From: dyer@spdcc.com (Steve Dyer)
Newsgroups: rec.food.veg
Subject: Re: Vegan dilemma concerning pancreatic enzymes.
Date: 19 Aug 92 17:57:36 GMT
Article-I.D.: spdcc.1992Aug19.175736.4859
Organization: S.P. Dyer Computer Consulting, Cambridge MA

In article <1992Aug19.121304.5672@bcrka451.bnr.ca> poirier@bnr.ca (Daniel Poirier) writes:
>I'm currently following a digestive system cleansing program, which
>basically cleans out the colon (by removing hardened feces matter),

The colon cleans itself out daily.  "Hardened feces" might be a problem
in cases of severe constipation sufficient to cause bowel obstruction
(needless to say, this is extremely rare).  There aren't any feces left
(let alone "hardened" ones) after an evacuation.

>eliminates unwanted micro-organisms,

Your gut is already populated with its own ecosystem.
There's not much you can do about that.

>and then re-populates the colon with the necessary friendly micro-organisms.

Definitely transient.  Eating yogurt or taking acidophilus changes
the bowel flora somewhat--only slightly--but for only as long as
you keep ingesting it.

>The program consists of a bunch of
>pills, some bentonite, and all kinds of other stuff, mostly of vegetable
>origin (of course, the micro-organisms are of micro-organism origin ;-).
>The products are all from New Roots Herbal (based in Toronto, Canada, I
>think), and so far have done wonders. 

What kind of wonders?

>Unfortunately, on the third week of the program, you have to start taking
>yet another of their products: pancreatin. I say unfortunately, because I
>just realized, looking at the bottle in front of me, that their pancreatin
>contains "a pancreatic enzyme concentrate of porcine origin containing
>standardized lipase, protesse, and amylase activities". This is a direct
>quote, and I assume they made a typo and meant "protease" not "protesse".
>This is where my problem stems from: porcine origin. 

Yes, these come from pork pancreases, a by-product of the insulin
and slaughter-house industry.

>I would not hesitate to use drugs from animal origin if there were no
>alternative, and if my life or health depended on it.

The only such example I can think of is someone with severe
pancreatitis.  In such cases, large doses of these pancreatic enzymes
are given orally.  Enough of them escape digestion to engage in a
feedback system, reducing the production of the body's own pancreatic
enzymes (which are what are usually causing the pancreatitis to being
with.)

Needless to say, unless you've skipped some details, this is not your problem.

>This cleansing
>program is definitely enhancing my health so far (and I have barely
>scratched the surface yet),

If it's enhancing your health, it's because it's an expensive placebo.

>but where do I draw the line? How do other
>vegans feel about this? Or is there such a thing as a vegan alternative to
>this source of lipase, protease, and amylase? I don't know much about
>enzymes, so I wouldn't know if enzymes necessarily HAVE to be of animal
>origin.

Lipase, protease and amylase are all involved in digesting fats,
proteins and starches, respectively.  That kind of spectrum suggests
an animal origin, although fruits and vegetables have enzymes which
may have somewhat similar effects involved in ripening and rotting.

But you have to stop and ask what possible benefit would you be getting
from taking such enzymes.  Your body is already making all the pancreatic
enzymes it needs.  There can be no benefit in taking more.

You have to make the decision about taking such preparations, but
if your choice to become vegan is due to ethical considerations,
given the faulty thinking on which such a regimen is conceived, 
nothing much would persuade me that it's necessary for health.

>Any comments, suggestions, or encouragement welcome. 
>Flames need not apply ;-) 
>(I've been careful about saying anthing that may attract flamers, until
>now that is, but you never know!)

Sometimes disabusing people of notions which don't make sense from
a physiological point of view is considered "flaming".  So be it.


-- 
Steve Dyer
dyer@ursa-major.spdcc.com aka {ima,harvard,rayssd,linus,m2c}!spdcc!dyer