Digestive Enzymes

Almost everyone has experienced digestive discomforts such as gas, bloating, indigestion, gastric reflux, constipation, or occasional loose stools at one time or another. Eating the wrong foods, overeating, stress, or gut microbiome imbalance are among the common causes. While such problems are occasional for most of us, impaired digestion and its adverse health consequences can be a chronic, painful problem for others. Digestive enzymes support healthy digestive function, absorption of nutrients and overall health. Incomplete digestion can cause a significant negative shift in the balance of gut microbiota by allowing fermentation of food that did not digest completely. 

Using supplemental enzymes for enhanced digestive support

A healthy digestive system secretes acids and enzymes that break down foods into the most basic components needed to nourish the body.  A variety of different enzymes, each with its own unique action, are required for a more complete breakdown of foods. Enzyme production is a key part in the digestive process that is especially susceptible to malfunction. Certain health conditions may adversely affect the body’s ability to produce its own enzymes, resulting in fewer enzymes or diminished secretion of enzymes by the pancreas, stomach, and brush-border membrane of the small intestine.

Ingestion of supplemental enzymes such as protease, amylase, and lipase can help efficiently digest food and alleviate occasional digestion-related discomforts. However, individuals with more complex digestive issues may require additional unique enzymes to support digestion of problematic food components such as casein, gluten, lactose and other disaccharides. These unique enzymes are also needed to help protect sensitive gastrointestinal tissues from irritation that can affect tissue health and intestinal comfort.

Digestive enzymes break down food macronutrients, such as proteins, carbohydrates, and fats into smaller molecules for absorption by the intestines. These enzymes are secreted by salivary glands (alpha-amylase and lingual lipase), the stomach (pepsinogen, gelatinase, and gastric lipase), the pancreas (alpha-amylase, lipase, trypsinogen, and chymotrysinogen), and the small bowel (disaccharidases, intestinal lipase, and erepsin protease). Digestive enzymes are also present in raw foods such as fresh fruits and vegetables. Enzymes in raw foods are thought to work together with the body’s own digestive enzymes to more completely digest food carbohydrates and other macronutrients. This action is lost, however, when foods are cooked or heat processed, as this destroys the natural activity of food digestive enzymes.

When the digestive system does not secrete enough acids and enzymes food is not completely digested in the gut and may putrefy and produce irritating substances. These substances can affect intestinal mucosal integrity and gut permeability, systemic immune function, and overall energy. Regulation of the intestinal barrier is critical as increased permeability is associated with chronic inflammatory conditions. 

People with indigestion (dyspepsia) typically exhibit low activity of the enzymes maltase-glucoamylase and/or disaccharidases in the small intestine. Supplementing the diet with microbial derived digestive enzymes can assist the complete digestion of food components, promote normal nutrient absorption, and reduce the number of large, immunologically active molecules that can leak through the intestinal barrier if permeability is increased.

Nova Rē’s Digestive Balance:

The unique enzymes in Digestive Balance can support intestinal function by the breakdown of difficult-to-digest food components such as casein, gluten, and lactose which are often missing in other digestive enzyme formulas. By facilitating a more complete breakdown of macronutrients, and supporting improved nutritional status Digestive Balance is an important dietary supplement for individuals who seek to improve nutrient absorption and for those with decreased enzyme secretion.

Digestive Balance Enzymes

The enzyme DPP-IV (dipeptidyl peptidase IV) is a form of protease that has activity specific for breakdown of casein, gluten, and other exorphin peptides. Protein molecules require multiple enzymes for complete digestion. Proteases degrade proteins into peptides of 10 to 20 amino acids in length. Peptidases then complete the process by splitting peptides into single free-form amino acids that are used by the body.  Incompletely digested peptides from casein (casomorphins), gluten (gluteomorphins), soy, or yeast may adversely affect central nervous system function in some individuals. Digestive Balance provides ample amounts of peptidase enzymes that express DPP-IV activity that is especially effective in breaking down exorphin (opiate-acting) peptides before they can be absorbed.

Digestive Balance contains a wide spectrum of disaccharidase enzymes to assist the breakdown of sugars including lactose (milk sugar), maltose (from cereal grains), sucrose (table sugar), and amylopectin (starch) molecules into their absorbable monosaccharide forms. Lactose intolerance is the most common form of carbohydrate intolerance. Incompletely digested sugars or starch can be fermented by gastrointestinal organisms that shift the balance of microbiota. Reduced disaccharidase levels are observed in some children and adults. Children with dyspepsia typically exhibit low activity of small intestine maltase, glucoamylase, and/or disaccharidases.

