Digestive enzymes

    Digestive enzymes are proteins that your body produces to control chemical reactions. They're the behind-the-scenes workers that break down the food you eat into smaller, absorbable components so that they can be transported to the liver and from there to other parts of the body.

    Think of them as the demolition crew of your gut, breaking down complex structures (the food) into simpler, usable building blocks (nutrients). These enzymes are specialized, with each type responsible for breaking down a specific nutrient.

    There are eight primary digestive enzymes, each designed to help break down different types of food:

-Protease: breaks down protein

-Maltase: converts complex sugars from grains into glucose

 -Amylase: breaks down carbohydrates

-Lactase: breaks down milk sugar (lactose) in dairy products. As you age, your body’s production of lactase declines and hence, so does your ability to digest dairy.

 -Lipase: breaks down fats

 -Phytase: helps with overall digestion, especially in producing the B vitamins

- Cellulase: breaks down fiber

 -Sucrase: breaks down most sugars

Without these diligent workers, nutrients from the food we eat would remain inaccessible, no matter how nutritious our diet.

Digestive enzymes are essential for digestion, but their functions and benefits do not end there — they regulate your every metabolic function, including boosting endurance and increasing nutrient absorption.

WHAT CAUSES LOW ENZYMES?

There are many different factors that can inhibit digestive enzyme production and cause a low digestive enzyme count. Serious causes include pancreatitis, celiac disease and inflammatory bowel disease, which can all destroy enzyme production.

Other common causes of low digestive enzymes include:

- Food intolerances

- Leaky gut

- Bacterial overgrowth

- Candida infection

- Helicobacter pylori infection

- Ageing

- Low stomach acid

- Stress

- Antacids

SYMPTOMS OF LOW DIGESTIVE ENZYMES

If you’re unsure of whether you suffer from low digestive enzymes, here are some common symptoms:

- Gas and bloating after meals

- Feeling full after eating only a few mouthfuls

- Reflux, burping and nausea

- A heavy feeling lasting up for hours after you eat

- Indigested food in stools

- Diarrhea or constipation

- Nutritional deficiencies leading to fatigue

 

    Supplementation of digestive enzymes has also been extensively used to treat metabolic disorders, obesity, diabetes, intestinal disorders, and inflammation.

    Enzyme supplements can be grouped into three categories by their source: animal, plant or fungal. Animal-derived enzymes (usually pancreatic products from pigs) are broad-spectrum and potent but They tend to be less shelf-stable and can be difficult for people to tolerate with more sensitive immune systems. Plant-based enzymes such as bromelain or papain may not be as broad-spectrum, but they tend to be more affordable and more shelf-stable. It’s important to avoid brands with fillers or artificial agents.

    Specific enzymes target specific foods, so the first step would be to identify which foods you struggle to digest. A combination supplement with a blend of multiple digestive enzymes is often the best way to address low enzyme production. Some of the common digestive enzymes and the foods they help target are:

 -Cellulase: cellulose in fiber-rich plants

 -Lipase: fats and oils

-Protease: proteins

 -Peptidase: certain proteins such as gluten or casein

 -Alpha-galactosidase: starches in legumes

- Pectinase: pectin in fruits

 -Amylase: starches

-Glucoamylase: maltose sugar

 -Invertase: sucrose sugar