About 14,000 people will die this year from esophageal cancer, and nearly 16,500 Americans will be diagnosed with it, according to a late March story from MSNBC.com.

In fact, in the past 20 years, esophageal cancer has increased six-fold. Gastrointestinal reflux disease (GERD) and Barrett’s esophagus, which can trigger the development of cancerous cells, are partly to blame, reports MSNBC.

In GERD and Barrett’s, stomach acid creeps back into the esophagus, damaging stomach lining and in some cases spurring the development of cancer. The story says those with Barrett’s esophagus are 30 times more likely to get esophageal cancer.

For gastrointestinal disorders, including heartburn, many people use over-the-counter and prescription medications that suppress acid production.

However, drugs that inhibit natural acid production are associated with increased risk of hip fractures, intestinal infection and bacterial overgrowth in the stomach and small intestine. According to another MSNBC story, the overgrowth of bacteria in the stomach could lead to pneumonia, vitamin B12 deficiency and stomach cancer.

Digestive enzyme supplements, including broad-spectrum products in the WellZymes™ line, assist in the digestive process. They appear to decrease distension of the stomach, which might help relieve symptoms of GERD, according to MSNBC.

For those with ulcers or other damage to the lining of the gastrointestinal tract, WellZymes™ Gastric Ease™ is recommended in place of antacids.

A lot of buzz has emerged lately about the possible connection between allergies and the supposedly over-hygienic environments that many highly developed nations have created.

Dubbed the “hygiene hypothesis,” the theory is that our use of antibiotic drugs and antibacterial products has toned down our immune defenses. Because we’re no longer exposed to as many harmful germs, our bodies then overreact to normally benign substances such as milk, nuts or pollen, according to several recent reports.

New York University’s Scienceline and the Washington Post reveal the following statistics about food and environmental sensitivities:

· At least one allergy afflicts more than 50 percent of the U.S. population
· Twelve million people in the U.S. have an allergy to certain foods or drinks
· Peanut allergies doubled from 1997 to 2002, a year in which they showed up in one out of every 125 children
· In the past few decades, allergies and immune disorders, such as lupus and multiple sclerosis, have doubled, tripled or quadrupled.

The Post reports the “hygiene hypothesis” also takes into account changes in diet – including the consumption of more highly processed foods – air pollution and unhealthful lifestyles as reasons for the increase in allergies, asthma and autoimmune diseases.

Researchers claim that people in less developed countries, as well as children raised with pets or on farms, are not as likely to develop some modern immune and allergy problems, according to the Post. The theory is that people in these environments have less sensitive immune systems because they are exposed to more microbes.

As a potential therapy, some scientists are trying to train the immune systems of children by slowly introducing larger amounts of foods that trigger allergic reactions, the Post says. Others are addressing immune problems with harmless parasitic worms, which patients swallow.

In her book, “Live Free from Asthma and Allergies,” Dr. Ellen Cutler explains poor digestion is the second-most common cause of sensitivities, or allergies. Poor digestion can lead to leaky gut syndrome, a condition in which openings in the cells of intestinal walls allow toxic materials to pass into the bloodstream.

Cooked and processed foods in our modern diets also lack natural food enzymes, which aid in digestion. This lack of enzymes can decrease nutrient absorption and use up energy for immune function.

However, when proper digestion is supported with the use of nutritional enzyme supplements, the body is able to more easily break down and assimilate nutrients in food. In addition, digestive enzyme supplements displace the burden on digestive organs to produce all of the enzymes required for digestion. As a result, more energy is available to support immune function.

A 2006 study from the Medical University Vienna in Vienna, Austria, reported the allergenicity of foods was reduced up to 10,000 times when gastric digestion was supported.

There are several enzyme supplements in the WellZymes™ line that can provide support for proper digestion. Broad-spectrum enzyme supplements include WellZymes™ Digestive Health, Digestive Chewables and Gastric Ease.™

As has been mentioned in several articles throughout the Enzymes Work and Enzyme Experts Web sites, improper digestion can be the root cause of several disorders.

Some of the most common symptoms of digestive problems include indigestion, bloating, gas and acid reflux. Other, more serious ailments associated with digestive disease are fibromyalgia, allergies and immune disorders.

As mentioned in the Enzymes Work post “Support group Web sites great for health,” www.healthcentral.com makes online support groups available for those suffering from many conditions, including acid reflux, allergies, diabetes and osteoarthritis.

A March 17 article at MyIBDCentral.com, a Health Central Web site devoted to those struggling with inflammatory bowel disease, discusses in depth some symptoms of IBD that might develop outside of the gastrointestinal tract. These include arthritis, skin disorders, eye problems and liver disease.

Be sure to check out the article here.

Unlike antacids and acid blockers, which only mask the symptoms of improper digestion, digestive enzyme supplements attack the root cause. Enzyme supplements can help the body properly break down food and assimilate nutrients for increased immune function and better overall health.

Because our modern diets of cooked and processed food contain little, if any, natural enzymes, it’s increasingly important to support digestion with safe, natural enzyme supplements. Enzymes help the body break down proteins, which if not digested properly create a potentially cancerous environment in the colon. A study also reports that the tendency toward food allergies is reduced up to 10,000 times when proper digestion is supported.

