A-Z digestive enzymes Articles

One of the three major categories of digestive enzymes in the human body are amylases. Amylase is produced by the pancreas and released into the small intestine during digestion. It is also produced in our saliva so some food can begin to be broken down in our mouths. In general, amylase is an enzyme that catalyzes the breakdown of starch into simple sugars. It is these sugar subunits that can be absorbed by the lining of our gut and passed into the bloodstream.

What is Starch?

Starch is a broad term used to describe a varied group of complex carbohydrates that share one underlying feature: they are chains made up of sugar subunits.

Each subunit is a single simple sugar (monosaccharide), such as: glucose, fructose, galactose, xylose, or ribose. They are all connected in long chains that take time to break down. Examples of starches in our food are: pasta, rice, bread, potato, sweet potato, and corn.

Amylase and Digestion

Amylase is an enzyme that breaks the bonds between each sugar subunit in a starch chain. The resulting simple sugar subunits are then absorbed into our blood stream and used by the cells in our body for energy. Amylase is first exposed to our food via the saliva in our mouths. Because of this, it is important to chew your food well to allow full exposure to amylase prior to swallowing. This digestion of starch to sugar in the mouth is what makes starches taste more and more sweet the longer you chew.

Types of Amylase

There are three major types of amylase: alpha, beta, and gamma. The form most useful to our everyday digestion is alpha amylase and this is the type most often found in supplements.

Signs of Amylase Deficiency

When there isn't sufficient amylase production by the pancreas, the body is unable to properly digest any starches that are eaten. This limits the amount of energy received from food, and leaves the remaining molecules to continue down the digestive tract where they can be acted on by the gut microbes. Having a healthy gut flora, that can produce amylase enzymes of their own, can help your body to properly digest these remnants. Abnormal gut flora will use these undigested starches as a food source and break them up using different reactions that produce toxins and gas. Because of this, improper carbohydrate digestion results in gas, bloating, diarrhea, constipation, and any number of inflammatory symptoms such as: skin rashes, arthritic symptoms, and fatigue.

Alpha Amylase Inhibitors for Dieting

Interestingly, there is one type of diet pill that targets amylase and inhibits its function. This prevents the digestion and absorption of a large percentage of dietary starch. Thus, one can eat whatever starches they want without absorbing those calories from the food. Superficially, this seems like a great idea, but if you read the complications of amylase deficiency above, you can see how this could quickly result in a negative change in gut flora, and symptoms such as bloating, gas, and toxic buildup.

How Can I Get More Amylase?

Amylase can be found in any number of digestive aid supplements, often in combination with other digestive enzymes such as lipase and protease. In general, alpha amylase is the form found in these formulas. The recommended dosage varies depending on your body chemistry and the starch content of the food you are taking it for. It also depends on the source and activity of the enzyme preparation. A dose of between 75,000 and 300,000 USP is a general guideline, based on recommendations for pancreatin supplementation. Please note that the dosing on many of these supplements is intentionally confusing and the amount per gram may be listed, when the actual dose is a fraction of that. In general, because of the lack of standardization, dosing your amylase supplement will require a bit of trial and error on your part.

Important Information

It is not known if supplementation of digestive enzymes during pregnancy or breastfeeding can cause harm to the baby so avoid supplementation during these times. Taking too much amylase at one time may cause diarrhea or stomach pain.

Digestive discomfort, like constipation, can majorly impact how you feel day to day, affecting everything from energy levels to mood. When things aren't moving as they should, it can be painful. It's often a sign that your body needs a little extra support. Many people are turning to natural constipation remedies to gently restore balance and promote regularity.

If you're looking to explore simple yet effective ways to prevent and support constipation, so you can feel lighter and more energized, keep reading.

What is Constipation?

Constipation is not a disease in itself, but it is a symptom of another problem. It is defined as difficulty in passing stool or the infrequent passage of stool. The resulting stool may cause pain and bleeding as it passes, because it is so hard and dry. Constipation is very unhealthy because it impedes the ability of your body to release toxins. Most cases of constipation can be improved with lifestyle and diet changes. If those changes do not seem to help, then a further investigation should be performed to rule out more serious pathology.