In addition to facilitating more complete digestion of potentially irritating food components, Digestive Balance supplies Serratia peptidase, a unique endopeptidase enzyme which helps protect sensitive gastrointestinal tissue from occasional irritation and supports intestinal comfort.

Well-tolerated, hypoallergenic:

Digestive Balance contains highly purified, well tolerated, hypoallergenic pharmaceutical grade enzymes to meet the needs of sensitive individuals. Fruit derived enzymes (bromelain, papain, and kiwi) are avoided for tolerance by those with pheno-sulfurtransferase issues.

Active throughout the GI tract:

Digestive Balance remains acitve throughout the GI tract by utilizing microbial-based enzymes tolerant of a wide range of pH from 2 (very acidic) to 10 (alkaline), allowing for benefit throughout the entire gastrointestinal tract.

Suitable for children or adults:

Provides an array of enzymes that encourages enhanced digestion of protein, carbohydrates, sugar, fat, and fiber.

Two capsules or chewable tablets of Digestive Balance effectively supports digestion of a full range of foods as found in a typical meal and is suitable for children or adults and is readily adjusted for individual needs, including smaller or larger meals.

How it works

Amylases (amylase, alpha-amylase, and glucoamylase) are glycoside hydrolases that cleave a-(1g4) glycosidic bonds. Amylases hydrolyze amylose and amylopectin found in starchy vegetables such as potatoes, corn, rice, and wheat as well as glycogen and other related carbohydrates.

Disaccharidases (lactase, sucrase/invertase, and maltase) are enzymes that primarily hydrolyze disaccharides into their component monosaccharides (single sugars). Disaccharidases are normally found in the small intestinal brush border and are critical for the final steps of carbohydrate digestion.

Acid, alkaline, and neutral proteases are are enzymes that hydrolyze proteins into smaller fragments known as polypeptides.

Peptidases are enzymes that break polypeptides down into their constituent amino acids. Absorption of the undigested proteins and polypeptides may trigger food hypersensitivities. Incomplete digestion of gluten and casein may result in the production of exorphin (exogenous opiate-like) polypeptides that have the capacity to cause or increase the ability for adverse neurological symptoms. Digestive Balance and Digestive Balance Chewable contain a full complement of protease and peptidase enzymes in amounts appropriate to support the breakdown of a wide spectrum of dietary proteins while avoiding excessive amounts of proteases found in some formulations that may irritate mucosal membranes.

Protease/peptidase complex has  endopeptidase, exopeptidase, and DPP-IV activity. DPP-IV activity is critical to the inactivation of exorphins. These are bioactive peptides derived from food proteins with morphine-like opioid effects. Exorphins derive primarily from the milk protein casein, gluten, and soy. The DPP-IV activity present in the protease/peptidase provides for complete digestion of proline-rich proteins and efficient breakdown of dietary exorphins.

Serratia peptidase is a unique endopeptidase enzyme that supports healthy inflammatory response during occasional GI stress by protecting sensitive gastrointestinal tissue from irritation and breaking down extraneous fibrin, mucus, and other compounds that accumulate as a part of the body’s natural repair process.

Pullulanase, together with glucoamylase, supplies the isomaltase activity lacking in fungal- and microbial-derived sucrases facilitating the complete breakdown of highly branched amylopectin starch molecules.

Cellulase denotes a family of enzymes that digest plant material and promote greater nutrient absorption.

Phytase breaks down phytic acid, an anti-nutrient that would otherwise complex with dietary minerals and interfere with their absorption.

Lipase converts dietary triglycerides (fats or lipids) into diglycerides, monoglycerides, fatty acids, and glycerol. Absorption of fatty acids is important for health, normal fat digestion and stool fat content, and absorption of fat-soluble nutrients such as vitamins A, D, E, and K. The lipase in Digestive Balance and Digestive Balance Chewable promotes healthy fat digestion and absorption of essential lipids and fat-soluble nutrients.

Lysozyme (in Digestive Balance) is an enzyme found in tears, saliva, mucus, and breast milk. Lysozyme breaks down peptidoglycans found in bacterial cell walls especially those of Gram-positive bacteria.

NOTE: Lysozyme is a highly purified, pharmaceutical grade material derived from hen egg white. While typically well-tolerated, those with classic IgE mediated egg white allergy should not use this product unless otherwise directed by their healthcare professional. Digestive Balance Chewable does not contain lysozyme for those who may wish to avoid taking it.