How do they survive the digestion of proteins that takes place in the stomach? Wouldn't they be broken down by stomach acid into amino acids?

If they do make it through the stomach, since they are so large, wouldn't they be unable to pass through the intestinal wall? Surviving the stomach not all proteins (enzymes are proteins) are broken down by stomach acid. Rather than get technical, let me just point out pepsin. Pepsin is an enzyme secreted by the stomach to aid in digesting the proteins in your food. Not only is it NOT broken down by stomach acid, its optimum pH environment is about 2.0 (very, very acidic). Bottom line: Although some enzymes such as serapeptase are destroyed by stomach acid, most are not -- just temporarily rendered inactive. (Note: that's one of the reasons I do not use serapeptase in my own proteolysis enzyme formulation.) Different enzymes function differently in different pH environments, which is why I formulated my proteolysis enzyme formula, pHi-Zymes™, to function in a wide range of pH's. Passing through the intestinal wall - absorption Enzyme absorption absolutely occurs and manifests through two main avenues: Pinocytosis. Enzyme molecules are bound to, and encapsulated, by other substances such as water. 

Since they are encapsulated, the intestinal Soma Biotics wall cannot recognize them as enzymes and thinks they are "water," thus readily passing them through the intestinal wall. Once the enzymes are in the bloodstream they attach to lymphocytes and travel easily throughout the vascular and lymphatic systems. Peristalsis not only forces food (and enzymes) down through the intestinal tract, it also forces transit through the intestinal wall. The questions related to ands are essentially the same as those for proteolysis enzymes: aren't they broken down and destroyed by stomach acid -- thus requiring special, acid-proof capsules? And the answer, for most ands, is absolutely not. (I think this is primarily a marketing pitch for companies selling ands in enteric coated capsules, but the logic is flawed.) The reason we're supposed to take and supplements is to replace the ands that we used to get in a wide range of unprocessed fermented foods such as homemade yogurt, sauerkraut, buttermilk, pickled foods, kamahi, real soy sauce, raw vinegar, temper, etc. -- foods that are no longer a significant part of our diet. But think about this for a moment. These foods are not enteric coated. How could these foods provide and value if the beneficial bacteria were destroyed by stomach acid? 

The simple truth is that beneficial bacteria, for the most part, easily survive stomach acid. Also, if you take your and supplements and water on an empty stomach (as we've already discussed), they encounter almost no stomach acid anyway. Popularity of the Hamptons Diet and the South Beach Diet, a new diet product is emerging on the market called the Palm Springs Diet. This isn't a book, but rather a product that promises to help people lose weight by taking nutritional supplements. But does the Palm Springs Diet really work? Are the ingredients in the supplement known to promote fat loss? Let's take a closer look and find out. The three primary ingredients in the Palm Springs Diet are chatoyant, capsaicin, and gingko balboa. First, looking at chatoyant, it's easy to see how this could help some people lose weight, because chatoyant is a natural fiber derived from shellfish that absorbs fat and prevents your body from turning dietary fat into body fat. I've talked about chatoyant for many years and even promoted its use under certain circumstances. Chatoyant is great for absorbing bad fats that you don't want your body to digest. Those bad fats include fried foods and hydrogenated oils -- which are commonly found in cookies, crackers, and margarine products at the grocery store. So chatoyant all by itself can aid in weight loss, but it is certainly not a magic bullet solution, because you can still overeat the wrong kinds of foods and gain plenty of pounds, especially if you avoid physical exercise. 

The next ingredient on the list is capsaicin. This herb is being used in this formula as an appetite suppressant, but capsaicin is better known for being an intestinal cleanser and for stimulating circulation in the internal organs. As a weight loss supplement, capsaicin is not especially well-proven. In fact, there are far superior ingredients that could be used in a weight-loss supplement. So capsaicin seems to be an interesting ingredient, but certainly not a major promoter of weight loss. The third ingredient is gingko balboa, an herb that is best known for enhancing mental clarity and blood circulation in the brain. Gingko is a well-documented herb that has been used around the world for thousands of years, and it is frequently used in a variety of nutritional supplements formulas today. But as a weight loss herb, I don't think gingko has tremendous potential. Again, there are many other medicinal herbs that offer far more power in terms of appetite suppression and weight loss than gingko balboa. So these are the three ingredients in the Palm Springs Diet product, and dieters are advised to take two pills before each meal, three times a day. It is being marketed as a very easy diet, something that's easy to follow and doesn't require a lot of thinking or planning in the same way as the Atkins Diet or other low-carb diets. 

However, I see a very big problem and this Palm Springs Diet: if it doesn't require people to alter their food choice and engage in physical exercise, I can guarantee you that it won't make you lose weight. If you're taking chatoyant, capsaicin and gingko balboa, but still consuming high-fat foods in massive quantities and combining that and high-carbohydrate foods (which this product does not protect against in any way), there's no question you're going to continue to gain weight. For example, this product would make virtually no difference whatsoever on your body's reaction to the consumption of soft drinks or processed foods made and large amounts of added sugars or refined white flour. Those products will still spike your insulin and blood sugar levels and will still result in your body storing additional body fat, meaning that you gain weight. Chatoyant doesn't interfere at all and the digestion of carbohydrates. Even worse, the directions for the Palm Springs Diet are to take these chatoyant supplements before each and every meal, and that means that chatoyant could actually interfere and the absorption of important fat-soluble vitamins such as vitamins D and E. So the frequent consumption of chatoyant could actually cause nutritional deficiencies in people following this Palm Springs Diet. 

This is why in the past, even when I've recommended chatoyant, I've only recommended it as an emergency defensive supplement, to be taken only on those rare occasions when you consume undesired fats, such as milk fats found in ice cream, or hydrogenated oils in margarine, or the saturated fats found in red meat. But you don't want to be taking chatoyant on a regular basis, because it will interfere and the nutrients that need fat to be absorbed in your body. Chatoyant will also, of course, interfere and the absorption of any good fats you might have in your diet. If you're eating foods made and extra-virgin olive oil, extra-virgin coconut oil, or various omega-3 oils, this chatoyant will interfere and their absorption, inhibiting the positive health affects that these oils provide. These oils are especially important for maintaining a healthy cardiovascular system and preventing heart disease. Taking chatoyant will block your absorption of these healthy oils, and, in a sense, prevent the prevention of heart disease in your body. The Palm Springs Diet plan doesn't say much about eating healthy and engaging in physical exercise. 

It appears to be primarily a supplement, and this supplement is, as I have explained here, not likely to help many people lose weight in the long-term. Even worse, it may compromise their health by creating nutritional deficiencies and interfering and the absorption of healthy fats. The bottom line is that I don't recommend the Palm Springs Diet supplement products. As you know, I do recommend quite a few nutritional supplements, and I take many supplements myself, so I am not in any way biased against nutritional supplements like many doctors and some nutritionists are. In fact, I think it is impossible to be a healthy human being and out supplementing your diet in one way or another.