or contributing to a wide range of health problems
and diseases such as aging skin, Alzheimer’s disease, arteriosclerosis and
atherosclerosis, auto-immune disease, cancer, cardiovascular disease, chronic fatigue
syndrome, cystic fibrosis, dementia, depression, diabetes, eye diseases,
fibromyalgia, lateral sclerosis (A.L.S.), liver diseases, malabsorption,
multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, obesity, pancreatitis, Parkinson’s
disease, psoriasis, Raynaud’s disease, stroke, and vertigo (labrynthis or Meniere's
Disease).
The medical
solution for elevated triglycerides and cholesterol levels, apart from drugs,
is a low fat diet. However, this has its own problems. It leads to severe
deficiencies in essential lipids, such as fat-soluble vitamins, essential fatty
acids and phospholipids; while a high carbohydrate diet predisposes to the
development of diabetes, and any excess carbohydrate is converted in the liver
into saturated fat and cholesterol, and is a main cause of obesity. This
applies to genetic as well as acquired forms of elevated lipids.
Overweight
If we have a good
metabolism, then we can easily gain or lose weight. When the metabolism becomes
inefficient, we have difficulty either gaining or losing weight. I see the
present epidemic of overweight mainly as a symptom of lipase deficiency. This
is especially a problem with high-carbohydrate diets because of their low
satiety value.
The problem is
this: the less fat there is in a meal, the faster it is released from the
stomach into the small intestine. Unlike fats, carbohydrates are easily and
rapidly absorbed. This can lead to damaging high blood sugar levels. To prevent
this, the pancreas releases large amounts of insulin. This helps glucose to
enter cells more quickly but if you are not doing hard work or exercise at the
time, the excess glucose is either converted to lactic acid, thereby causing overacidity and mineral deficiency, or the glucose is
converted to fat (mainly in the liver).
Fat is then stored
in fat cells. When the blood sugar level drops, this stored fat can now be used
to generate energy – but only if you have sufficient internal lipase. If lipase
is deficient, fat remains in the fat cells and you feel hungry again, having
another carbohydrate meal with a replay of the same story. After several years
of repeating this cycle with habitually elevated blood sugar levels, diabetes
may be diagnosed.
There are two ways
to solve this problem, and it is best to use both simultaneously. Firstly get
plenty of lipase, preferably from raw fats and oils, or otherwise from lipase
supplements. Secondly slow down the absorption of carbohydrates. This may be
done in several ways. You may use a low carbohydrate diet, or slow down the
emptying of the stomach by mixing carbohydrates with sufficient oil or fat. You
may, for instance, eat fruit mixed with (coconut) cream.
Alternatively, you
may eat mainly slow-digesting carbohydrates, such as legumes, especially chickpeas
and sprouted mung beans and lentils, in addition to
vegetable salads. Another possibility is snacking - nibble, space out the food
intake. Ingest only as much carbohydrate as you need to produce energy during
the next 30 to 60 minutes so that nothing is converted into fat. Then have
another snack. Finally be aware that if you do have a high-calorie meal in the
evening, then it just cannot help but enrich your fat cells.
However, lipase
deficiency is only one factor that may prevent converting body fat into energy.
Others necessary nutrients are L-carnitine, coenzyme
Q10, choline or lecithin, inositol, methionine, and vitamin B3 (niacin and niacinamide).
Furthermore, fat burning can be accelerated by drinking diluted lemon juice,
grapefruit juice or cider vinegar before meals.
The natural
solution to these problems originating from lipase deficiency is to use a diet
that is high in lipase. All fatty or oily foods naturally have a high content
of lipase. Lipase is destroyed by heating over 40 to 45ºC.
Therefore, to improve genetic or age-related problems of the fat metabolism, we
need to maximize our intake of raw, unheated and unrefined fats and oils.
Raw butter, for instance, has formerly been used to
cure psoriasis but pasteurized butter causes or aggravates it. The healing
effect of raw butter is due to its high content of lipase. The same is true for
heart and liver problems, which are caused or aggravated by processed cheese
and butterfat. Such health problems did not occur in the inhabitants of the
Raw milk was formerly used to cure tuberculosis but
pasteurized milk is more likely to cause it. Carnivorous wild animals have
diets high in fat and cholesterol but no signs of atherosclerosis and heart
disease. In contrast, dogs and cats on canned food, pasteurized milk or cooked
meat develop the same diseases as their masters.
All lipid-rich foods also are high in lipase. However,
you need to be aware that lipase is water-soluble while at the same time being
attracted to the lipid phase. Therefore, you cannot get much lipase by using
only the lipid phase, such as vegetable oil. Even extra virgin olive oil does
not contain lipase, except as unfiltered, milky or turbid oil, but this is not
commercially available because lipase would cause it to spoil quickly. The same
applies to avocado oil or coconut oil.
This is not a problem with fresh avocado, coconut
flesh or raw animal lipids as they usually retain enough water and, with this,
all their lipase. Cream, for instance, has still about 60% water, butter 16%
and egg yolk about 50%. Other animal sources of lipase (and protein-digesting
enzymes) are minced raw meat and raw, possibly marinated fish (see The Raw Food Diet).
