Last week I talked about the foods rich in enzymes and how they aid digestion. We can also safely obtain them from dietary supplements.
Enzymes supplements aid digestion of fats, carbs, proteins, dairy, and other difficult-to-digest food substances, they boost nutrient absorption and they can help break down the indigestible forms of fiber or fats that cause gas or bloating. They also help prevent cramping, flatulence, belching, heartburn, and acid reflux. Digestive enzymes likewise regulate healthy bowel movements by improving metabolism. They help prevent constipation and diarrhea.
The major different types of digestive enzymes are:
Amylases break down carbohydrates, starches, and sugars found in fruit, vegetables, dairy and grains. These include:
- Lactase – break down lactose or milk sugar
- Diastase – digest vegetable starch
- Sucrase – digest complex sugars and starches
- Maltase – digest disaccharides to monosaccharides or malt sugars
- Invertase – break down sucrose or table sugar
- Glucoamylase – break down starch to glucose
- Alpha-glactosidase – facilitate the digestion of beans, legumes, seeds, roots, soy products, and underground stems.
Proteases break down proteins found in meats, nuts, eggs, and cheese. These include:
- Pepsin – break down proteins into peptides
- Peptidase – break down small peptide proteins to amino acids
- Trypsin – derived from animal pancreas, break down proteins
- Alpha – chymotrypsin, an animal-derived enzyme, break down proteins
- Bromelain – derived from pineapple, break down a broad spectrum of proteins, has anti-inflammatoryproperties.
- Papain – derived from raw papaya, break down a broad spectrum of proteins.
Lipases break down fats found in most dairy products, nuts, oils, and meat while cellulase break down cellulose found in plants.
Other chemicals, which act like enzymes include:
- Betaine HCL – increase the hydrochloric acid content of the upper digestive system; activates the protein digesting enzyme pepsin in the stomach
- Ox bile – an animal-derived enzyme, stimulates the intestine to digest fat
- Fructooligosaccharides (FOS) – helps support the growth of friendly intestinal microbes, also inhibits the growth of harmful species
- L-glutamic acid – activates the protein digesting enzyme pepsin in the stomach
- Lysozyme – an animal-derived enzyme, and a component of every lung cell; lysozyme is very important in the control of infections, attacks invading bacterial and viruses
- Pectinase – break down the pectin in fruit
- Phytase – digest phytic acid, allows minerals such as calcium, zinc, iron and magnesium.
How much enzymes should one take?
Check the serving size or dose given on the label and use that as a guide. Then watch the reaction and adjust the dose accordingly. You know you have had enough when they relieve your digestive symptoms.
Enzyme supplements are available in capsules, which are vegetable or gelatin based. Vegetable based enzymes are best-swallowed 30 minutes before the meal. This ensures enough time for the capsule to break down in the stomach and the enzymes to be released and make contact with the food. This is not an issue with gelatin capsules because they usually dissolve immediately.
Some of my Naturopathic clients find they get best results by opening the capsules and mixing the enzymes with the food or fluids before eating.
If you are trying to heal a leaky gut, you can take enzymes with all foods including snacks and then as gut healing progresses, fewer enzymes may be needed.
Choose a blend of enzymes with less proteases when healing leaky gut or have a pathogen and imbalanced gut flora. The reason is that proteases might cause some irritation so a gentler approach works better to begin with. You can then take a separate protease enzyme with or after meals.
Proteases may do other tasks besides food breakdown. They can also have an impact on bacterial, yeast, parasitic, and viral overgrowth. This can cause a greater die-off reaction, which means you may feel worse before you feel better when you are treating a gut infection. Start off slowly.
When enzymes are taken in between meals they have other systemic effects. Anti-inflammatory and pain relief, break down mucous, and reduce histamine or an allergy response and breakdown biofilm of adverse microbial pathogens. A biofilm is any group of microorganisms in which cells stick to each other on a surface. These adherent cells are frequently embedded within a self-produced matrix of extracellular polymeric substance.
Always check the label and manufacturer’s recommendation for any particular product you are interested in. To minimize adjustment effects, start with a smaller dose in the very beginning and work up to a full dose.
