Digestive enzymes break down the food we eat into usable nutrients at the cellular level. These nutrients are absorbed through the cells lining our stomach, upper intestine, and lower intestine. Once nutrients are absorbed into our bloodstream they are used by all the cells in our body to support energy, cellular building, and repair. Every process our bodies rely on to keep us alive and healthy starts with food and Enzyme Digestion. There is no more important body function than the proper breakdown and absorption of nutrients to support our health.
How many digestive enzymes are there?
The three major digestive enzymes that do the bulk of the work are:
- Protease turns proteins into amino acids and peptides
- Lipase for breaking down fats and oils into fatty acids
- Amylase breaks down starches and carbohydrates into simple sugars
This is a simplification of the actual number and types of enzymes in the digestive system and what each does, but it is a great place to start.
Protease Digestions – The Breakdown of Proteins Into Essential Amino Acids
Proteins as amino acids are arguably the most important building blocks your body uses to support energy, strength, mobility, and immunity; the building and repair of damaged cells.
The human body produces some amino acids, but not all that we need. Essential Amino Acids (the ones we can not produce) can only be found through the foods we eat, or as dietary supplements. When we eat a steak or some tofu, the Protease Enzymes break down the proteins and release the essential amino acids to be absorbed into our bloodstream and distributed throughout the body, keeping our bodies functioning and alive.
Lipase Digests – The Breakdown of Fats
The digestive enzyme Lipase, which is mainly secreted by the pancreas, breaks down the fats into smaller, digestible fatty acid components. The four types of fatty acids we absorb during digestion are:
- Trans Fats – like butter or lard
- Saturated Fats – from fatty meats like beef and pork., or dairy.
- Monounsaturated Fats – found in nuts, vegetable oils, and avocados
- Poly-unsaturated Fats – The best kind! Found in fish, seeds, tofu, and some vegetable oils.
Amylase Digests – Breaking Down Carbohydrates
Amylase production starts in your mouth as you chew your food. Chewing your food well really helps turbo-charge the breakdown of starches and carbs. The pancreas also produces its own form of Amylase, Pancreatic Amylase that is secreted into the lower intestine to continue the work your mouth started.
The amylase from the pancreas completes the breakdown of complex carbohydrates, broken down from ingested starches, into smaller and absorbable units of types of sugar. This is a very simplified explanation of the complex breakdown of carbohydrates in the mouth, stomach,and small intestine. Many diseases and health complexes occur from the lack of proper breakdown of complex carbohydrates, including:
- Lactose intolerance
- Celiacs disfunction
- The control of diabetes and blood sugar
- Irritable Bowel symptoms
- Diarrhea and constipation
The importance of Enzyme Digestion
As you can see, digestive enzymes play the most important roles in keeping your body functioning properly. The enzymes listed in this article are the most commonly referenced enzymes, and the ones most often supplemented when digestive problems occur.
Many serious medical problems occur when your body does not utilize, or cannot make enough, enzymes that are used specifically to digest the food you eat into the nutrients and building blocks your body requires. Some chronic diseases have been linked to enzyme inadequacy, such as:
- EPI – Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency is a serious disease and requires enzymes supplementation at every meal
- Lactose Intolerance – Less serious than EPI, but is a common, annoying, and often debilitating syndrome that causes many uncomfortable symptoms.
- Celiacs Disease – an allergy to grains, but more specifically a group of symptoms related to the inability to digest and hydrolyze the proteins in wheat.
Other common enzyme related syndromes are: Gluten intolerance, bad bacteria in the stomach and intestines, microbial and yeast overgrowth, nervous system and mental health problems.
Take time and learn more about digestive enzymes and how the process and effect of proper, or inadequate, levels of protease, amylase, or lipase can help or hurt your overall health.