If you struggle with bloating or have trouble digesting certain foods, you’ve probably considered using digestive enzymes for relief. With so many options, finding the best digestive enzymes can be overwhelming.
In this article, we’ll explain what digestive enzymes are, how they work, and what to look for so you can choose the one that best suits your digestive needs.
What are digestive enzymes?
Digestive enzymes are substances produced naturally by the body to help break down food.
In fact, enzymes are released in your saliva as soon as you start chewing. As food moves through the gastrointestinal tract, enzymes continue to break down proteins, fats, carbohydrates, and other important nutrients. This process occurs mainly in the stomach, small intestine and pancreas.
Supplemental digestive enzymes work in a similar way. They help break down nutrients into smaller, more easily absorbed molecules. For many, taking digestive enzyme supplements can help relieve swelling minimizing fermentation that can occur when nutrients are not fully digested. This fermentation process can draw out gases, causing bloating and discomfort.
Types of digestive enzymes
There are several types of digestive enzymes, each with a specific function. Some break down protein, while others help digest milk sugars found in dairy products. To find the best digestive enzyme (or enzymes) for you, consider the types of foods you need help digesting.
Here is an overview of how different types of digestive enzymes can help:
Enzymes that break down proteins
Digestive enzymes in the proteases family helps digest proteins into their basic components, called amino acids.
The breakdown occurs in the pancreas, allowing the amino acids to be absorbed in the upper part of our abdomen, called the duodenum. Amino acids are often considered a marker of protein quality and are essential for many important functions, including muscle and tissue repair.
There are many different types of proteases for protein digestion, including:
- protease
- bromelain
- Papain
Enzymes that break down carbohydrates
amylases They are a group of enzymes that help break down starch into sugars such as glucose. Mainly, starches are found in bread, cereals, corn, rice and tubers such as potatoes.
For some, starches can be difficult to digest due to their complex molecular structure. Certain types of starches known as resistant starches are nearly indigestible, which can cause fermentation in the large intestine and lead to bloating.
Digestive enzymes from the amylase family work to break down starches into simple sugars that can be used for energy. the release of amylases It usually starts in the mouth through saliva and continues to the pancreas.
There are several types of amylases including:
- glucoamylase
- Alpha-galactosidase
- invertase
- diastase
Enzymes that break down fats
lipase It is the main digestive enzyme that breaks down dietary fats. It works by digesting fats into their simple form known as free fatty acids, which are compounds that help energize the body’s tissues. Lipase does most of its heavy lifting in the pancreas, but it is also secreted in the mouth and stomach.
It is important to completely digest dietary fats for several reasons: on the one hand, fat-soluble vitamins Like vitamins A, D, E, and K, they depend on lipase to release them into the body’s tissues for use. Fat malabsorption can also lead to more serious gastrointestinal problems, such as diarrhea and fatty stools.
Enzymes that break down fiber
Despite being healthy, many dietary fibers are indigestible, so they can cause bloating in many people. Fortunately, several types of enzymes can make fiber easier to digest.
For example, the digestive enzyme cellulase can help break down cellulose, a nondigestible fiber that forms the cell wall of fiber-rich fruits and vegetables, into easy-to-digest sugars.
Another example includes beta-glucanasean enzyme that breaks down beta-glucans, a soluble fiber that makes grains like oats and cereal more difficult to digest.
Enzymes that break down milk sugar
Lactase can help break down lactose, the milk sugar found in dairy products that contributes to bloating and discomfort. For most people, poor digestion of dairy does not pose a major health threat. However, if you avoid dairy due to gastrointestinal discomfort, you may be missing out on key nutrients like calcium and vitamin D.
Curiously, about 70% of adults They have low lactase levels, which is why unpleasant bloating after eating dairy products is so common. Fortunately, taking a digestive enzyme supplement that provides lactase can be helpful if you have bloating problems after eating dairy.
What to look for in a digestive enzyme supplement
Digestive enzyme supplements can promote better digestion and absorption of nutrients. With so many options available, it is essential to understand what makes a quality supplement. Here’s a breakdown of what to consider:
Clinically supported
When choosing a digestive enzyme, look for one that is backed by clinical research. Clinical support ensures that the product has been tested and proven effective for its intended use. Look for clinical studies that are “gold standard,” that is, a study that compared the product to a placebo and that was double-blind (meaning neither the participants nor the researchers knew which product they were taking) and the participants were assigned randomly to a group to ensure minimal bias. Flatter Me was compared to a placebo in a randomized, double-blind clinical trial and was shown to reduce bloating (at 30 and 120 minutes after a meal) among 19 healthy adults who suffered from occasional bloating.
Benefits
Not all digestive enzymes are created equal and it is important to choose a formula that addresses your specific concerns.
For general digestive support, look for a comprehensive or broad-spectrum digestive enzyme blend that includes proteases, lipases, and amylases to break down proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. Specific types of these enzymes can be useful for breaking down specific hard-to-digest things, like fiber.
Flatter Me contains a blend of 18 digestive enzymes that work to break down all food groups to reduce bloating and promote nutrient absorption. Flatter Me Extra Strength provides 50% more digestive enzymes to provide additional support for hard-to-digest foods or for people who need additional enzymes (as we age, we naturally produce fewer digestive enzymes, so you may We need a little extra support. Flatter Me Plus contains the Flatter Me 18 digestive enzyme blend plus 2 clinically studied probiotic strains that deliver the benefits of Flatter Me in addition to improved regularity and greater bloating relief by supporting gut health.
Ingredients
A high-quality digestive enzyme supplement should contain a complete combination of enzymes that can break down a variety of foods. Look for products that include:
- Protease: breaks down proteins into amino acids.
- Amylase: Helps digest carbohydrates.
- Lipase: breaks down fats.
- Cellulase: Helps break down fiber in plant cell walls.
- Lactase: Helps digest lactose found in dairy products.
- Bromelain and papain: natural enzymes from pineapple and papaya that help with protein digestion.
A supplement with a variety of enzymes will help ensure that you can endure the entire meal, leading to better nutrient absorption and less digestive discomfort.
Power
The potency of enzymes is measured in units of activity such as HUT (Hemoglobin Base Tyrosine Unit) for protease or FIP (Fungal Lipase Unit) for lipase. Potency determines how effective the enzyme is at breaking down specific nutrients into smaller forms that are easier to digest. It is important to check the label of a digestive enzyme product to make sure it provides these units, as this is what truly shows the potency of an enzyme.
Certifications
Third-party certifications, such as the Clean Label Project, are important independent measures of quality for digestive enzyme supplements.
Clean Label Project is a nonprofit organization that independently tests all HUM products for hundreds of environmental and industrial contaminants, including heavy metals, pesticides, and plasticizers. Their certification guarantees that a supplement has undergone rigorous third-party testing and meets high standards of purity and safety.
Final thoughts
With the right digestive enzyme supplement, you can optimize your digestive health, reduce bloating, and support nutrient absorption. It is important to make sure you select a product that meets your needs, is clinically studied, is transparent in its potency labeling, and is third-party verified as clean.
