Digestive enzymes break down fats, proteins, and carbs so your body can absorb the nutrients. As supplements, they may improve digestion, gut health, pain, inflammation, and more. For optimal results, it\u2019s essential to know which enzyme or combination to use for a particular condition. Read on to learn the benefits, side effects, and precautions of digestive enzymes supplements.<\/p>\n
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Digestive enzymes are a broad group of enzymes that break down large nutrients such as fats, proteins, and carbs into smaller ones your body can absorb easier. The body naturally produces most of these enzymes in the pancreas, while smaller amounts are made in the stomach, small intestine, and mouth [R<\/a>, R<\/a>, R<\/a>, R<\/a>].<\/p>\n The following enzymes help you soak up nutrients from specific foods [R<\/a>, R<\/a>, R<\/a>, R<\/a>]:<\/p>\n Their main role is to aid your digestion, and the amount and activity of these enzymes in your body depend on a complex set of factors. People use supplemental enzymes to improve digestion, relieve inflammation, gut infections, pain, and more.<\/p>\n Please note:<\/strong> most health benefits are limited to specific combinations or individual enzymes, and they may not translate to digestive enzymes as a whole.<\/p>\n In exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI), the pancreas is not working properly and is not producing sufficient digestive enzymes (proteases, amylases, lipases).<\/p>\n Causes of EPI include pancreas inflammation (pancreatitis), pancreatic cancer, cystic fibrosis, or pancreatic surgery. Symptoms include maldigestion, stomach pain, gas, diarrhea, weight loss, and excess fat in stool [R<\/a>, R<\/a>, R<\/a>].<\/p>\n In multiple clinical trials with over 750 adults and children with EPI, prescription digestive enzymes<\/strong> (pancrelipase, pancreatin) increased fat and protein absorption, decreased fat in the stool, reduced gas and stomach pain, and improved stool consistency and quality of life [R<\/a>, R<\/a>, R<\/a>, R<\/a>, R<\/a>, R<\/a>].<\/p>\n Based on these results, the FDA has approved prescription pancreatic enzymes for the treatment of EPI. However, digestive enzyme supplements are much less potent than prescription products, and the FDA doesn\u2019t assure their quality. They should never be used instead of prescription enzymes for a diagnosed condition.<\/strong><\/p>\n Specific enzymes can help with lactose intolerance, celiac disease, and other causes of indigestion [R<\/a>, R<\/a>, R<\/a>, R<\/a>, R<\/a>].<\/p>\n For example, in several clinical studies with over 100 adults and children with lactose intolerance<\/strong>, lactase supplementation increased lactose digestion and improved symptoms (cramping, nausea, pain, diarrhea, bloating, gas) [R<\/a>, R<\/a>, R<\/a>, R<\/a>].<\/p>\n In an 11-week study on 51 people with indigestion, bromelain<\/a> together with essential oils, baking soda<\/a>, and sodium alginate, normalized bowel movements, gas, bloating, and overall digestion<\/strong> [R<\/a>].<\/p>\n In clinical studies with over 80 people with increased protein intake, fungal proteases supplements (extracted from Aspergillus<\/em>) increased protein absorption and improved the blood fat levels [R<\/a>, R<\/a>].<\/p>\n Additionally, actinidin from kiwi enhanced the digestion of food proteins in rats (beef muscle protein, gelatin, soy protein isolate, and gluten) [R<\/a>].<\/p>\n In cell studies, nattokinase<\/a> and papain broke down parts of gliadin, a component of gluten, so these have the potential to help people with celiac disease<\/strong> [R<\/a>, R<\/a>].<\/p>\n Digestive enzymes may improve digestive problems related to IBS<\/a> and IBD<\/a> such as constipation, diarrhea, stomach pain, bloating and gas. They also might lower inflammatory markers and increase good gut bacteria [R<\/a>, R<\/a>, R<\/a>, R<\/a>, R<\/a>, R<\/a>, R<\/a>].<\/p>\n In clinical studies with over 570 people with IBS<\/a>, IBD<\/a>, or chronic stomach inflammation (gastritis), digestive enzyme supplements improved symptoms<\/strong> such as heartburn, bloating, constipation, painful bowel movements, gas, stomach fullness, and stomach pain and reduced inflammation [R<\/a>, R<\/a>, R<\/a>, R<\/a>, R<\/a>, R<\/a>, R<\/a>, R<\/a>].<\/p>\n The following enzymes were used:<\/p>\n In a 60-day study on 34 women, banana amylase reduced bloating<\/strong> and increased the good gut bacteria (bifidobacteria) [R<\/a>].<\/p>\n Additionally, papain and pepsin improved the quality of stools, decreased stomach pain and vomiting in 100 children with autism. Researchers pointed to a possible gut-brain connection [R<\/a>]<\/p>\n In piglets and cell studies, bromelain, pepsin, alpha-amylase, and cellulase killed harmful bacteria that cause stomach and gut infections and possibly contribute to IBD<\/a> [R<\/a>, R<\/a>, R<\/a>, R<\/a>, R<\/a>, R<\/a>, R<\/a>].<\/p>\n In mice with IBD, bromelain decreased CD44 production, which lowered colon inflammation and reduced the incidence and the severity of ulcerative colitis<\/a>. It also prevented gut spasms. In cell studies, it lowered inflammatory markers (IFN-\u03b3<\/a>, TNF-alpha<\/a>, GM-CSF<\/a>) involved in IBD [R<\/a>, R<\/a>, R<\/a>, R<\/a>].<\/p>\n\n
<\/a>Health Benefits<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n
<\/a>Effective:<\/span><\/h3>\n
<\/a>1) Pancreatic Insufficiency (EPI)<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
<\/a>Possibly Effective:<\/span><\/h3>\n
<\/a>2) Indigestion<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
<\/a>3) Gut Inflammation<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
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