Digestive Enzymes: How Do They Work & Should You Supplement?

Some people say you are what you eat. And they have a good point — but I disagree. It’s probably more accurate to say that you are what you digest. After all, it might not matter how amazingly nutrient-packed your meal is if your body can’t absorb those nutrients.

Digestion plays an important role in the body. It breaks down food into substances that the body uses for energy, growth, and cell repair. Enzymes are critical to this process. However, not everybody makes digestive enzymes efficiently or optimally.

Digestive enzymes are becoming increasingly popular as people look for solutions to problems with nutrient absorption and digestion. But what exactly are digestive enzymes? How do they work? What affects their production? And how can we naturally increase their production?

We’ll look at all that and more, including who might benefit from taking digestive enzyme supplements.

What Are Digestive Enzymes?

Digestive enzymes are proteins your body produces that help you digest your food. Your salivary glands secrete them in the presence of, and in anticipation of, food.

Here’s a fun dad joke to help explain:

Question: What do you call the proteins secreted by your salivary glands that help you digest food?

Answer: I can’t remember, but they’re on the tip of my tongue.

In fact, these critical enzymes are produced throughout the digestive tract, including the pancreas, stomach, and small intestine. Digestive enzymes break down macronutrients into their building blocks for use throughout the body. Different enzymes tackle different macronutrients.

Enzymes can also play a role in liver detoxification and muscle building.

What Happens If You Don’t Have Enough Enzymes?

When people lack sufficient digestive enzymes, their bodies struggle to break down food effectively, leading to a range of issues. Undigested food can remain in the gastrointestinal tract, causing bloating, gas, and discomfort. Over time, this can contribute to nutrient deficiencies as the body cannot properly absorb essential vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients.

Common symptoms of enzyme deficiency include diarrhea, constipation, or indigestion, and more severe deficiencies can lead to fatigue, weakened immunity, and skin problems. For specific enzyme deficiencies, individuals may experience intolerance to certain foods, resulting in additional digestive distress. In chronic cases, insufficient enzymes may contribute to conditions like malabsorption syndromes or exacerbate inflammatory gut issues.

Types of Digestive Enzymes

There are three main types of digestive enzymes:

• Proteolytic enzymes (proteases) break protein into smaller units called amino acids. Your body can then use these amino acids to synthesize the proteins needed to build and repair tissues and run all the processes that keep you alive (and hopefully thriving).
• Lipase enzymes break down dietary fats into free fatty acids and glycerol, which are used for energy, cell signaling, cell membrane construction, and insulation.
• Amylase enzymes help break down starches and carbohydrates into sugar that your body can use as an immediate source of energy or can store for later use.

Additionally, specialized enzymes help digest smaller nutritional components. Lactase, maltase, and sucrase all help further break down the chemical connections that hold carbohydrates together.

Factors Affecting Enzyme Production and Activity 

Many people produce adequate amounts of digestive enzymes throughout life. However, several factors can sometimes hinder enzyme production.

Aging 

The gastrointestinal tract’s ability to digest food often declines with age, which means we may digest less efficiently and absorb fewer nutrients. Many possible reasons for this include a declining appetite (and, therefore, reduced food intake, gut bacteria, and nutrients), the effects of prescription medication, and increased susceptibility to chronic health conditions like type 2 diabetes.

But even if none of those occur, as we age, our bodies tend to produce fewer enzymes to break down food properly.

Unfortunately, this also means more gastrointestinal complaints are seen in elderly patients. A 2020 study found that symptoms like indigestion, abdominal pain, flatulence, and GERD may affect more than 60% of the elderly population.

Stress

You’ve probably heard a million times that too much stress is bad for you. Well, make this a million and one because when your body experiences excessive stress, it interprets this as an immediate threat to survival. When the autonomic nervous system is activated, all available energy is directed toward running away or fighting. If your body thinks it’s about to become a predator’s lunch, it won’t devote energy to digesting this morning’s breakfast. Instead, it suppresses digestive processes and pumps up muscles, heart rate, and respiration.

That’s not a disaster if you experience a short-term burst of stress and then return to a relaxed or neutral state when the perception of the threat passes. Chronic stress, on the other hand, can impair digestive function and enzyme secretion long-term by disrupting the autonomic nervous system’s balance and triggering inflammation via the HPA (hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal) axis stress response.

Chronic Disease

Some diseases directly impact digestive enzyme production, which can lead to chronic enzyme insufficiency, which is technically termed exocrine pancreatic insufficiency. The name signifies that the problem is the pancreas, which isn’t producing enough enzymes to fuel the digestive processes in the small intestines. (When I looked up “exocrine,” I discovered that it refers to a gland that produces something other than hormones, such as enzymes, sweat, tears, saliva, and milk.)