In addition to
a high intake of refined carbohydrates, I see the current epidemic of diseases,
such as Alzheimer’s disease, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and obesity,
largely as long-term manifestations of lipase deficiency, caused by the
restrictions of health departments on the sale of unpasteurized milk products.
To overcome this in countries where pasteurization is mandatory, groups of
people could become part owners of a cow or a small herd managed by a farmer.
Preferably do
not use Friesian cows (which give the largest volume of milk) but rather
In order to obtain a high lipase intake from vegetable
sources, we need to consume the whole food. This means eating the avocado
instead of using just the oil, or pressing, juicing or blending the coconut
flesh to make and use coconut milk or cream. This needs then to be refrigerated
or frozen because the high enzyme content causes it to deteriorate rapidly at
room temperature.
We encounter another problem with nuts and oily seeds.
Even if we do eat them whole, we may not get much benefit from it because of
the presence of enzyme inhibitors. Eaten frequently or in high amounts these
inhibitors tend to cause indigestion. The solution is to soak and possibly
sprout or ferment these seeds (see Recipes). In one
reported experiment all enzyme inhibition had been removed after 24 hours of
soaking.
Unfortunately, the richest food sources of lipase, raw
butter and cream, have been outlawed in most Western countries. Individuals
with genetic or age-related lipase deficiency will find it difficult to obtain
enough lipase in commercially available raw food. Fortunately, lipase powder has in recent
times become more easily available.
Originally lipase could only be obtained in relatively low
concentrations as an ingredient of pancreatin from
animal sources. In order to protect it from de-activation in the stomach, pancreatin is commonly available as acid-resistant or
enteric-coated tablets that dissolve only in the intestines. While these can be
helpful with malabsorption syndromes such as cystic
fibrosis, because of their late activation, they are less effective than pancreatin released from the pancreas or enzymes already
present in the food.
Furthermore, in children high spot concentrations of pancreatin
from dissolving tablets in the lower intestines have been reported to cause
damage to the intestinal wall. Another problem of mixing high levels of
protease with a low level of lipase is that lipase is a protein. Its activity
can be diminished by being digested by close contact with proteases.
Presently pancreatin and lipase from animal
sources are increasingly replaced with enzymes from plant and microbial
sources. One well-known enzyme factory is papaya or pawpaw, especially the
white sap in under-ripe fruit and in leaves and twigs. The highest
concentration is in the green skin of unripe fruit. Besides the protease
(protein-digesting enzyme) papain, it also contains
appreciable amounts of lipase.
Commercially lipase is produced mainly from special strains of fungi and
bacteria. It is highly purified with no contamination from fungal or bacterial
protein. Its main advantage is its activity over a wide pH range. Therefore, it
is not de-activated by stomach acid, and is effective when mixed with the food
in powder form before ingestion. With some fatty or oily food, it can be mixed
already up to one hour before mealtime and kept in a warm place to react.
However, if waiting too long an off-flavor may develop, especially in the
presence of short-chain fatty acids.
The advantage of using pre-mixed enzyme powder rather than pancreatin tablets can be seen from a reported case in
which enteric-coated pancreatin tablets failed to
arrest the progression of cancer of the pancreas, while fungal enzyme powder
pre-mixed with food helped this patient to survive.
Tests have revealed that under favorable conditions about 40% of
pancreatic lipase powder added to food is being absorbed into the bloodstream.
I assume that by taking lipase in juice or water before meals this percentage
will be even higher.
Pre-mixing of lipase with food overcomes a common problem with microbial
lipases: they tend to be degraded by the pancreas enzyme trypsin
in the small intestine. Pre-mixing gives lipase time to react not only before
ingestion but also for a considerable time before the meal becomes too acid in
the stomach and lipase becomes dormant. Lipase activity tests measure the
amount of free fatty acids liberated from olive oil per minute; however for
complete hydrolysis much longer reaction time is required.
On the other hand, if we want to maximize absorption of lipase into the
bloodstream, then we need to avoid the release of trypsin
by taking it on an empty stomach and with a reasonably large volume of liquid.
I have experimented with absorbing small amounts of high-strength lipase under
the tongue, and believe that this is an effective way of getting lipase into
the bloodstream, although it may be equally effective carrying it across the
skin with DMSO but I have not tried it.
Cod liver oil and other fish oils are beneficial for most individuals
who do not eat much cold-water fish. If you suspect fat malabsorption
or lipase deficiency, shake a tablespoon of cod liver oil or several opened
capsules of fish oil together with some lecithin and lipase in juice before
ingestion, or alternatively emulsify the oil by swishing the mixture around the
mouth for a while. The omega-3 fatty acids in fish oils have been shown to
reduce elevated fat levels in the blood. Cells containing plenty of omega-3
fatty acids in their walls produce up to 7 times more energy than cells with
other fatty acids in their walls.