What Are Natural & Conventional Constipation Remedies?

Natural and conventional remedies for constipation involve the use of laxatives. But remember, just because a laxative is natural does not mean that you cannot become dependent on it.

Increased Fibre

Bulk-forming agents increase the bulk and water content of stool. They are the only laxatives that are safe to use every day. Psyllium, bran, flaxseeds, apple pectin and chicory root are examples of natural bulk formers.

Stool Softeners

Stool softeners soften fecal matter so that it passes more easily. Pharmaceutical stool softeners, like mineral oil and docusate sodium, should not be taken daily because they can decrease vitamin absorption, alter drug concentrations and cause liver damage. Natural stool softeners are cold-pressed oils. They also provide essential fatty acids for the health of the intestinal cells.

Osmotic Remedies

Osmotic agents pull more water into the intestine to stimulate bowel movements. They can cause dependency with repeated use. Examples are magnesium, milk of magnesia, Epsom salts and sorbitol.

Stimulating Laxatives

Stimulant laxatives irritate the intestine to cause a bowel movement. They can cause damage and dependency with repeated usage. Natural and pharmaceutical examples are bisacodyl, senna, cascara sagrada and castor oil.

Lifestyle Tips

Lifestyle changes to help with constipation include regular exercise and stress reduction. Never suppress the urge to defecate. Do not strain to pass stool because it can contribute to hemorrhoid formation.

Minimize straining by ensuring that your thighs are parallel to the floor when sitting on the toilet. Use a footstool if necessary.

Tackling the emotional aspects of constipation should also be undertaken. It can sometimes reflect the inability to “let go” of certain things that have happened in a person’s life. Sometimes this emotional connection can even go back to trauma in childhood. Abdominal massage and hydrotherapy can help regulate bowel movements.

Natural Remedies To Prevent Constipation

Some ways you can ease the symptoms of and prevent and treat constipation are: take a close look at your diet and try to identify irritating substances, drink 8-10 8oz glasses of water per day, try a cleanse specifically made for the colon which can clean the colon of any build-up and improve its functioning, get enough fibre by eating a high-fibre and low-fat diet, stimulate the digestive tract in the morning with a glass of warm water and lemon and be sure to consume vegetables, figs, prunes, whole grains and fresh fruits with skins. Some foods to avoid include spicy foods, salt, coffee, processed foods, dairy, fats, and alcohol.

Digestive health plays a foundational role in overall wellness, influencing everything from nutrient absorption and energy levels to immunity and mood. When your digestive system is functioning optimally, your entire body benefits, but when it's out of balance, it can affect how you feel day to day.

With modern diets, stress, and lifestyle factors impacting gut function, supporting digestive health has become more important than ever.

Understanding The Digestive Process

The digestive process takes food material, breaks it down into absorbable pieces and transports it into the body. It is a complex process, involving many organs. Digestion begins with the scent of food stimulating the secretion of saliva. When food enters the mouth, enzymes in the saliva begin to break it down. Chewing physically breaks down food pieces and stimulates saliva production. The mucus membranes of the mouth can absorb some nutrients.

Swallowed food travels down the esophagus and into the stomach. The stomach uses muscular contractions to mix the food with digestive enzymes and hydrochloric acid. High acid levels kill germs that may be in the food.  Food stays in the stomach longer if it contains more fat and shorter if it contains more sugar.

The small intestine attaches to the stomach. Near its beginning, ducts from the liver and pancreas release digestive juices. Nutrients are absorbed through the thin intestinal wall and transported via the bloodstream to where they are needed. The remainder of the food is pushed through into the large intestine, where water is absorbed. The remaining food is compacted and prepared for excretion as stool.

The liver produces bile, which metabolizes fats and proteins. It also takes the toxic material from food substances, like medications, alcohol, and hormones, and processes them to make them harmless. The liver produces factors for blood clotting and the immune system. The gallbladder is a storage area for bile from the liver. The pancreas manufactures enzymes and hormones, like insulin. Insulin allows cells to take in sugar to burn as fuel.