A story from Enzyme Experts on March 21 reports 5.2 million Americans now have Alzheimer’s disease, but the data on memory impairment doesn’t stop there.

In fact, according to a mid-March story from HealthDay, 5.4 million Americans over 70 have memory loss that affects their daily lives, and 3.5 million Americans have dementia, the more serious form of cognitive dysfunction.

ABC news says Alzheimer’s disease and strokes are causes of dementia. While some reports say exercise and brain-stimulating activities, such as crossword puzzles, protect against the onset of Alzheimer’s, the ABC report also mentions controlling hypertension and diabetes as ways to avoid mental decline.

As reported in the Enzyme Experts story, WellZymes™ Mental Focus™ is a great option for maintaining memory, concentration and energy. Also, to improve focus, performance and memory, ask your health care practitioner about BioSET™ Brain.

Because a healthy lifestyle is so important, especially for baby boomers and other seniors, it’s imperative to complement physical and mental exercise with highly nutritious foods and nutritional supplements.

For energy and enhanced immunity, the WellZymes™ line features several products that help the body properly break down food and assimilate nutrients. For overall health and vitality, WellZymes™ Antioxidant, Immune Health and Cardiovascular Health are excellent options.

Nutrition is a vital component of enzyme therapy. Combined with proper nutrition and a healthful lifestyle, enzyme supplements can promote natural healing, vitality and a strong immune system.

In your quest to eat well and live better, be sure to check out MSN’s health site, which offers just about everything under the sun when it comes to healthy living.

It seems we’re constantly bombarded by positive and negative health news in print, on television and on the Internet. MSN’s site provides articles, videos and interactive tools on everything health related in one location.

The health site features daily headlines, diet and fitness tips, a symptom checker and several online support groups. In addition, be sure to check out the Healthier Living tab, which has a variety of professionally produced videos.

If you’re taking the time to focus on a healthier lifestyle this month, remember to include digestive and systemic enzymes as part of your approach to whole-body wellness. Digestive enzymes help you get the most nutrition out of the foods you eat, while systemic enzymes can provide sources of nutrition and anti-inflammatory action to address a variety of conditions.

A story published Monday on the Enzyme Experts news site explained that a near doubling in projected government spending on health care was partly attributable to the increasing costs of new drugs.

And only one day later, that government forecast gained strength when a story from The Associated Press reported prices for brand-name drugs increased an average of 7.4 percent in 2007. Doctors prescribed these medications mostly to the elderly.

Medicare spending, according to Monday’s story, is expected to increase to $844 billion by 2017, an almost twofold increase from today’s numbers. That jump is being blamed on the high costs of new drugs and medical technology.

As the price of drugs continues to increase at more than double the rate of inflation, the government shields much of these costs from consumers who use Medicare drug benefits, according to The Associated Press. The story goes on to suggest that since government assistance has decreased consumer complaints about prescription costs, drug manufacturers encounter fewer roadblocks to price increases.

At the same time, drug ads are encouraging about a third of Americans to ask their doctors about prescriptions for advertised pharmaceuticals, according to a USA Today story in early March. In 44 percent of those cases, patients reported their doctors prescribed the drug about which they inquired.

For patients of all ages, safe and affordable enzyme-based nutritional supplements offer support for natural healing, health maintenance and preventive care. Enzyme supplements could also help offset skyrocketing health care expenses.

We’ve all seen it before: The dietary supplement shunned today for its illness-causing attributes is the same supplement hailed just last year for its proven disease-prevention properties.

Several supplements have fallen casualty to bad press following months, or even years, of positive news. Some of the latest victims include vitamin E and probiotics.

In many cases, a poorly designed study might actually lead to less-than-desirable trial results for dietary supplements, according to a late February story from foodnavigator.com. Oftentimes, supplements are tested as if they were drugs, when in fact they might function in very different ways.

The truth is, more than 65% of U.S. adults place their confidence in dietary supplements. In all, the supplement industry is worth more than $22 billion, according to an MSNBC story.

Enzyme-based nutritional supplements can offer support for a variety of health conditions, and they are excellent for preventive care. Unlike many pharmaceuticals, enzyme supplements enhance health without the risk of serious side effects.

Digestive products in the WellZymes™ line, for example, can help the body break down and better absorb essential nutrients, while an increase in metabolic energy can help strengthen immune function. Products such as WellZymes™ Antioxidant, as well as many other enzyme-based systemic products, contain enzymes that help the body assimilate nutrients, which in turn can promote natural healing and aid in health maintenance.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved a drug for children in a category that has been linked to serious long-term side effects, including bacterial infection, nutrient deficiency and cancer.

The FDA announced its approval of Nexium for children ages 1 to 11 in a Feb. 28 news release.

Nexium, a proton-pump inhibitor, suppresses acid production in the stomach with the goal of healing erosions in the esophagus. Other proton-pump inhibitors include Prilosec and Prevacid.