Digestive enzyme insufficiencies can result from a number of diseases and disorders, including:

• Chronic pancreatitis
• Pancreatic cancer
• Crohn’s and colitis
• Cystic fibrosis
• Diabetes
• Celiac disease
• HIV

Diet

Eating stimulates the digestive process and the production of digestive enzymes. Certain foods trigger the production of specific digestive enzymes.

Whole foods, plant-based diets are rich in fiber and complex carbohydrates, which contribute to a healthy microbiome. Because of their high carbohydrate content, they may require more digestive enzymes to break down. Amylase and cellulase are especially helpful.

Amylase is naturally present in saliva and pancreatic secretions. It can also be found in many foods, such as sprouted grains and raw fruits like bananas and mangoes.

Cellulase, however, is not produced by the human body. It can be sourced from certain fungi and bacteria, such as probiotics in fermented foods, and it helps break down cellulose in plant cell walls.

Some foods even come with their own digestive enzymes — kind of like a “batteries included” deal.

Here are some examples of plant-based foods that provide digestive enzymes, as well as the enzymes they can provide:

• Pineapple (bromelain)
• Papaya (papain)
• Mango (​​amylase and invertase)
• Bananas (amylases and glucosidase)
• Oats (lipase)
• Fermented foods (amylase and protease)
• Kiwi (protease)
• Ginger (protease)

Other Lifestyle Factors

In addition to diet, lifestyle factors such as smoking, drinking alcohol, a lack of exercise, obesity, and an unhealthy gut can also negatively affect digestive enzyme levels and production.

Alcoholism, in particular, can wreak havoc on the digestive system, causing digestive enzymes to activate prematurely and leak out, contributing to pancreatitis.

What About Digestive Enzyme Supplements?

Digestive enzyme supplements are formulations of enzymes from external sources meant to mimic our digestive enzymes. They’re usually found in the form of a tablet or capsule.

Most digestive enzyme supplements are available over the counter. However, if you have a diagnosed enzyme insufficiency disease, such as pancreatitis, pancreatic cancer, cystic fibrosis, or another disease of the pancreas, you may need to take prescription digestive enzymes. Prescription enzymes are also known as pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy and typically include all three major types of enzymes.

Animal vs Plant-Based Enzymes

Most digestive enzyme supplements are animal-based. Exogenous pancreatic enzymes, for example, are primarily sourced from pigs or cows. This makes sense since I’ve never met a pineapple or mango with a pancreas.

Seven animal-derived enzymes are currently used: rennet, bovine liver catalase, animal lipase, pancreatin, pepsin, trypsin, and lysozyme. The most common is rennet, which is most often sourced from the lining of the stomachs of young ruminant animals like calves, lambs, and goats (and which is used in cheesemaking).

However, some plant-based digestive enzyme supplements are made from vegetable-based protease enzymes, fruit-based enzymes like bromelain and papain, or fungal and yeast-based glucosidase enzymes.

Besides being more friendly to animals and the environment, plant-based enzymes may have another advantage over those sourced from animals. They can function in various pH ranges, allowing them to work throughout the entire digestive tract and optimize digestion.

Might Digestive Enzyme Supplements Benefit Your Health?

Not everyone needs to take digestive enzyme supplements because the body is naturally designed to produce digestive enzymes, especially when supported by a healthy diet. However, they can be helpful and even life-changing for some people, particularly those with enzyme deficiencies, digestive challenges, or compromised gut health. People who experience digestive discomfort or gas when they eat high-fiber foods or legumes might also find them helpful. Even for some people with no obvious digestive problems, enzyme supplementation might still offer benefits.

While prescription enzymes are regulated by the FDA, over-the-counter (OTC) digestive enzyme supplements are not. Even so, some of the studied OTC supplements show promise in promoting digestive and overall health.

1. Improved Nutrient Absorption

Digestive enzyme supplementation can help people who have trouble producing enough enzymes to absorb nutrients efficiently and fully. A 2016 survey of research suggested that some digestive enzyme supplements could help people with a range of ailments that compromise digestive comfort and health, including pancreatic insufficiency and lactose intolerance.

A 2024 study simulated stomach conditions in test tubes and found that supplemental digestive enzymes turbocharged some digestive processes. Specifically, the added enzymes reduced the thickness of the food mixture and sped up the breakdown of carbohydrates into usable sugars and proteins into amino acids.

2. Reduced Digestive Symptoms

Digestive enzymes are like the “clean-up crew” at a party, swooping in to tackle bloating, gas, and discomfort before they turn a good meal into a regrettable experience. Often, when people get those symptoms, they turn to antiemetic drugs such as domperidone (does that sound a lot like very expensive champagne, or am I stretching here?).

