Digestive enzymes are able to break down proteins and carbohydrates and lipids, and their supplementation may play a role in the management of digestive disorders, from lactose intolerance to cystic fibrosis. At Nutri-Echo Wellness, we add a variety of naturally-sourced digestive enzyme ingredients to our supplement products that can help you break down food more easily, thereby reducing digestive symptoms. Learn how digestive enzymes work and how our digestive enzyme ingredients can impact your health.
What Are Digestive Enzymes?
Digestive enzymes are proteins produced by the body that help break down food into smaller molecules and facilitate the body's absorption and utilization of food. They play a vital role in the digestive process, ensuring that the nutrients in the food we eat are properly broken down and absorbed.
Some of the important digestive enzymes mainly include:
- Amylase：breaks down carbohydrates into simple sugars such as glucose.
- Protease：breaks down proteins into amino acids.
- Lipase：breaks down fats into fatty acids and glycerol.
In addition to these major digestive enzymes, other enzymes such as lactase, sucrase, maltase, etc. are also involved in the digestive process to help us absorb more nutrients from the food we consume.
Symptoms of Digestive Enzyme Insufficiency
The lack of digestive enzymes types leads to various complications, including:
- Malnutrition
- Dehydration
- Mineral and Vitamin deficiencies
- Bloating
- Abdominal pain
- Diarrhoea
- Constipation
- Weight loss
- Pancreatitis
Digestive Enzyme Ingredients Offered by Nutri-Echo Wellness
Maintaining a healthy digestive system is becoming increasingly challenging in the fast-paced modern lifestyle. To address this deficiency, a number of active enzyme ingredients from foods such as papaya and pineapple have received much attention and have been shown to have digestive-boosting properties. Nutri-Echo Wellness adds high-quality and purity natural digestive enzyme ingredients to our nutraceutical products to support digestive health. These beneficial health ingredients provide effective solutions for optimal digestion.
Keep reading to learn about different types of digestive enzymes and how they work.
| Digestive Enzyme Components | Efficacy |
| Amylase | Amylase is important for digesting carbohydrates. It breaks down starches into sugars. |
| Glucoamylase | Glucoamylase, also known as amyloglucosidase, is responsible for breaking off long chain carbohydrates or starches into sugar. |
| Cellulase | The primary function of cellulase is to break down cellulose into its constituent glucose molecules, which can then be utilized as an energy source by the producing organism. |
| Hemicellulase | Hemicellulase is a type of enzyme that breaks down hemicellulose, a complex carbohydrate found in plant cell walls. |
| α-galactosidase | α-galactosidase is an enzyme that helps in breaking down complex carbohydrates, specifically alpha-galactosides, found in certain foods. |
| Invertase | Invertase is the digestive enzyme secreted by the small intestine. It helps break down sucrose, a complex sugar, into glucose and fructose that are easily absorbed by our bodies. |
| Maltase | Maltase is the digestive enzyme secreted by the small intestine. It helps break down maltose, a complex sugar, into glucose easily absorbed by our body. |
| Xylose isomerase | Xylose isomerase is an enzyme that catalyzes the isomerization of xylose, a simple sugar molecule, into its isomer, xylulose. |
| Exo-inulinase | Exo-inulinase is an enzyme that belongs to the family of glycoside hydrolases. It plays a vital role in breaking down inulin, a type of polysaccharide found in plants, into fructose units. |
| Lactase | Lactase is the digestive enzyme secreted by the small intestine. It helps break down lactose or milk sugar into absorbable forms such as glucose and galactose. |
| Proteases | Also called peptidases, proteolytic enzymes, or proteinases, these digestive enzymes break down proteins into amino acids. |
| Bromelain | Bromelain is a protease enzyme extracted from the pineapple plant that is used to break down proteins. |
| Papain | A powerful protease from the pineapple fruit or stem that aids in protein digestion. |
| Pepsin | Pepsin is an aspartic protease in the stomach to break down proteins into peptides, or smaller groupings of amino acids. |
| Peptidase | Peptidase, also known as protease or proteinase, is a group of enzymes that play a crucial role in the breakdown of proteins into smaller peptides and amino acids. |
| Lipase | Lipase aids in the breakdown of fats into smaller, more easily digestible components that can be absorbed by the intestines. |
Benefits of Adding Digestive Enzyme Ingredients to Nutraceuticals
The inclusion of digestive enzyme ingredients in nutraceuticals has multiple benefits for overall digestion, relieving digestive discomfort and optimizing nutrient absorption.
- Supporting overall digestion
One of the main benefits of including digestive enzymes in your nutritional supplements is their ability to support overall digestion. As we age, the production of digestive enzymes in the body may decrease, leading to digestive issues such as indigestion, bloating and flatulence. By supplementing with digestive enzymes, you can support a healthy digestive system by facilitating the digestion of food and ensuring that important nutrients are broken down efficiently.
- Relieve digestive discomfort
Many people experience symptoms such as bloating, flatulence or indigestion after consuming certain foods. These symptoms are often the result of poor digestion of complex carbohydrates, proteins and fats. Digestive enzymes help break down these nutrients into smaller components, reducing the likelihood of digestive discomfort and making digestion easier.
- Promoting nutrient absorption
Our bodies rely on breaking down complex foods into simpler forms to effectively absorb nutrients. Without adequate digestive enzymes, the body's absorption of essential vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients is compromised. Including a digestive enzyme ingredient in nutraceuticals promotes the breakdown and absorption of nutrients, ensuring that people get the maximum benefit from their dietary intake.
