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UNDERSTANDING OUR CRUCIAL CYTOCHROME P450 ENZYMES CRUCIAL OUR UNDERSTANDING P450 CYTOCHROME ENZYMES The cytochrome P450 enzymes are central to the proper functioning of our metabolism, but any defect or deficiency in these enzymes can lead to chronic inflammatory and environmental illnesses, often by causing food reactions and addictions. ytochrome P450 metabolism is one of the final frontiers of both standard medicine and the conundrum of chronic and environmental illnesses. Deficiency or defect in these enzymes is often at the heart of inflammatory or allergy-like illness. Adrenal, thyroid and other endocrine dysfunctions may involve these enzymes, as can mast cell disease, chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and some types of arthritis. The cytochrome P450 enzymes are haem proteins, which means that they contain iron surrounded by porphyrin compounds. Some 40 per cent of the body's manufactured haem goes into creating the cytochrome P450 enzymes. These crucial enzymes metabolise cholesterol and some hormones, detoxify external chemicals, and process or create some vitamins. By “external chemicals" | mean naturally occurring toxins, drugs, man-made toxins, and compounds in foods. You can see why we need such enzymes to survive by realising that if we are exposed to some specific toxin via ingestion or inhalation, we will need more of the enzyme that detoxifies this specific toxin. The body's process of creating more of such specific CYP450 enzymes after exposure to some compound that they absorb and metabolise is called "induction". The opposite, decreasing the activity of a specific CYP450 enzyme, is called "inhibition". The most common reaction catalysed by CYP450 is the addition of one atom of an oxygen molecule into a compound while the other oxygen atom is reduced to water. This is called a "mono-oxygenase reaction". The CYP450 enzymes occur in virtually all cells, but in differing amounts in different organs. They have been found in the inner membrane of the cell's mitochondria—the body's energy factories, thus indicating a possible chronic fatigue connection—and in the endoplastic reticulum. The CYP450 enzymes got their name from their absorption of blue-indigo light of 450-nanometre wavelength the "P" stands for "pigment"). There are over 50 known CYP450 enzymes in our bodies, and some common illnesses result from the fact that different people ave very differing amounts of particular CYP450 enzymes—up to 40 times or more. These differences, at the microscopic level, account for some very observable events at the macroscopic level. One such observable difference is he very different tolerances that people have to amounts of caffeine, alcohol, medicinal or recreational drugs and, indeed, any xenobiotic that they may take. What this means regarding, say, caffeine is that, in those with defective and/or deficient CYP450s, a little acts like a lot—because it is not sufficiently broken down. At he macroscopic level, the person with this anomaly may get very nervous from a small amount of caffeine. In the early stages, the person may actually be addicted to it, perhaps due to endorphin release as the body attempts to counter the adverse reaction. Another possibility with caffeine relates to its diuretic capability. Someone with deficient caffeine-processing CYP450 enzymes might be made ill from caffeine ingestion due to loss of sodium and other minerals and water. The cytochrome P450 enzymes are central to the proper functioning of our metabolism, but any defect or deficiency in these enzymes can lead to chronic inflammatory and environmental illnesses, often by causing food reactions and addictions. by Steven Rochlitz, PhD © 20I1 Post Office Box 2154 Cottonwood, AZ 86326, USA Email: info@wellatlast.com Website: http://www.wellatlast.com Post Office Box 2154 Cottonwood, AZ 86326, USA Email: info@wellatlast.com Website: http://www.wellatlast.com JUNE - JULY 2012 NEXUS ¢ 37 www.nexusmagazine.com