What Is Digestion?
The human body is an amazing piece of machinery, and an understanding of what it means to digest food will help you understand why you need the best digestive enzyme supplement. As soon as you place food in your mouth, the digestive system begins initiates a plethora of complex biochemical processes that turn food into useful nutrients. Digestive enzymes play a critical roll in this process, as they break down larger food molecules into a form of nutrients that is absorbable.
The digestive process has very distinct stages that are carried out by the system of the digestive tract. If any of the processes carried out at each stage is defective, it will unbalance the entire digestive system, causing many uncomfortable, and degenerative condition such as indigestion, burping, gas, reflux, GERD, IBS, etc.
What Are Enzymes?
Enzymes are energized protein molecules, found in all living cells. The are the “regulators” of every biochemcial reaction that occurs within the human body. In terms of digestion, they break down protein, fats, and carbohydrates into usable nutrients.
There are three categories of enzymes: metabolic enzymes, digestive enzymes, and food enzymes. The human body can produce both metabolic enzymes and digestive enzymes, while food enzymes must be consumed by ingestion.
Metabolic Enzymes regulate the chemical reactions within the cells that allow for detoxification and energy production. These amazing enzymes enable such actions such as thought, movement, smell, and hearing. Every cell in our body, from your feet to the tip of your head depend on metabolic enzymes for energy. While metabolic enzymes are produced in every cell, the majority of these enzymes are produced by the pancreas, gallbladder, and liver.
Digestive Enzymes are secreted in the digestive tract in order to break food down into usable nutrients, and to separate waste. The usable nutrients are absorbed into the blood stream, and you know what happens to the waste. Digestive enzymes the body is capable fo creating are ptyalin, pepsin, trypsin, lipase, protease, and amylase. The body does not make cellulase, meaning the body can not digest dietary fiber on it’s on. You must ingest Food Enzymes in order to get the cellulase necessary to digest fiber.
Food Enzymes (which is what we’re talking about when we talk about enzyme supplements) come from eating raw food. Raw foods contain enough naturally occurring enzymes, including just enough digestive enzymes to digest that particular food. The process of cooking food (to over 118 degrees) destroys all of its enzymes. This is the reason why some many people are now enzyme deficient, as almost all food is cooked or processed in some why, and is the reason everybody should be using an enzyme supplement.
How Do Digestive Enzymes Work?
During each stage of digestion, a specific enzyme which functions best in that particular environment works to break down food into usable nutrients. Below is a simplified view of the process:
Mouth: As soon as you place food in your mouth, your salivary glands begin excreting salivary amylase which begins breaking down polysaccharides, which are large starchy food molecules. When amylase enzymes complete their task, these starches are broken down into maltose and dextrin.
The Esophagus: The food is then swallowed which takes the food from the mouth to the esophagus. The esophagus is the tube that connects the mouth to the stomach. Food moves through the esophagus by peristalsis, which is a wave of muscle contractions that pushes the food down the tube. At the end of the esophagus is the lower esophageal sphincter(LES), which closes to prevent food from re-entering the esophagus.
Stomach: After you swallow, food travels into the stomach where hydrochloric acid mixes with pesinogen to create pepsin. Pepsin, a proteolytic (protein-breaking) enzyme, begins to break down proteins into amino acids. Hydrochloric acid also kills many microorganisms and pathogens, and creates chyme, a fluid / food mixture which stimulates the pancrease to excrete the digestive enzymes necessary to further break down protein, fat, and carbohydrates.
Small Intestine: Once the partially broken down food leaves the stomach, it enters the upper section of the small intestine called the duodenum. At this stage, most of the proteins and carbohydrates are still in tact, as well as 100% of the fats. As chyme (Assuming that enough hydrochloric acid and sodium bicarbonate is present: see hypochlorhydia) passes the pancreas, it produces the pancreatic enzymes trypsin and chymotrypsin. These particular enzymes function best in the alkaline environment of the intestine, and digest additional types of proteins. Pancreatic amlyase finishes the job of converting starches into maltose, and lipase begins transforming fat into glycerol and fatty acids.
As food leaves the duodenum, it enters the jejunum, where most absorption takes place. The jejunum contains villi, which are small, finger-like projections that massively increase the surface area of the jejunum. Amino acids, sugar, fatty acid particles, vitamins, minerals, electrolytes and water are small enough to soak into the villi of the jejunum and drop into the blood stream. The blood takes all these nutrients to all the other parts of the body to provide fuel to do their jobs.
Large Intestine
All remaining particles move into the large intestine, also known as the colon. Many important processes take place in the colon, including absorption of water and sodium, and maintenance of fluid balance throughout the body.
The large intestine also contains about 700 species of healthy bacteria that perform a variety of functions. Undigested polysaccharides (fiber) are metablized by bacteria. The bacteria also produce large amounts of vitamins, particularly vitamin K and biotin, for absorption into the blood.
At this point, all digestive enzymes have performed their function. It is important to note that the entire process requires incredible synergy, all they way from chewing, until food waste exits the body. It’s common sense that eating slower, and taking proper care of our digestive tract, will ultimately lead to improved health. I
If you suffer from frequent bloating, gas, upset stomach, cramping, diarrhea, or vomiting, it is likely that a digestive enzyme supplement will make a big difference in your health.
