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Many people experience digestive discomfort on a daily basis. A largely overlooked factor may be enzymes—biological catalysts that are essential to break down protein, fat, and carbohydrates and assimilate important nutrients from food.
Reduced enzyme production can make it harder to digest food and assimilate nutrients. Several factors may influence enzyme activity and digestion, including poor eating habits (e.g., inadequate chewing of food), dietary choices, age, and high cooking temperatures.
All of the products in the SpectraZyme family use non-GMO ingredients and are clinically shown to support healthy digestion.* To ensure the quality and efficacy of every formula, we test each batch of product for enzyme activity, using methodologies published from both the Food Chemical Codex (FCC) and United States Pharmacopeia (USP), a compendium of standards used internationally for establishing the quality and purity of ingredients.
A functional digestive system is key to maintaining overall wellness. Our comprehensive formulas are designed to support proper digestion of proteins (including gluten), peptides, carbohydrates, fats, cellulose, maltose, lactose, and sucrose—for thorough digestive support you can count on.*
Up to 1 in 4 Americans suffer from digestive discomfort that affects daily living.1 A largely overlooked factor may be enzymes—biological catalysts that are essential to break down protein, fat, and carbohydrates and assimilate important nutrients from food.
How Enzyme Activity Works to Facilitate Digestion
Enzyme activity begins in the mouth where salivary amylase, lingual lipase, and ptyalin initiate starch and fat digestion. In the stomach, hydrochloric acid activates pepsinogen to pepsin, which breaks down protein, and gastric lipase begins the hydrolysis of fats. Most digestion and absorption takes place in the small intestine and is mediated by pancreatic amylase, protease, lipase, and bile salts.
Many Factors Affect Enzyme Production & Digestion
Reduced enzyme production can make it harder to digest food and assimilate nutrients. Several factors may influence enzyme activity and digestion:
SpectraZyme enzyme formulas, recommended by your healthcare practitioner, provide you exceptional quality and personalized options that feature a wide array of digestive enzymes:
Enzyme | What it Helps Break Down for Digestion |
Amylase | Carbohydrates (starches and other polysaccharides) |
Protease | Protein (large amino acid chains) |
Peptides & Pepsin | Peptides (smaller amino acid chains) |
Lipase | Fats (triglycerides and other lipids) |
Lactase | Lactose (milk sugar) |
Cellulase, Pectinase, Xylanase & Hemicellulase | Cellulose, pectin, xylan & hemicellulose (plant fibers and carbohydrates) |
Maltase | PMaltose (malt sugar) |
Invertase | Sucrose (table sugar) |
Product | Ideal for: |
SpectraZyme Complete | Wild digestive support13, protein breakdown13, 14, carbohydrate breakdown15, 16, fat breakdown17, 18, plant cellulose breakdown19, lactose breakdown20, sucrose breakdown16, non-animal derived |
SpectraZyme Gluten Digest | Significant gluten breakdown8, 10, 11, non-animal derived |
SpectraZyme Pan 9x | Wild digestive support13, protein breakdown13, 14, carbohydrate breakdown15, 16, fat breakdown17, 18 |
SpectraZyme Pan 9x ES | Extra strength digestive support14, protein breakdown13, 14, carbohydrate breakdown15, 16, fat breakdown17, 18 |
SpectraZyme Metagest | Protein breakdown, stomach acid support21 |
1. NPD Group. Percentage of U.S. adults trying to cut down or avoid gluten in their diets reaches new high in 2013. Available at www.npd.com/news/press-releases. Accessed March 17, 2015.
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8. Stepniak D, et al. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol. 2006;291:G621-G629.
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10. Mitea C, et al. Gut. 2008;57:25-32.
11. Salden B, et al. Gastroenterology. 2014;146(5):S-545 (abstract).
12. DSM research in collaboration with Leiden University Medical Center in The Netherlands. Manuscript submitted for publication.
13. Omogbenigun FO, Nyachoti CM, Slominski BA. J Anim Sci. 2004;82(4):1053-1061.
14. Bragelmann R, Armbrecht U, Rosemeyer D, Schneider B, Zilly W, Stockbrugger RW. Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol. 1999;11(3):231-237.
15. Siivaramakrishnan S, Gangadharan D, Nampoothiri K, Soccol CR, Pandey A. J Sci Ind Res. 2007;66:621-626.
16. Jonsson KA, Bodemar G. Hepatogastroenterology. 1990;37:217-222.
17. Delhaye M, Meuris S, Gohimont AC, Buedts K, Cremer M. Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol. 1996; 8:699-703.
18. Opekun AR, Sutton FM, Graham DY. Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 1997;11:981-986.
19. Thomson Healthcare. Available at: www.pdrhealth.com/drug_info/
nmdrugprofiles/nutsupdrugs/sup_0328.shtml. Accessed November 20, 2014.
20. Sanders SW, Tolman KG, Reitberg DP. Clin Pharm. 1992;11:533-538.
21. Dev Bardhan K, Strugala V, Dettmar PW. Int J Otolaryngol. 2012;2012:646901.