As a general rule, fat or oil, or fatty food such as egg yolk, ingested
without thoroughly chewing together with other food, or by emulsifying it with
lecithin, are not well absorbed and may lead to indigestion and deficiencies. If
you just swallow capsules of fish oil or vitamin E, or a spoonful of cod liver
oil, the oil may just remain in a puddle and not be absorbed because lipase
cannot penetrate a blob of oil or fat. Therefore always try to emulsify oils
and fats by shaking, swishing or, the natural way, by thoroughly chewing with
other food.
Lipase is also used for other purposes, such as in washing powders.
Therefore, when trying to source lipase, look for food-grade or supplement
quality lipase. I have not been able to find single ingredient lipase
supplements in the retail market. They are always in tablet form, usually in
low concentration, and mixed with other enzymes. While pancreatin
tablets have their place, I believe that tablets or capsules of microbial
lipase are relatively inefficient as they start working only in the small
intestine where they may soon be degraded by trypsin.
Alternatively you may, of course, open capsules and pre-mix their content with
the meal.
For individuals with genetic or advanced age-related lipase deficiency,
and no access to raw butter or cream all this is not satisfactory. Therefore,
search on the Internet for enzyme manufacturers, you may be able to obtain
lipase powder in kilogram quantities. Preferably store lipase powder
refrigerated in a closed container. At room temperature the loss of activity is
generally stated as 10% per year if kept in a tightly closed container.
The activity is commonly expressed as Lipase Units or LU, and in the
Depending on the nature of your health problem you may use up to 500,000
LU daily, although no research on maximum amounts is available. Start with
small amounts, such as 20,000 LU daily, and increase gradually according to
your observations of any benefit or reaction. Half a level teaspoon of lipase
80,000 LU/g provides about 120,000 LU. Lipase powder easily dissolves in water.
Mix more with meals high in fats or oils, and less with food of lower fat
content. With cooked food always add after cooling to below 45ºC. Also add some
lecithin and mix and chew well.
Two
HOW TO USE LIPASE
Lipase can be used to improve fat digestion in case of malabsorption problems, and it may help with weight loss
diets and with some skin problems. In all cases be aware that lipase is soluble
in water but not in fat and oils. It breaks lipids down at the contact border
between the watery and the lipid phase. Therefore, to efficiently break down
lipids it is desirable to make an emulsion of the two phases as for instance by
shaking or stirring after the addition of lecithin. Furthermore, any food to
which lipase is added should not be hotter than about 45ºC.
Oral Use to Improve
Absorption of Fats and Oils
To improve fat absorption dissolve lipase powder (e.g. 1/4 teaspoon) in
the watery part of the meal. Add some lecithin (e.g. 1/2 to 1 tsp) and stir
well to mix with any oil or fat in the meal. With fatty solids such as pieces
of (fatty) meat, nuts, or bread with butter you may chew this very well with some
lipase and lecithin sprinkled over the food. It is preferable to pre-mix lipase
and lecithin with the meal for at least several minutes, and preferably 10 to
30 minutes as the action of lipase will stop if and when the stomach content
becomes very acid.
Oral Use for Weight loss or
to Clean Blood Vessels
To clean congested blood vessels, or with lipoprotein lipase deficiency,
or to lose weight, stir 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of lipase in a glass of juice, herb
tea or water and take before meals. Drink more afterwards. For weight loss this
is best done before a period of exercise before breakfast.
To
remove fatty lumps (lipoma), or yellow-brownish skin
marks (xanthomas), or to rejuvenate aging or damaged
skin, mix a suitable amount of lipase with a carrier agent, such as unheated
honey, diluted glycerine, MSM in water, fresh aloe vera gel, or diluted DMSO. Apply this to the problem area
and cover to leave overnight or for several days. Repeat from time to time if
and as required. With xanthomas it is also beneficial
to apply lemon juice, sodium ascorbate or alpha lipoic acid dissolved in DMSO.
To
regenerate aging skin, you may rub the skin with a lipase-rich nutrient, such
as unpasteurized cream, or mix some raw egg yolk or avocado with your skin
lotion. Fresh unheated coconut milk is
highly germicidal, and especially good for areas affected by Candida and other
fungi.
To
lose weight from specific parts of the body, such as thighs, buttocks or
stomach regularly rub on lipase dissolved in one of the mentioned carrier
agents. Then stimulate this area by rhythmically tensing and relaxing the
involved muscles, and by massaging the area, at other times also use
alternating hot and cold showers on it.
Safety
In regard to safety, tests with rats did not show any side-effects after
intakes of 2 g/kg of high-potency lipase for several months. For a human that
would be equivalent to taking 100 to 150 g daily. Also there are no reported
health incidents. Therefore health authorities generally do not have any
concerns about lipase as nutritional supplement. A committee report of the
Australian TGA states:” Authors of safety studies and reviews indicated that
they could find no reports of adverse reactions for oral consumption of
microbial-derived enzymes in humans”(CMEC47).
Caution: As enzymes are proteins, there is a slight
possibility of an allergy against supplemented lipase developing. Therefore
watch out for this possibility.
The
information in this article has been provided in good faith according to my
experience and understanding. I cannot guarantee results or accept
responsibility for any side effects.