What is the Best Digestive Enzyme Supplement To Take?
The perfect enzyme blend must help your body properly break down a wide variety of nutrients into an absorbable form. For this purpose, it is important to understand what each enzyme helps your body to digest:
- Amylase – Converts starch into sugars
- Bromelain – A multiple protease enzyme (see below) that breaks down protein into amino acids
- Glycoamylase – Starches / Polysaccharides
- Invertase - Converts sucrose (table sugar) into fructose and glucose
- Lactase – Breaks down lactose (mlik)
- Lipase – Fats
- Maltase (acid maltase) – Converts Maltose (what amylase breaks polysaccharides into) to glucose
- Papain – breaks down proteins
- Peptidase – breaks down proteins
- Protease -breaks down Protein
As you can see, it takes several enzymes to begin and complete the digestion of food into usable nutrients. There are many more enzymes, but I believe this list of enzymes in the right activity levels will properly break down all of the food we eat from their macronutrient (carbs, fat, protein), into there usable components. Since protein, particularly animal protein, is the hardest food to digest, I believe a variety of enzymes provide the best approach to proper digestion.
Another thing to consider when choosing the best digestive supplement for you, is the activity level of the enzymes in the supplement. The label should show, or the company should offer the activity levels of their ingredients following the National Standard for Evaluation of Plant Enzymes, which are as follows:
- Alpha-Galactosidase – GALU (Galactosidase Units)
- Amylase – DU (Dextrinizing Units)
- Bromelain – GDU (Gelatin Digesting Units) or FCCPU
- Catalase – Baker Units (Named after the Author)
- Cellulase – CU (Cellulase Unit)
- Glucoamylase – AG (Amyloglucosidase Units)
- Hemicellulase – HCU (Hemicellulase Units)
- Invertase – INVU (Invertase Activity Unit)
- Lactase – LacU (Lactase Unit)
- Lipase – FCCFIP (Federation Internationale Pharmceutique)
- Maltase – DP (Degrees of Diastatic Power)
- Nattokinase – FU (Fibrinolytic Units)
- Pectinase – AJDU (Apple Juice Depectinizing Units)
- Phytase – PU Phytase Units
- Protease-HUT (Hemoglobin Unit Tyrosine base)
- Xylanase – XU (Xylanase Units)
The definitions of these units is some pretty complex science. For the extra inquisitive person, here’s a link to what they mean: http://www.pcflabs.com/products/pdf/EnzymeActivityUnitDefinitions.pdf
Watch Out for Watered Down Formulas
Many times you will see an enzyme product that has 30 ingredients packed into a 300 – 500 mg capsule. Sadly, these formulas are designed by people who get their expertise from books and not real world experience. On paper this ingredient list looks like a great thing, but, unfortunatley it means there isn’t enough of each ingredient to be useful.
The Best Digestive Enzyme Supplement Must Contain Prebiotcs and Probiotics
Prebiotics – As I explained the large intestine, I mentioned that over 700 species of bacteria that are present there. Prebiotics are nondigestible food ingredients that selectively stimulate the growth and/or activity of beneficial microorganisms already in your colon. I think I digestive supplement that does not include these in their formula isn’t supporting the body maximally.
Probiotics – Probiotics are “live microorganisms, which, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host.” (Microorganisms are tiny living organisms—such as bacteria, viruses, and yeasts—that can be seen only under a microscope.) Modern scientific research has suggested the probiotics may be beneficial in treating:
- To treat diarrhea (this is the strongest area of evidence, especially for diarrhea from rotavirus)
- lactose intolerance
- preventing colon cancer
- reduce recurrence of bladder cancer
- lowering cholesterol
- lowering blood pressure
- improving immune function and preventing infections of the urinary tract or female genital tract
- reducing inflammation
- improving mineral absorption
- treating irritable bowel syndrome
- Treat atopic dermatitis (eczema) in children
The Best Digestive Enzyme Supplement
When used as I recommend in my article “Why Everyone Needs Digestion Plus“, I believe Arbonne Essentials Digestion Plus provides all of the enzymes, prebiotics, and probiotics necessary to achieve optimal digestive health, and get all the related benefits. Its super convenient powder form makes it stable enough to be carried around in your purse, or pocket. The product will not be effected by sunlight, or reasonable temperature fluctuations.
Further, many digestive enzyme products come in a gelatin capsule, which is not hypo-allergenic, and not vegan certified.
Finally, the taste of the product is somewhat sweet, and super mild. It’s incredibly easy to take, you just add to water, a meal, or into your protein shake!
One thing to note is that Arbonne doesn’t list the enzyme activity label on the package, so I contacted nutrition product management, and got the information:
- Amylase – 5000 DU
- Invertase 500 SU
- Bromelain 500,000 PU
- Protease 4.5 – 20,000 HUT
- Papain 500,000 PU
- Acid Maltase – 14 MaltU
- Protease 3.0 – 50 SAPU
- Glycoamylase – 10 AGU
- Lactase – 1200 ALU
- Alpha-galactosidase (controls gas and bloating) – 175 GaIU
- Peptidase – 2500 HUT
- Neutral Bacterial Protease – 5,000 PC
- Protease 6.0 – 2500 HUT
- Lipase – 900 FIP (enough to digest 72 grams of FAT!)
Retail Price: $49.00