One study compared the effectiveness of a plant-based enzyme supplement (Similase) with an antiemetic drug (domperidone) in reducing digestive symptoms like bloating, stomach pain, and cramps. Both treatments helped, but the digestive enzyme proved more effective for reducing abdominal pain.

3. Improved Exercise Recovery

Protease supplementation may enhance exercise recovery by reducing muscle soreness and restoring muscle function. In a study of participants who performed downhill running, those taking protease enzymes (including trypsin, papain, and bromelain) reported less muscle soreness and maintained higher pain thresholds in the thigh compared to a placebo group. The protease group also showed faster recovery of muscle strength and power.

Another study found that adding a digestive enzyme blend to a plant protein mix improved amino acid absorption rates compared to animal proteins like whey. The enzyme-enhanced plant protein resulted in faster peak amino acid levels and greater blood amino acid concentration over time, reducing the usual absorption gap between plant and animal proteins.

Recommended Use and Dosage

Dosing for digestive enzyme supplements differs from enzyme to enzyme and depends on the condition they’re being used to address. However, the Mayo Clinic recommends the following plant protease amounts when enzymes are being used:

• Bromelain: up to 400 milligrams daily
• Chymotrypsin: up to 100,000 USP, four times per day
• Papain: up to 1,500 milligrams per day
• Trypsin: up to 50 milligrams per day, combined with bromelain

When you take digestive enzymes is dependent on whether you are treating a malabsorption disorder or not. In cases of a disease like cystic fibrosis, you may need to take your enzymes right before eating. But for something like lactose intolerance, it’s best to take the enzymes with your first bite of food.

Follow the instructions on the bottle or consult your healthcare team to ensure you take the right amount at the right time.

Of course, you can also get some wonderful enzymes from food!

Recipes with Beneficial Enzymes

Enjoy this vibrant lineup of plant-based recipes, each brimming with natural enzymes to boost digestion and wellness. From the zesty Citrusy Papaya Cauliflower Ceviche to a refreshing Lemon Detox Smoothie Bowl and comforting 10-Minute-Prep Banana Walnut Baked Oats, these dishes combine bold flavors with the nourishing benefits of enzyme-rich plants. Perfect for any time of day, each recipe offers a fresh, healthful twist you’ll love in every bite!

1. Lemon Detox Smoothie Bowl

Jumpstart your morning and your digestion with this Lemon Detox Smoothie Bowl! A blend of kale, parsley, and lemon packs in the antioxidants, while ginger and avocado add a creamy layer of nourishment that’s gentle on digestion. The kiwi and pineapple on top bring natural enzymes like bromelain, actinidin, and papain, which aid in breaking down food, making this bowl as soothing for your gut as it is tasty. Coconut and chia seeds add crunch and a dose of healthy fats to keep you energized. It’s a bright, feel-good meal that’s both satisfying and light!

2. 10-Minute-Prep Banana Walnut Baked Oats

Whip up these 10-Minute-Prep Banana Walnut Baked Oats for a quick, nourishing breakfast! Naturally sweetened with ripe bananas, this recipe is rich in digestive enzymes, such as amylase and lipase, which help your body process carbohydrates and fat for a gentle energy boost. The walnuts add a rich, nutty crunch while also supplying healthy fats and antioxidants, and the cinnamon brings a cozy hint of spice. With just a few pantry staples, these baked oats come together effortlessly, making them an ideal go-to for busy mornings. Simply pop it in the oven and enjoy a wholesome, delicious start to your day!

3. Citrusy Papaya Cauliflower Ceviche

This Citrusy Papaya Cauliflower Ceviche is a refreshing mix of vibrant flavors and textures, perfect for a healthful bite! Packed with the natural digestive enzymes papain from papaya and amylase from mango, it helps support smoother digestion. Zesty lime and lemon juice, paired with a hint of heat from jalapeño, infuse the cauliflower and fresh veggies with tangy brightness. Hemp seeds add a nutty touch, while ginger and cilantro bring the dish a refreshing depth. It’s a lively, enzyme-rich dish that’s as good for your digestion as it is for your taste buds!

Take Care of Your Digestive Health

One of the most important aspects of your overall well-being is proper digestion. ​​Your digestive health impacts your immunity, mental health, and ability to live a happy, healthy life.

A healthy diet and lifestyle are the best solutions for digestion. However, you may also want to consider trying digestive enzyme supplements. They could help improve digestion and nutrient absorption and alleviate uncomfortable gastrointestinal symptoms.

Tell us in the comments:

• Do you take digestive enzyme supplements, or are you considering taking them?
• What foods with digestive enzymes do you enjoy the most?

Featured Image: iStock.com/SewcreamStudio

Read Next:

• 10 Spices to Improve Your Digestion Naturally — and Help Keep Your Gut Happy
• What are Prebiotics, Probiotics, and Postbiotics — and What Do They Do for Your Gut Health?