Your digestive system is undeniably one of the most important parts of your body. It’s made up of vital organs such as the esophagus, stomach, small and large intestines, liver, and colon, to name a few. As a whole, your digestive system not only helps break down the food you consume, but also assists in gathering nutrients that your body needs and converting it to much-needed energy.^1,2

With that said, your digestive system needs various nutrients to keep it up and running as well as avoid complications and health issues. At times though, health issues like decreased immunity or gastrointestinal (GI) disturbances can lead to imbalance in the gut and alter its composition.

To remedy this health issue, you may want to consider strengthening your body with the help of various nutrients such as digestive enzymes. Check out this guide to help you learn more about their benefits and purposes for your body, as well as where these can be found.

What Are the Different Types of Digestive Enzymes?

Digestive enzymes’ main role is to break down various substances in your food into smaller pieces, and assist your body in absorbing nutrients better.^3,4 There are six known types of digestive enzymes, each with their own functions. These are:^5,6,7,8

• Amylase: It’s responsible for breaking down carbohydrates or starches into sugar molecules.
• Lipase: It works in tandem with liver bile to break down fats into fatty acids and glycerols. 
• Protease: This helps break down proteins into amino acids, and aids in improving cell division, immune function, and blood clotting.
• Lactase: This digestive enzyme helps break down a type of sugar called lactose that’s found in milk and dairy products. The resulting smaller molecules, glucose and galactose, are then absorbed by the body. 
• Sucrase: It aids in breaking down sucrose into glucose and fructose.
• Maltase: This helps break down malt sugar or maltose into simple sugars or glucose that is used for energy. 

Sources of Digestive Enzymes

Now that you know more about digestive enzymes’ benefits, pay attention to where you can get them. There are certain food sources and supplements that contain these! For instance, you can find digestive enzymes in:^9,10,11

• Fruits like bananas, avocados, pineapples, papayas, mangoes, kiwis 
• Fermented food like kefir, sauerkraut, miso
• Honey 
• Ginger

There are also digestive enzyme supplements that are available at a drugstore near you. According to VeryWell Health, supplements like these contain important substances that may help promote digestion and absorption of nutrients and assist in targeting inflammation.¹²

Is  an Enzyme Deficiency Possible?

Unfortunately, yes. It is important that your body maintains an adequate amount of digestive enzymes. Some people may struggle with exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI) wherein your pancreas fails to create needed digestive enzymes. This deficiency may cause undigested food to go past your intestines and prevent your body from absorbing nutrients from food. 

People who have a high risk for EPI include those with chronic pancreatitis, celiac disease, diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease, pancreatic cancer, and those who underwent surgery on the digestive tract.¹³

Apart from EPI, there are other digestive enzyme deficiencies people may be affected with, namely:

• Lactose intolerance: This occurs when the small intestines produce insufficient amounts of lactase. A lack of this enzyme causes lactose, which are normally broken down by lactase, to go straight into your colon where it can interact with normal bacteria. Because the lactose is undigested, the mentioned interaction can lead to all sorts of discomfort.^14,15,16
• Congenital sucrase-isomaltase deficiency (CSID): This rare, genetic metabolic condition happens when someone is deficient in the enzymes sucrase and isomaltase. People with CSID aren’t able to properly break down¹⁷ and absorb the nutrients that come from these enzymes.¹⁸

Some of the early warning signs of a digestive enzyme deficiency include stomach pain or cramps, bloating, diarrhea, gas, oily bowel movements, and unexplained weight loss. At this point, you may want to consult your doctor and inquire about the potential benefits of getting digestive enzymes from supplements. 

Ask Your Doctor About Digestive Enzyme Supplements

If you need help when it comes to maintaining adequate digestive enzyme levels, ask your doctor about taking Enzyplex® today. This formula contains three digestive enzymes in amylase, protease, and lipase, together with vitamins B1, B2, B6, and B12. 

Enzyplex® may help in breaking down fats, carbohydrates, and proteins, assists in promoting good digestion and metabolism, and helps alleviate acute symptoms linked to dyspepsia. With its vitamin B, Enzyplex® may also help speed up your metabolism for better absorption of nutrients.

It’s recommended to take one (1) tablet of Enzyplex® once a day alongside your meals, or as instructed by your doctor. Make sure to swallow the tablet as a whole, without breaking, crushing, or chewing it. Avoid holding the tablet in your mouth for a long period of time before swallowing as well. These actions may lead to mouth irritation and/or mouth inflammation and appearance of blisters.

Enzyplex® tablets are available in Mercury Drug, SouthStar Drug, and Watson’s branches and in other drugstores. You can also purchase these online via Lazada and Shopee!

If symptoms persist, consult your doctor.

¹ University of Michigan Health, Your Digestive System, n.d.
² Your Digestive System & How It Works | NIDDK, n.d.
³ VeryWell Health, Bolen, 2022
⁴ Healthline, Pietrangelo & Weiss, n.d.
⁵ VeryWell Health, Windsor & Wong, 2022
⁶ VeryWell Health, Bolen, 2022
⁷ Johns Hopkins Medicine, Digestive Enzymes and Digestive Enzyme Supplements, n.d.
⁸ Healthline, Pietrangelo & Weiss, n.d.
⁹ Healthline, Raman et al., 2018
¹⁰ VeryWell Health, Bolen, 2022
¹¹ Healthline, Pietrangelo & Weiss, n.d.
¹² VeryWell Health, Windsor & Wong, 2022
¹³ Cleveland Clinic, June 10, 2021
¹⁴ Mayo Clinic, Lactose Intolerance - Symptoms and Causes, 2022
¹⁵ Healthline, Pietrangelo & Weiss, n.d
¹⁶ VeryWell Health, Windsor & Wong, 2022
¹⁷ Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center, November 8, 2021
¹⁸ National Organization for Rare Disorders, “Congenital Sucrase-Isomaltase Deficiency”