What are the best digestive enzymes?
Let’s take a look at what’s the best digestive enzyme supplement, what digestive enzyme supplement is best suited to your needs, what are the purported health benefits of enzyme supplements, source, formulas, trusted brands, price, and side effects.
Enzymes are naturally found in our bodies, they are so important as they are the conduit for countless chemical reactions in our bodies that keep us alive and healthy. Enzymes carry out any number of functions especially helping to break down good into amino acids that we can digest easily and use for energy, enzymes also help with breaking down protein for digestion.
What about proteolytic enzyme supplements?
This type of enzyme supplement has become very popular in recent times, even though one well-known proteolytic enzyme Serrapeptase has been used with much success for several health conditions over the past 35 years or so. I’m going to explain in more detail the potential health benefits of different proteolytic enzymes, where they come from, how to use them, and any dangerous side effects that you should know about.
Proteolytic enzymes
Proteolytic enzymes also known as proteases, peptides or proteinases are essential for many important processes that take place in the body, they are made by the stomach and the pancreas. Proteolytic enzymes are mainly known for their part in the digestion of food protein, however, they are relied upon to do other essential jobs as well.
A good example they are actively involved in blood clotting, cell division, protein recycling, immune system functioning, and other vital bodily processes. Similar to humans plants place a huge emphasis on proteolytic enzymes during their life cycle, these enzymes are necessary to help plants reach their full growth and development, proteolytic enzymes also act as a defensive shield against harmful pests (insects).
What is interesting is that we as humans can greatly benefit from proteolytic enzymes derived from plant or animal sources these enzymes are already in our bodies but we can always add a proteolytic enzyme to our diet by consuming a proteolytic enzyme supplement.
What are the main digestive enzymes in the body?
There are three primary proteolytic enzymes produced in our bodies naturally they are chymotrypsin, Pepsi, and trypsin, these are used by our bodies to break down food proteins like eggs, meat, fish, etc into smaller pieces known as amino acids, then they are absorbed properly and digested. Proteolytic enzymes are not only found in certain foods but they are readily available in supplements.
What is the best food source for digestive enzymes?
There are two good food sources for proteolytic enzymes, one is pineapple and the other is papaya, pineapple are characterized by a powerful proteolytic enzyme called bromelain, very popular with the natives in South America as a natural remedy for conditions like inflammation, swelling, and burns on the skin and excess dead skin. On the other hand, papayas are characterized by papain another powerful proteolytic enzyme or papaya proteinase that is very popular for making meat tender because it breaks down protein.
Of course, both of these enzymes are available in the supermarket by buying and eating pineapple and raw papaya, both are also available in concentrated supplements doses online.
Digestive Enzyme Supplements
Proteolytic enzyme supplements are sourced from both plant and animal sources, for example, some of the most popular enzyme supplements are Serrapeptase and Nattokinase. Serrapeptase is sourced from plants or animals while Nattokinase is sourced from a soy-based Japanese dish called natto.
In my humble opinion, if you asked me what’s the best digestive enzyme supplement without question I would have to say from my own experience Serrapeptase is far and away the best for safety, effectiveness, and performance.
People often ask does Serrapeptase work, the answer lies in the thousands of Serrapeptase testimonials if you care to read them.
Supplements in the proteolytic range are sold in Capsules, pills, gel caps, powder, or chewable, some contain just one proteolytic enzyme while others would have a mixture, for example, papain, bromelain, trypsin, and chymotrypsin are the most used combination.
When you are looking to purchase a proteolytic enzyme always look for the potency, for example, how many units of activity (IU) are in the enzyme, because the higher the IU value the more enzyme activity the more effective it will be for your health.
What is the best digestive enzyme supplement for you?
Proteolytic enzyme supplements have become very popular because people perceive them to have s number of health benefits for example they may improve digestion.
Having a poor digestive system can wreak havoc with your health, an unhealthy digestive system can give rise to a host of conditions such as bloating, abdominal pain, belching, heartburn, cystic fibrosis, some cancers like colorectal, pancreatic or stomach cancer, problems arise when the body can’t digest food in a way that it should so by taking a proteolytic enzyme may help to break down the food and soothe the condition.
One study confirmed that people suffering from bad indigestion took a proteolytic supplement the results suggested that they experienced significant improvements in abdominal pain, bloating, heartburn, and a loss in appetite.