What Can Affect Digestive Health?

Dietary Habits

Digestive disorders can be influenced by foods and other substances we ingest and our lifestyle. Water and fibre intake are important for healthy, regular bowel movements since we need them to add bulk to our stool. Foods that are highly processed, certain medications, tobacco and alcohol cause the body trouble as they are hard to break down and damage organs like our liver and pancreas. The digestive lining may also become damaged while the body works extra hard to digest these, especially processed foods. Since processed foods are deficient in nutrients, the body also becomes depleted in fuel, and it needs to work extra hard.

Lifestyle Habits

Stress, anxiety and other emotional concerns put our nervous system in an excited state.  Our digestive processes are only fully functional when our nervous system is relaxed. Sedentary lifestyles decrease movement throughout the digestive tract. As our transit time slows, there is more opportunity for the resorption of processed toxins from our food and greater chance of microbial overgrowth. Slow transit time also dries the stool and makes it more difficult to pass. Our body is designed so that each time we eat a meal, we have a bowel movement.  Many individuals can be considered constipated and have bowel movements less than once daily.

Healthy Gut Bacteria

Some of the most important players in digestion are not part of our own body. Friendly intestinal bacteria, often called probiotics, are an essential part of digestion. They break down food particles, manufacture vitamins and prevent the infection of the tract with other microbes.

Each bowel movement actually contains millions of these friendly bacteria; they are in a constant state of renewal. Many concerns like indigestion, gas, bloating and constipation can be due to an imbalance of the intestinal bacteria. It is easy to upset this balance by improper diet or taking medications like antibiotics.

Oral Health

The health of our teeth and gums is often overlooked as a factor in digestive concerns. Problems in the mouth can lead to malnutrition when foods are avoided due to pain or the inability to chew them correctly. To maintain dental health:

• Use proper dental hygiene, including regular tooth brushing, flossing and dental visits.
• Avoid all refined sugars, sticky foods, smoking, carbonated beverages and chewable vitamin C tablets.
• Eat raw, crunchy foods, like apples and carrots, and drink unsweetened cranberry juice because they have plaque-fighting properties.

Digestive Health Concerns

The stomach can be afflicted with several common digestive concerns. Indigestion is caused by an inability to break down and absorb food. It is usually directly related to the type of food eaten and poor eating habits. Chronic indigestion may be related to a lack of bile, stomach acid and enzymes, or food sensitivities. Gastric and peptic ulcers are erosions of the mucus membrane that lines the stomach and upper intestine. Excess digestive juices, deficient digestive juices, bacteria, poor diet, caffeine, alcohol, tobacco, anti-inflammatory medication, cortisone and stress can cause ulcers. Hiatal hernias are a bulge of stomach tissue that has gone through the diaphragm and sits around the esophagus. It is associated with poor eating habits, obesity and the use of estrogen medications.

Tips To Protect Stomach Health

Optimize the health and functioning of your stomach by:

• Cooking all foods well and eating small, frequent meals in a comfortable environment.
• Eat slowly to avoid swallowing excess air.  Do not drink liquids while eating because it dilutes digestive juices.
• Eliminate all processed and refined foods from the diet. Other foods that irritate the stomach are alcohol, coffee, tea, colas, tobacco, aspirin, ibuprofen and spicy foods.
• For ulcers, eat soothing foods that produce a protective coating over the digestive tract, for example, ground flaxseed, yogurt, porridge and congee.

Tips To Support Intestinal Health

One can eat the most nutritious food, but if the intestinal membrane is not in good working order, the body will not be able to absorb the nutrients. Diverticulitis occurs when the intestinal muscle tissue weakens, forms pouches and becomes inflamed. Crohn’s Disease is an inflammation of the small intestine, but it can also affect the mouth and stomach. Ulcerative colitis occurs when small ulcers develop on the mucous lining of the large intestine. Irritable bowel syndrome mimics Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis but does not cause visible lesions in the bowel. Support the intestine by:

• Undertake regular bowel detoxification with a juice fast and supplementation.
• Increasing dietary fibre intake.  Eat lots of vegetables, fruits and legumes.  Use inulin, apple pectin and oat bran as daily fibre sources.
• Drinking lots of filtered water to regulate bowel movements.
• Eliminating all processed and refined foods from the diet. Also, avoid any food to which you are sensitive.
• Reducing stress and increasing exercise, which promotes proper bowel functioning.

