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LB Healing Products
Mudgee, NSW:
Ph: 02 6373 3419
email: sales@grainmills.com.au 

LB Healing Products
Sydney/Wollstonecraft:
Ph: 02 9436 4772
email: lisa@grainmills.com.au 

International:
Ph: +61.263 733419

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The Natural Way to Heal - Walter Last

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 of the 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.

Fat Absorption

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 taurine or of the phospholipid lecithin can lead to a lack of bile, commonly due to gallstones formed from cholesterol. This can then lead to malabsorption of lipids and liver problems.

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. 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.

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.

Lipid Transport

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 are the VLDL or Very Low Density Lipoproteins. They are made in the liver to carry fats synthesized in the liver 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.

Internal Lipase

In order to split and re-assemble lipids, the liver requires its own lipase, and this is called liver lipase. Some more lipase is in the blood, and may keep blood vessels free of fatty deposits. Furthermore, before fats can enter any cells, they must be disassembled because only individual components can pass the cell walls.

Therefore, there is another lipase attached to the outside of cells or on nearby capillaries. This one is called lipoprotein lipase. The amino acid carnitine carries long-chain fatty acids through the cell wall, while shorter fatty acids, like some of those in butter and coconut oil, do not need a carrier. Inside the cell fatty acids may be used for energy production or to form new walls in dividing cells or replace structures in existing walls, or they may be re-assembled into triglycerides and stored in fat cells.

As all of the individual molecules in our body are constantly being replaced, there is a high turnover in structural fatty acids. If we have not eaten for a while, lipase in fat cells disassembles triglycerides and releases them into the bloodstream to be converted in the liver or used by other cells for energy production.

Lipase Deficiency

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 high in fat but 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 or inherited lipoprotein lipase deficiency. 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 under the skin or lipoma, 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, diabetes, eye diseases, fibromyalgia, lateral sclerosis (A.L.S.), liver diseases. 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 it’s own problems. It leads to severe deficiencies in essential lipids, such as fat-soluble vitamins, essential fatty acids and phospholipids; a high carbohydrate diet predisposes to the development of diabetes, and any excess carbohydrate is converted in the liver into saturated fat and cholesterol. This applies to genetic as well as acquired forms of elevated lipids.

Lipase to the Rescue

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 overcome 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 Caucasus and Bulgaria with their high intake of raw milk products. Cholesterol did not harm anyone in former times when mainly unheated milk products were used; cardiovascular diseases were almost unknown.

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 and cooked milk or meat develop the same diseases as we humans.

Lipase in Food

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 contains very little lipase, although a much higher lipase content is in unfiltered, milky or turbid oil, but this is not commercially available. The same applies to avocado oil or coconut oil.

This is generally not a problem with raw animal lipids as they usually retain enough water. 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 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 are not likely to 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 sprout or ferment these seeds (see Recipes). In one reported experiment all enzyme inhibition had been removed after 24 hours of soaking.

Lipase Supplements

Unfortunately, the richest food source of lipase, raw butter and cream, has been outlawed in most Western countries, although unpasteurised cheese can still be obtained in some 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 it being partially digested by close contact with proteases.  

Presently pancreatin and lipase from animal sources is increasingly replaced with enzymes from plant 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. It is highly purified with no contamination from fungal 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 one to two hours before mealtime and kept in a warm place to react.

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 plant-derived enzyme powder pre-mixed with food helped this patient to survive.

Tests have revealed that about 40% of lipase powder added to food is being absorbed into the bloodstream. I assume that by taking lipase with a fatty food that is low in protein, this percentage will be even higher.

Technical Details

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.

For individuals with genetic or advanced age-related lipase deficiency, and no access to raw butter or cream this is not satisfactory. Therefore, search on the Internet for enzyme manufacturers, and order lipase powder in kilogram quantities. Store lipase powder refrigerated in a closed container. The activity is commonly expressed as international units (IU), sometimes also as U.S. Pharmacopeia (USP) units. Different lipase preparations may have different activity units. For fungal lipases these may commonly range from 20,000 to 80,000 IU per gram.

Depending on the nature of your health problem you may add up to 500,000 IU daily to your food. Start with small amounts, such as 10,000 to 20,000 IU daily, and increase gradually according to your observations of any benefit or reaction. 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.

External Use of Lipase

To remove fatty lumps (lipoma), or yellow-brownish skin marks (xanthomas), or to rejuvenate aging or damaged skin, mix up to half a teaspoon of lipase with a suitable agent, such as unheated honey or fresh aloe vera gel. It may also help to add a small amount of cod liver oil. Apply this to the problem area and cover suitably to leave overnight or for several days. Repeat from time to time if and as required. You may also try it on external tumors, skin cancer, moles and boils.

To regenerate aging skin, you may mix a pinch of lipase with some of your favorite natural skin lotion just before you rub it on. To make your own lotion you may mix any of the following ingredients or develop your own formulation: extra virgin olive oil, coconut milk (or cream or oil), fragrant essential oil, vitamin E, lecithin, glycerin, ionized water, copper salicylate (or just a pinch of salicylic acid), sodium ascorbate (or ascorbic acid), para-amino benzoic acid (PABA), MSM, royal jelly, and lipase. The amounts of individual ingredients are not important, just experiment. Mix small amounts and make fresh every week or two. Keep refrigerated and shake well before applying to the skin. PABA is an excellent sunscreen, and also helps to rejuvenate the skin but it may irritate sensitive skin. Vitamin C, glycerin, and salicylates have also been shown to improve aging skin. Coconut milk is highly germicidal, especially good for areas affected by Candida and other fungi.

Caution: The information in this article has been provided in good faith according to my experience and understanding. I am not aware of any harmful effects with the described methods. However, I cannot guarantee results or accept responsibility for any side effects.



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