Did you know that enzymes are the catalysts for thousands of reactions, processes, and functions in the human body, down to the cellular level?
From digestion to detoxification, and everything in between… enzymes are involved. They reduce inflammation, help fight infections, clean the blood of unwanted proteins (garbage), and much more!
And when we’re young, our bodies produce more than enough enzymes for our needs. Unfortunately, as we age, starting around 25 or 30, our enzyme levels begin to drop.
That’s why systemic (also called “proteolytic enzymes”) enzymes have been in my cabinet for the last 10+ years. (I just turned 40) Generally, I take a very low maintenance dose. If I’ve been training hard, combatting an illness, or have some other acute need, I’ll increase the amount I’m taking to give my body the help it needs.
There are well-documented potential benefits of taking supplemental systemic enzymes in regards to joint health, pain reduction, as well as improved cardiovascular health.
There are products on the market consisting of individual systemic enzymes, such as nattokinase (shown to have benefits in regards to blood pressure & cardiovascular health), serrapeptase (congestion, mucous membranes, inflammation), and bromelain (comes from pineapple cores, and breaks down excess fibrin in the blood among other functions).
At one point, I was personally taking 4 different enzyme products because I wanted the benefits of all of them together. While this can be effective, it also gets quite expensive.
Then I found combination formulas, Vitalzym and Wobenzym – both of which are well-known in the natural health/functional medicine world, with solid research behind them. Both seemed to achieve the desired effects, so I’d rotate between the two.
Even with these formulas, however, I was taking 6-12 capsules/day, and given the cost of the products, expense was still more than I’d have liked.
That’s when my friend & Microbiologist, Kiran Krishnan (Chief Science Officer at Microbiome Labs) told me about a product he’d found recently at a trade show called Fibrenza.
Michael Roesslein, MS, FDN-P
About our Guest
Michael Roesslein holds a Master’s Degree in Exercise Science & Health Promotion, is a certified Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Practitioner, and a CHEK Holistic Lifestyle Coach. He also holds multiple personal training certifications and has completed both the 2-year training program at the Luminous Awareness Institute, and Dr. Gabor Mate’s Compassionate Inquiry professional training for therapists.
Michael’s journey has been one of deepening levels of healing & transformation – from fitness to nutrition to functional health coaching, and now into the world of mental, emotional, spiritual, and energetic well-being.
This was not only born out of a natural curiosity, but out of necessity.
Michael has suffered from severe depression and anxiety for most of his life, along with significant ADD/ADHD – all of which led to self-medication, unhealthy and dangerous coping and avoidance tactics, and on several occasions, suicidal ideations.
By applying what he has learned over the last 15 years in many advanced training programs, along with mentorships under several of the most brilliant practitioners across the full spectrum of healing, Michael has been able to experience radical improvements in quality of life and resilience during difficult times.
Originally from the Chicago area, Michael now lives in Montepulciano, a small town in the beautiful hills of southern Tuscany (Italy) with his wife Mira and their dog, Nica.