Wound healing with a digestive supplement
What About enzyme supplements for wound healing, many swear by proteolytic enzymes as a safe way to promote wound healing, for example, studies on humans found that Serrapeptase the enzyme speeds up wound healing, both externally and internally. Serrapeptase is one of the best-known and trusted proteolytic enzymes when it comes to health issues caused by inflammation for example Serrapeptase may be helpful for:
- Scar tissue
- Arterial plaque
- Blocked fallopian tubes
- Cysts
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Cuts and bruises
- Copd (scar tissue on the lungs)
In another study on animals both bromelain and papain were found to speed up wound healing and new tissue growth.
Reduce inflammation
I have mentioned it so many times, inflammation is the body’s response to an attack from something it considers harmful, our body’s immune response is to create inflammation in the form of swelling and excess fluid at the site of an injury or otherwise. Many studies have demonstrated how effective proteolytic enzymes are at supporting our bodies’ responses by reducing inflammation and beginning the healing process.
Arthritis is an Inflammatory disease, studies would suggest that proteolytic supplements containing bromelain may be effective at relieving symptoms associated with arthritis.
Chronic sinusitis is a very painful and challenging condition caused by a serious build-up of mucus inside the nasal passageway, symptoms can be a severe headache, blocked nose, hay fever, trouble sleeping, pain across the face, and more, so what’s the best digestive enzyme for chronic sinusitis? Studies have shown that Serrapeptase is good for eating up mucus build-up and clearing the nasal passageway and symptoms.
Muscle Soreness
A lot of competitive people have muscle soreness following an intensive workout or match, it could happen up to 3 days following the exertion, proteolytic enzymes containing bromelain and Curcumin have been shown in studies to reduce muscle stiffness and soreness compared to a placebo.
May help cancer
I wouldn’t like to build up anybody’s hopes that proteolytic enzymes can help cancer, however, animal studies and test tube tests have suggested that certain proteolytic enzymes may help cancer. Bromelain is the enzyme, in this case, it was found to inhibit the growth of stomach and colon cancer cells, other studies confirmed that a bromelain enzyme prevented colon cancer, and one other clinical study suggested that bromelain enzyme put a stop to growth in human bile duct cancer.
These results are somewhat promising but we need many more large-scale controlled human studies to prove beyond doubt that a proteolytic enzyme like bromelain can help with cancer.
May help IBS
Irritable bowel syndrome affects a large number of people worldwide, the symptoms include abdominal pain, changes in bowel habits, diarrhea, nausea, indigestion, excessive gas, inability to empty bowels, and others. Proteolytic enzyme supplements have been shown in studies to reduce many of the associated symptoms of IBS, for example, a study of 126 people with severe IBS was given a papain proteolytic enzyme supplement, and results showed a marked improvement in constipation, painful bowel movements and bloating. About what’s the best digestive enzyme supplement for irritable bowel syndrome the product should contain papain, here is the recommended papain supplement for IBS.
How to use digestive enzymes?
Depending on what your health needs are and what you want you can use proteolytic enzymes in several ways, for example, you can increase your intake by purchasing pineapple, kiwi fruit, or raw papaya in the supermarket. On the other hand, if you may suffer from any long-term condition that is getting you down then it’s a good idea to try out a quality proteolytic enzyme supplement from a reputable manufacturer.
Look out for dosage Instructions, potency, the amount in each bottle, and the IU value meaning the units of activity, remember there are so many strengths ranging from 40,000 up to what I consider to be a potent CLOSE of 250,000 iu. I trust the people that supply a large range of proteolytic enzyme supplements across the world, they are Good Health Naturally they always have your best interests at heart, you can find out more about what’s the best digestive enzyme supplement for you by visiting their website here.
Safety and side effects
All proteolytic enzymes are either plant or animal-based and as such are considered safe to take in the recommended dose, having said that some will have side effects but they are usually in the form of upset stomach, diarrhea or vomiting, this could happen if you rush in and start taking larger amounts than those specified by the manufacturer.
If you take blood thinners like aspirin or warfarin check with your doctor before beginning to take this type of enzyme, if you have an allergy to bromelain or pineapple then stay away.
Conclusion
I sincerely trust that you have enjoyed reading what I have to say on what’s the best proteolytic enzyme supplement for you, as you can see they may help fight inflammation, reduce swelling, clear scar tissue, ease arthritis pain, and many other health benefits.
References
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23524622
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3633552/
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