Liver & Gallbladder Support Tips

Toxins, microbes or other medical conditions can compromise pancreatic and liver function. Diabetes occurs when a person’s pancreas is unable to produce enough insulin to metabolize the amount of sugar that they are ingesting. A diet high in refined carbohydrates and nutrient deficiency are large contributing factors to “age onset diabetes”, as it is often called; excess body weight, lack of exercise, and heredity also often play significant roles when a person develops diabetes. Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver that is caused by the hepatitis virus, medications or toxins. Gallstones are precipitates, made mostly of cholesterol, that form as a result of a lack of fibre, excess cholesterol, decreased liver function, lack of bile and lack of bile movement. Functioning of the digestive glands can be optimized using natural treatments such as:

• Undertaking regular liver and gallbladder detoxification. Drink warm water and lemon juice daily as a gentle flush of the system.
• Eating bitter foods like artichoke, rhubarb and salad greens in order to stimulate the flow of digestive juices.
• Regulating blood sugar by limiting the intake of sugars and eating more protein, healthy fats and fibre.

Enzymes are catalysts of chemical reactions, meaning they initiate and increase the rate of cellular processes such as metabolism. Without enzymes, reactions in the body would take place too slowly to sustain life. The best digestive enzyme supplements are responsible for breaking down the food that you eat into their building blocks, which are small enough to be absorbed in the intestinal tract. Once absorbed, these building blocks can either be used for energy or stored for later use. To fully act on your food, these enzymes are secreted in your digestive juices such as saliva, stomach acid, pancreatic juice and bile.

Types of Digestive Enzymes Found In Supplements

The human body produces three main types of digestive enzymes: amylase, protease and lipase. Each has a unique function, and all work together to allow you to digest your food and absorb its nutrients properly.

Amylase

This class of enzymes is responsible for digesting the starches and complex carbohydrates that you eat into their simple sugar subunits. Because of their size, your body is not capable of absorbing starches or sugars that are larger than one subunit. The most common amylase in your body is alpha-amylase, which is in both saliva and pancreatic secretions. This is the enzyme that allows you to digest foods like potatoes, pasta, corn, and bread. When you are deficient in amylase, eating these foods will cause gas and bloating, and may cause several other symptoms throughout the body.

Protease

Protease is another class of enzymes in the body, but these are responsible for breaking down protein. Digestive proteases in your body are pepsin, trypsin and chymotrypsin. Pepsin is released in your stomach, and the other two are found in your pancreatic secretions. Protein is the building block of most of the structure of your body, including your muscles, bones, skin and hair. It is also required for most of your bodily processes in the form of cell signalling molecules, hormones and immune molecules. Protein is found in foods like meat, dairy, nuts and legumes. The inability to properly digest protein results in foul-smelling gas and stool.

Lipase

The third major class of digestive enzymes in the human body is lipase. This molecule is responsible for the digestion of dietary fat into free fatty acids that are easily absorbed in your gut. It is secreted by the pancreas and released in the intestines. Dietary fats that require the presence of lipase can be both unhealthy saturated fats found in french fries and potato chips and the health-boosting fats from fish oil and olive oil. The inability to properly digest dietary fat can result in steatorrhea (fat in the stool), or pale floating stools.

Lactase

Another digestive enzyme that commonly requires supplementation is lactase. This enzyme is responsible for digesting the primary sugar found in milk, called lactose. Deficiency in this enzyme is a common condition known as lactose intolerance. Symptoms of lactose intolerance are nausea, gas, cramping and diarrhea when the sufferer eats dairy products such as milk, cheese, yogurt, butter, and so on.

