Scar tissue is fibrous, connective tissue – made primarily of fibrin – which the body uses to replace previously healthy tissue that has been destroyed by injury or disease. Under normal conditions, scar tissue should be the final result during typical inflammatory response.

However, when inflammation has become prolonged – fibrin, along with other proteins such as collagen, can begin to transform original soft tissue into a tough fibrous matrix.  Differentiated and sequestered apart from healthy tissue, this fibrous matrix still maintains the biological markers of inflammation, such as swelling, redness and pain.  And as long as this kind of inflammation persists, nutrients and other chemical building blocks are still needed for healthy cells and tissue.

The inherent fibrin removal process in the body is accomplished by naturally occurring enzymes in the body, principally plasmin. Enzymes function like our biological referees in that they keep nearly all metabolic reactions in procession and in balance. Plasmin is an important enzyme in the blood that degrades many blood plasma proteins, most notably fibrin clots. Plasmin is also our own natural blood thinner responsible for maintaining normal blood solvency by removing unnecessary accumulated protein. As we age, the body produces less plasmin while fibrin levels continue to increase.

The normal process of fibrin degradation can be enhanced by introducing fibrinolytic (fibrin lysing) enzymes. Supplementing with systemic enzymes – enzymes intended to be absorbed into the bloodstream to work “systemically” or throughout the whole body – helps restore low levels of enzyme potential that comes with aging.   With regards to scar tissue development and healthy tissue regeneration, they spur on healthy recovery and help keep our entire inflammatory responses moving along as they should, much like they did when we were younger. As a crucial part of the entire inflammatory process, enzymes play a key role in our health and upkeep.