Have you ever really thought about what it means to digest your food and why is it important?
Digestion is defined as: a person’s capacity to break down food into substances that can be used by the body.
For overall health it is extremely important to properly digest what you put into your body because we are not just what we eat, but what we digest and absorb.
Digestion is both a mechanical and enzymatic process. I’m pretty sure you understand the mechanical process involved: you eat, chew, and then swallow your food. The enzymatic process is often overlooked by many so let’s look into it to learn more.
What are digestive enzymes?
Digestive enzymes are often confused with the digestive acid or gastric acid that is in your stomach which contains hydrochloric acid (HCl). Even though you do need both to properly digest your food, digestive acid and digestive enzymes are not the same thing.
Gastric acid allows you to digest protein, helps with B12 absorption, and can help prevent developing infections and food poisoning. It is found only in the stomach; however, digestive enzymes are found in your mouth, stomach, pancreas, and small intestine and they break your food down into smaller building blocks that your body can readily absorb and use
Why are digestive enzymes important for your health?
If your body cannot produce enough digestive enzymes, you will not be able to truly nourish your body. You can be eating all organic, pasture-raised, and wild-caught foods and still not maintain your health if you are not properly absorbing your nutrients. These digestive enzymes help you absorb the nutrients.
There can be several reasons your digestive enzymes might not be working at an optimal level. This can include lactose intolerance, pancreatitis, pancreatic cancer, or even cystic fibrosis. Other reasons for enzyme deficiency can be alcohol abuse, protein deficiency, a diet high in refined carbohydrates, high caloric intake, food sensitivities, smoking, antibiotic exposure, and too little or too much exercise. There are also foods and drinks that promote intestinal inflammation which affects enzyme activity negatively - coffee, alcohol, sugar, and highly processed foods.
Another big factor is aging. Unfortunately, as you age, your digestive function can deteriorate.
Types of digestive enzymes
Digestive enzymes are released when we anticipate a meal, smell and taste food, and as the food goes through the digestive process. There are several different types of digestive enzymes, each with its own function. Let’s take a closer look at a few common ones.
Amylase is important for digesting carbohydrates. It begins the breakdown of the starches contained in these foods and converts them into sugar. Amylase is secreted by salivary glands and the pancreas.
Maltase is released by the small intestine and is responsible for breaking down maltose (malt sugar) into glucose (a simple sugar). This glucose is then used for energy or stored for later use.
Lactase breaks down lactose which is a sugar found in dairy products. Lactose intolerance may be caused by having too little of the lactase enzyme in your small intestine. This is a great example why sufficient enzymatic function is so important.
Lipase is responsible for the breakdown of fat into fatty acids and the simple sugar alcohol glycerol. This enzyme is produced in small amounts by your mouth and stomach, and a much larger amount by your pancreas.
Protease breaks down protein into amino acids. They are produced in the stomach and pancreas. Protease also plays a role in cell division, blood clotting, and immune function.
Sucrase is secreted by the small intestine where it breaks down sucrose into fructose and glucose.
This is just a short list of digestive enzymes.
You can see how important digestive enzymes can be to your digestion and overall health.
What if you don’t have enough digestive enzymes?
Some of the symptoms of insufficient digestive enzymes can include
- Bloating
- Flatulence
- Abdominal pain and discomfort
- Irritable-bowel-like symptoms
- Diarrhea
- Constipation
- Gut microbiota dysbiosis,
- Undigested food in the stool
- Stools that float
- Feeling full after only a few bites
- Food allergies and intolerances
Wow, that encompasses a lot of symptoms!
Getting more digestive enzymes in your diet
You may be wondering how to get more digestive enzymes in your diet. It turns out there are many food sources that can up your enzyme activity for specific enzymes. Many fruits and vegetables have natural enzymes in them which can improve your digestion.
- Raw honey has amylase and protease.
- Mangoes and bananas have amylase.
- Papaya has the specific protease enzyme papain.
- Avocados offer lipase.
- Sauerkraut can “pick up” digestive enzymes during the fermentation process
What if you need more enzymes than food can provide?
If dietary enzyme support is not enough adding digestive enzymes to your supplementation routine is a good option. It is, however, important to choose an enzyme formulation that has no added filler or artificial ingredients. After all, if you’re trying to improve digestion why would you consume something with no digestive benefit.
I believe so much in proper digestive enzymes and clean formulation that I have come out with my own product called, simply enough, Digestive Enzymes.
(My product, Digestive Enzymes, will be available soon! Please bookmark this page or follow me on social media to stay updated when it comes out.)
Digestive Enzymes contains highly active enzymes with a broad range of specificities to all food preferences. This formula has been carefully prepared to assure maximum quality and nutritional effectiveness with absolutely no fillers!
Check out all the digestive enzymes contained in this product and how it can help your digestion:
Lipase – breaks down fat
Amylase – breaks down carbohydrates
Phytase – breaks down phytic acid which helps release iron and zinc from your food
Glucoamylase – long-chain starches and carbohydrates are broken down into glucose which your body can use
Alpha-galactosidase – breaks down complex carbohydrates such as beans, whole grains, and cruciferous veggies to manage the gas that can be caused by these foods
Macerase – used to break down pectin in fruits
Beta-glucanase – breaks down the cell walls of plants
Lactase – breaks down the lactose sugar found in dairy
Pectinase – breaks down pectin in fruit
Cellulase – breaks down the cellulose of plant cell walls into simple sugars
Diatase – breaks down starch into maltose and then glucose which your body can use as a fuel
Invertase – it is in our saliva and splits sugars into glucose and fructose
Hemicellulase – it is required to break down fiber-rich components of food, converting them to usable constituents
As you can see effective digestive enzymes are necessary for optimal digestion. If you are suffering from any of the digestive symptoms listed above, you may want to consider adding digestive enzymes to your health regiment.
[expand title="Sources"]
Ash, M. (2017, January 11). Digestive enzymes. Clinical Education. Retrieved from https://www.clinicaleducation.org/news/digestive-enzymes/.
Burgess, J., RDH. Digestive wellness – what you need to know. The AFIB Report. Retrieved from https://afibbers.org/resources/digestivewellness.pdf.
Lopez, D.A., MD, Williams, RM., MD, PhD, and Miehlke, K., MD. (1994). Enzymes the fountain of life. The Neville Press, Inc. Germany.s
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