Naturally Occurring Enzymes

Enzymes occur naturally in all raw foods. When we refer to the "ripeness" of a food we are talking about its readiness to be eaten. Ripe foods become the most abundant in enzymes that are used for your proper digestion. Unfortunately, these naturally occurring enzymes are quickly destroyed by cooking or processing. This means that the average person has a diet that is deficient in natural enzymes. This external deficiency forces the body to do more work to compensate and digest the food, or else the foods are not properly digested. When your body cannot properly digest and absorb the nutrients from the food that you eat, it results in a condition called "malabsorption".

Understanding Malabsorption & How It Affects Your Health

This condition differs from malnutrition, where the person may not be eating enough food or nutrients to sustain their body. Malabsorption has many different causes, but ultimately results in the sufferer no longer getting the nourishment that they need from the food that they eat, even though their diet is sufficient in nutrients. Unfortunately, because things are not being digested or absorbed properly, supplementation of nutrients often cannot help with this condition. 

The signs of malabsorption depend on the particular subset of enzymes affected. In general, this condition creates several different digestive symptoms such as reflux, gas, bloating, foul flatulence, undigested food in the stool, as well as pale and floating stool. Because this condition can also result in a variety of nutrient deficiencies, it can account for symptoms such as dry skin and hair, cracked and peeling nails, slow healing, muscle wasting, and even weight loss. If you suspect that you may have malabsorption, it is important to contact your healthcare practitioner to do further testing to determine what type of nutrients you are lacking and how to help you digest them better in the future.

Key Nutrients Often Found In The Best Digestive Enzyme Supplements

Co-supplementation & Digestive Enzyme Supplements

Many enzyme supplements will contain other ingredients to promote their particular purpose. Some examples of common additives are listed below:

Betaine HCl

One common substance found in these formulas is betaine hydrochloride (betaine HCl), which can act as a source of acid for the stomach to help further digestion. Many enzymes need to be activated before they can function in the gut, and it is often acid digestion that causes this activation. Because of this, acid supplementation can help to increase how well the enzyme supplement works.

Pancreatin & Digestive Enzyme Supplements

Another addition may be glandular extracts such as pancreatin, which are made by concentrating the pancreatic juices of an animal. This extract will include the most naturally occurring enzymes in the ratio of the animal from which they were extracted. 

Ox Bile

This digestive aid is created from the bile of oxen and can help to promote proper fat digestion in someone with insufficient bile production of their own, whether due to cholecystectomy, or unknown causes.

Exploring Enzyme Activity and USP

Showing an amount of enzyme by weight is not pertinent information on a supplement label as it is the enzyme's activity that is important and independent of weight. Thankfully, all three major digestive enzymes are contained in pancreatin. This is a standardized product that has been rated by the United States Pharmacopeia (USP). The USP is a rating system that enables the comparison of different products sold in the market.

Because it is purified, pancreatin has standardized quantities of enzyme units in it and is often used as a point of comparison for digestive enzyme supplements. Each milligram (mg) of pancreatin contains at least 25 USP units of amylase activity, 2 USP units of lipase activity, and 25 USP units of protease activity. Any supplements labelled with 3X, or 4X are referring to this standard dose (ie. 3X contains 75 USP units of amylase activity per mg and so on).

Shopping For The Best Digestive Enzyme Supplements

Eating a diet that contains more raw fruits and vegetables can help to supply you with more enzyme-rich food. If this is not an option, there are many commercial digestive enzyme preparations, each with a unique mix of enzymes. 

Choose a supplement that contains enzymes for the type of nutrient(s) you have trouble digesting. There are vegetarian and animal-source supplements. Digestive enzymes can be in tablets, capsules, liquid or powder form. Each type of enzyme has different units of strength, and unfortunately, there is no standardization about which units are used on the product label, making it difficult for the consumer to judge the potency of potential enzyme supplements. Enzyme supplements may contain betaine HCl, to increase stomach acid and facilitate the workings of the enzymes, or ox bile, to digest fats.