Although the release recommended Nexium for short-term treatment – eight weeks – starting children on the drug, even at low potencies, should be cause for alarm. If doctors prescribe Nexium throughout a person’s childhood, or if use continues into adulthood, there could be serious consequences.

Drugs that inhibit natural acid production are associated with increased risk of hip fractures, likely because calcium is not sufficiently absorbed, according to a story from MSNBC. Impaired calcium absorption could be detrimental for children, who rely on the nutrient for healthy growth.

In addition, restrained acid production could increase the risk of intestinal infection and bacterial overgrowth in the stomach and small intestine. According to MSNBC, the overgrowth of bacteria in the stomach could lead to pneumonia, vitamin B12 deficiency and stomach cancer.

H2 blockers such as Zantac, Pepcid and Tagamet also suppress acid production. Some of these products, along with traditional antacids, can be purchased over the counter.

Antacids, such as Tums and Rolaids, can cause problems with protein digestion and vitamin B12 absorption. Long-term use can interfere with absorption of other nutrients, including iron and calcium.

Acid blockers and antacids simply mask the symptoms of gastrointestinal problems and provide temporary relief. Enzyme-based digestive supplements, on the other hand, help address the root cause of stomach problems – improper digestion.

Safe, effective digestive enzyme supplements work naturally with the body to relieve digestive problems. They appear to decrease distension of the stomach, which might help relieve symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), according to MSNBC.

For children, great-tasting WellZymes™ Digestive Chewables provide a broad-spectrum blend of digestive enzymes to help the body properly break down food. Other digestive enzyme supplements in the WellZymes™ line, offered in vegetarian tablets, also can help address gastrointestinal complaints.

Digestive enzymes can improve nutrient absorption while they help decrease or eliminate indigestion, gas, bloating, reflux and other symptoms of improper digestion. A reduction in the enzyme-producing burden placed on digestive organs can also increase energy and boost immune function.

For those with ulcers or other damage to the lining of the gastrointestinal tract, WellZymes™ Gastric Ease™ is recommended in place of antacids. Gastric Ease™ can help soothe and protect the gastrointestinal lining, as well as promote proper digestion when taken with meals.

Whether it’s consumer-driven, government-sponsored or simply a blog, there are several Web sites out there that can offer useful information on medical conditions and symptoms.

And chances are that if you’ve ever struggled with an ongoing or painful illness, you’ve likely consulted the Internet a time or two to learn more about the problem. There are medical Web sites that can offer information on health care options, support groups or simply ways to help put your mind at ease.

Even better, Web sites can offer information that even your doctor might find useful.

In Georgia, for example, the doctor of a 4-year-old with cat scratch fever couldn’t find an antibiotic that would address the condition, according to a mid-February story from cnn.com. The only other option the doctor could offer was a stronger antibiotic; however, deafness was a potential side effect of the medication.

Wanting to avoid that risk, the young boy’s aunt, with the help of a colleague, tracked down an article that revealed another antibiotic option. It was something the doctor hadn’t considered, but it worked well, and the boy recovered with no side effects.

Consult Enzymes, Inc., Web sites for alternative options

At Enzymes, Inc., our Web sites offer the latest information on alternative health care and enzyme-based supplement options to help address your needs. In addition, our sites offer the latest in news and analysis to help you live a more healthful life.

At www.enzymesinc.com, you can learn more about the benefits of supplemental enzymes, the company and our product lines. Enzymes, Inc., provides consumer- and professional-based products that focus on several conditions, including digestive disorders, joint problems and fibromyalgia. We also have products that offer whole-body nutritional support.

In addition to this blog site, be sure to check out www.enzymeexperts.com. Here, you’ll find important news stories and links that put the spotlight on health and wellness.

And as you search our Web sites, be sure to keep in mind the products and enzyme therapy options that are of most interest to you. If there are products you would like to try, ask your health care practitioner or call us at 800-228-1501 for more information.

Are you struggling with an ongoing illness or do you know someone who is? In either situation, sometimes a good support group can be one of the best ways to improve health, according to a story on MSNBC.com.

In fact, according a university professor quoted in the story, social support can strengthen the immune system and contribute to accelerated healing.

The story focused on caringbridge.com, a Web site that allows “patients to share the progress of serious injury or illness.” In a particular case, victims of the I-35 bridge collapse in Minnesota used the site to communicate with those interested in their conditions. In about six months, more than 400,000 visitors came to the site for updates on their recoveries.

Support sites such as caringbridge.com, according to an estimate in the story, are popping up about every 10 minutes.

One site that I’ve found informative is www.healthcentral.com, where online support groups are made available for several conditions, including acid reflux, allergies, diabetes and osteoarthritis.

It seems like most of the groups offer a moderator who is an expert on the specific health condition. It’s a great place to share stories about how enzymes and enzyme therapy have helped you tackle various conditions. Also, the site offers e-mail newsletters, which keep you informed on the latest posts from support-group members.

If you’re looking for another great option for natural and safe support, digestive and systemic enzymes can compliment online support groups, as they can help maintain a healthy immune system and improve healing.