 supplements In almost every biochemistry book, we find reference to “Carrier Proteins”. These carrier proteins are usually mentioned in relation to their role in transporting atoms of minerals, or molecules of naturally occurring coenzyme form vitamins, through blood plasma, cell membranes, cytoplasma, etc. The term carrier proteins are used in connection with the metabolic system of animals, but we believe it could be applied to the vegetable kingdom as well.
The working substances in an organisms are the proteins (glyco-, lipo-, phospho-, etc.) which we call enzymes. In most cases, enzymes need minerals (called cofactors) and/or vitamins (called coenzymes). These nutrients must be attached to the enzymes or be a part of them. These substances are responsible for helping nutrient transportation, retention, storage and function, and have an influence on biological activity in general. They are present in all foods, and in all known living systems. In our opinion, they also help the absorption of nutrients from foods.
We have decided to call all the protein-associated substances that are involved in the absorption of vitamins and minerals, Carrier Food factors (CFF’s). Carrier Food Factors (CFF’s) refer only to those constituents in food which help the absorption of vitamins and minerals while they are in the stomach, in the gut, and while passing through the intestinal wall into the blood stream. CFF’s do not refer to the protein-associated substances which carry nutrients in the blood stream.
The composition and structure of CFF’s are unknown to us today. Very likely, there are numerous types present in our foods. The CFF’s in both animal and vegetable origin foods are in the cells of those foods, or in the interstitial fluid of those foods, and upon consumption they get into the GI system and begin to do whatever they have to do.
To help understand why there must be numerous different CFF’s and how they may determine the destination of the nutrient, a good mental picture is to imagine each one as an envelope with a different address, going to a different destination. The sender is the brain, the mail order house is the liver, the post man is the plasma, the organ to be delivered to is the country, the area of the tissue is the county, the home address is the cell etc. Each destination in the living system must have its own address. The address, in our hypothesis, is somehow written in the amino acid/lipid/carbohydrate composition and in the three dimensional folding of the CFF. The address, the CFF is destined to reach, is displayed on the surface of the cell in the form of the receptors, or in the cell membrane in the cytoplasma, in the nucleus, and also in the various organelles of the cell.
Let’s take a look at the proteolytic enzymes. Proteolytic enzymes, according to the literature serves the purpose of breaking down proteins to amino acid. It should be noted however, that we know of no one proteolytic enzyme that can break down a polypeptide chain made up of hundreds or even thousands of amino acids. Proteolytic enzymes work very specifically with specific proteins. They will always cut the polypeptide chains of specific proteins (different proteins from different tissues of the same animal for example) into certain segments. They will not dismantle the entire polypeptide chain, and free all the amino acids, nor will they always cut the amino acid they are specific for, at the same place in the polypeptide chain of different proteins. Rather, they modify the peptides and polypeptides in their own characteristic way.
It is not elucidated yet, even today, what happens in vivo between the different proteolytic enzymes in the human or animal digestive system. How do the enzymes in the human or animal digestive system. How do the enzymes react against each other? What happens when the numerous specific enzymes in pepsin or in pancreatin confront the enzymes in food? Do they consider them as any other protein, or do they happily join forces? Another open question is what happens when there is a show-down? Are the enzymes in pepsin and pancreatin capable of separating the highly complex coenzyme form vitamins and cofactor form minerals from the food matrix? How far does this separation progress before absorption? Does the coenzyme form vitamin remain phosphorylated?
It is doubtful the biological system reworks coenzyme form vitamin into USP vitamins. If it did, then the individual USP and FCC vitamins and inorganic minerals would show the same absorption, retention, storage and biological activity as the Re-natured vitamins and Re-natured minerals. However, they do not. If the yeast mineral were released from the CFF, they would have the same toxicity, the same rate of absorption, and the same blood levels at any comparative time, as the free-state minerals. They would appear at the same level in the organs at any given time. They would be excreted in the urine at the same concentration and in the same composition. However, they are not.
Extensive testing of food state nutrients has been carried out comparing them to standard free state USP and FCC counterparts. The results, in our opinion, strongly suggest the presence of a CFF. The following difference were observed:
1) Trace mineral toxicity was much less in Food State products.
2) Absorption into the blood of animals and humans was significantly higher for Food State products.
3) Food State nutrients were retained longer in the blood.
4) Food State nutrients were excreted more slowly in the urine than their counterparts.
5) The several Food state nutrients tested for physiological activity performed significantly better than their counterparts.
Taking a look at those obtained results, one wonders if the “old dogma” still stands. Most of the literature, and many scientists, hold onto the opinion that in the digestive system proteins are broken down to individual amino acids, that complex carbohydrates are broken down to simple saccharides, and that lipids are broken down to individual fatty acids; all before absorption. However, if that were true: The tape worm egg would not be able to survive in the stomach. Protein and peptide delivery of drugs would not be successful. Alkaloids from plants could not be used for drugs. Glycosides such as Digoxin, Digitoxin, etc., which are complex carbohydrates, could not be used as drugs. There would be no danger from poisonous alkaloids and glycosides present in some plants. Vitamin B12 would not need intrinsic factor. The list goes on and on. Additionally, minerals are extremely reactive in the atomic form, and they are always searching their surrounding environment for things to attach themselves to.
During the last few years, talk of a “meat factor” which seems to take part in the absorption of iron, has been heard. It is however quite possible that there is a much larger world of CFF’s than just one meat factor, and that more than one nutrient utilises them, and that vegetables (and yeast) are also within their field of operation.
The idea that pure synthesised or isolated nutrients are just as good as the complex forms in foods, since those foods will be broken down anyway, certainly needs to be re-considered. We hope other scientists will be stimulated to give some thought to research in this area. © 2006, Eric LlewellynThe publishers cannot accept any responsibility for any damage or harm caused by any treatment, advice, or information contained in this publication. In the case of illness, you should consult a qualified practitioner before undertaking any treatment. |