The pancreas is a relatively large gland near the small intestine and stomach that spans a large part of the upper abdomen to the spleen. For digestion, the pancreas releases digestive enzymes into the small intestine, continuing the breakdown of food after it leaves the stomach. It also releases bicarbonate, neutralizing any stomach acid in the intestines. In the bloodstream, the pancreas releases several hormones, including insulin, the hormone responsible for regulating the amount of sugar taken into your cells and the amount left in the bloodstream. The pancreas is one of the first glandular extracts studied by the scientific community. This research led to the development of the first treatments for diabetes. Purified pancreatic extract is often referred to as "pancreatin".

Key Health Benefits of The Pancreas

Pancreas and Diabetes

The pancreas has two major roles. Malfunctions of this organ can appear in two different ways - diabetes or maldigestion and malabsorption. 

But not to worry, each pancreatic function is performed by a distinct subgroup of cells, so having one problem does not mean you will have both.

Type I Diabetes is caused by the destruction of the subclass of cells in the pancreas that produce insulin to regulate blood sugar levels. This is different from Type II Diabetes, which has to do with the sensitivity of insulin receptors in the body's cells.

Pancreatic Insufficiency and Digestion

Enzymes naturally occur in all raw foods. We refer to the "ripeness" of a food as its readiness to be eaten. Ripe foods are most abundant in enzymes that are used for digestion; however, these enzymes are destroyed by cooking and processing. This means that most foods consumed by the average person today are deficient in enzymes. This forces the body to make up the difference, which it is sometimes unable to do. This state is often known as "enzyme deficiency" or "pancreatic insufficiency". 

Pancreatic insufficiency results in limited quantities of digestive enzymes that break down starch (amylase), protein (protease), and fats (lipase) into subunits that are small enough to be absorbed through your intestinal walls.

When there are insufficient enzymes present in the amount of food that you consume, you do not get the nutrition you need from the food that you eat. This can result in weight loss or weight gain (a compensation by the body) and physical symptoms of nutritional deficiency such as fatigue, dry skin, hair loss, and brittle nails. At the same time, the food that you do not completely digest in your small intestine continues to your colon where it is broken down by intestinal microbes which can result in gas, bloating, cramping, constipation or diarrhea and steatorrhea (fat in the stool).Undigested food particles in people with "leaky gut" can result in immune reactions and a litany of resultant health concerns such as autoimmune diseases. People with any combination of the above symptoms can often benefit from supplementation of pancreatic enzymes. The most natural way to get these enzymes in the proportions they are producedin nature, without changing food preparation habits, is to take pancreatic extract.

Pancreatic Extract Supplements

Although pancreatic extract was the first treatment available for those with diabetes in the early 1900s, it was quickly replaced by more effective and concentrated pharmaceuticals like insulin in the 1930s as well as other medications as time progressed. An effective way to supplement missing digestive enzymes in people with insufficient pancreatic function is to ingest an extract created from an animal pancreas. The most common sources are bovine (cow), porcine (pig), and ovine (sheep). It is theorized that supplementing with pancreatic glandular extract can provide the body with the nutrients, cofactors, precursors and enzymes necessary to promote proper pancreatic function.

Tips For Taking Pancreatic Extract

Pancreatic extract can be found in products from several sources, such as tablets or capsules. Like other glandulars, it is important to ensure that the extract comes from a reliable and safe source. Animals raised in New Zealand are often the best and safest source. Unfortunately, like other glandular extracts, there is very little standardization, and the dose depends on the underlying need and the concentration of each formula. Following the manufacturer's recommended dosing on the label and monitoring symptoms are often the best way to determine your correct dose.

Important Information About Pancreatic Extract

There is little safety information on pancreatic extract available. Because of this, it is best to err on the side of caution and at least follow the same restrictions as those that apply to pancreatin supplementation (as follows). "Do not take pancreatin if you are pregnant or nursing. Do not use if you have active bleeding or blood disorders or if you use blood thinners, and discontinue pancreatin 2 weeks prior to dental work or surgery. Pancreatin can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, mouth and skin irritation, and allergic reactions."