Best Digestive Enzyme Supplements: Top 5 Digestive Enzymes

Finding the best digestive enzyme supplements for you can be a tricky thing. Following from our article on digestive enzymes, in our digestive enzyme series, here we have put together a review of what we consider as the industry 5 best digestive enzyme supplement products.

This review article should make it really easy for you to decide the digestive enzyme product that is best for you and your needs.

This follows on from our useful pointers and tips buying guide for digestive enzymes that might be useful for you when ordering or buying your next digestive enzyme supplement.

If you haven’t already read the article on digestive enzymes and how they can improve your health, or our digestive enzyme supplement buying guide then you can find those here.

Top 5 Digestive Enzymes:

Pure Encapsulations Digestive Enzymes Ultra (9/10)

This digestive enzyme supplement is very well researched and thought out, covering a wide range of consumer needs.

Pure Encapsulations Digestive Enzymes Ultra is made with hypoallergenic, vegetarian ingredients, is non-GMO and is certified gluten free. Many products will use enzymes of animal origin so this is a big selling point.

The product offers a massive range of enzymes compared to competitors including: Hemicellulase (200HCU), high amounts of three types of Protease (60,000HUT; 20,000HUT; 20 SAPU) which are active at different Ph, Amylase (24,000DU), lipase (3,000 FIP) and lactase (1,600ALU).

The digestive enzymes in this product can support the digestion of many food groups including fibres, high-protein meats, dairy, fats and sugars.

Looking at the product it just says clinical grade ingredients and the product will have been designed that way.

The outer shell is also a mixture of cellulose and ascorbyl palmitate, so no weird and exciting non-active compounds, which is an additional bonus. Pure Encapsulations offer other supplement products and look like a reputable company, offering their products to healthcare practitioners.

The product is also reasonably priced for the range of digestive enzymes you get, starting at $29.40 but this may vary (4)(5).

Vitapost Digestive Enzymes (7/10)

Vitapost Digestive Enzymes is a very similar product to Pure Encapsulations Digestive Enzymes Ultra, containing a very comprehensive range of digestive enzymes, but there are a few differences.

The non-active ingredients making up the shell are industry standard, however they are not hypoallergenic or gluten free.

The quantities of digestive enzymes are very good and could provide adequate support for the digestion of many different foods, however each container only contains 60 capsules. This is roughly equal to a month’s supply.

The main enzymes are 2 types of protease (40,000HUT; 8,000HUT), Bromelain (1,000,000PU), Amylase (10,000DU), Lactase (1,000ALU) and Lipase (2,500FIP).

They use Bromelain in high quantities which is a key standout feature for people that would like to try both Bromelain with other key digestive enzymes. Bromelain certainly seems to be a very interesting enzyme with a range of potential health boosting properties.

This company is also clearly reputable as it is registered with the FDA and compliant to FDA and GMP manufacturing standards (6).

Zenwise Health Digestive Enzymes Plus (7/10)

This product offered by Zenwise Health offers a massive value for money option; combining a blend of a prebiotic, probiotic and digestive enzyme product. Zenwise Health Digestive Enzymes Plus offers a generous two month supply of 180 vegetarian capsules in a slickly designed bottle, it’s no wonder they are a number one best seller on Amazon.

It’s also very good value for money at $23.97. Unfortunately, the label doesn’t use the standard FCC units like other products do, measuring their enzymes quantities in weight on the bottle rather than activity. For this reason, it’s hard to get a handle on the exact quality of the enzymes offered by the product.

However, for something to have been on the market since 2014 and be a top seller on Amazon it must be a reputable product. There are a range of enzymes offered in this product including Bromelain, Cellulase, Amylase, Maltase and a bacterial Protease.

We are a fan of this product, the packaging is well thought out the label is also really clear. There could be improvements but this is a really well marketed and substantial product.

The Zenwise website mentions the activity of Amylase (3,000DU), Lipase (60LU), Bromelain (39,800PU) and Protease (7,500HUT) which is average. The probiotic quantity offered is 1 Billion CFU of a blend of many different strains (10% each) and are freeze-dried. This means the product can be stored at room temperature, a nice bonus for probiotics.

The capsule is not enteric coated, as ‘the plant derived enzymes are stable at a range of pHs with no activity loss’ and its also stated that the enzymes digest in the stomach. In terms of excipients; Zenwise use the industry standard cellulose outer capsule, but also use magnesium stearate and silica with a warning that the product also contains sulphites.

The product is also manufactured to GMP standards and it is made in the USA. Overall this is a value for money product, produced at fairly high quality and offers a range of potential health benefits (7).

Udo’s Choice Enzyme Blend (8/10)

Udo’s choice is a well-respected brand within the natural health market. This product has been developed with athletes in mind, who consume large amounts of food. This is in addition to people who also want to support healthy digestion and might be suffering from IBS, candida or other gastric issues. This brand is a staple at most health food stores.

The enzymes are 100% vegetarian, extracted from a fermentation process and don’t need to be stored in the fridge.

They also survive the acidic conditions of the stomach so there is no need for them to be enteric coated. The capsule is cellulose based with other additives including maltodextrin and magnesium stearate.

The product has a toned down appeal that suits the market. The labelling is very clear and we can see how this became an industry leader. The storage requirements are also very well labelled. This product doesn’t have a clinical feel as with some of the other products.

7 digestive enzymes are offered including: Cellulase (400CU), Bromelain (50,000PU) and Protease (12,500HUT). Udo’s Choice Enzyme Blend is priced at £29.99 for 90 capsules. They are also soy free, gluten free and dairy free (8).

Enzymedica Digest Gold (9/10)

On the more expensive side Enzymedica have developed a high quality product in Enzymedica Digest Gold, with organic ingredients. They developed Enzymedica Digest Gold to help individuals who want a formula to help them break down carbs, fats, fibre and protein. All the ingredients are ‘natural’, the product contains no additives and it is GMO free.

It is also vegan-friendly, contains no dairy, preservatives or soy. This digestive enzyme formula is highly active and contains a specialist blend of enzymes, developed by an industry leading company.

Digest Gold contains 14 enzymes including: Amylase (23,000DU), Protease (80,000HUT), Hemicellulase (30HCU), Cellulase (3,000CU) and Alpha Galactosidase (450 GaIU). Some of the enzymes are ‘Thera-Blend’ which is their exclusive blend of enzymes that work under various pH conditions.

It has been shown that these enzymes are three times stronger and work six times faster than those of competing brands. The Digest Gold product is Enzymedica’s most potent digestive enzyme formula and is the best-selling digestive enzyme product in America.

The packaging is very clear and in your face. They want you to know this is a top selling product. They also don’t really want to spend the effort on the packaging as much as what is inside the product itself.

The product is clearly very impressive, however the increasingly popular digestive enzyme Bromelain is not included.

While it is pricey at $37.49 for 90 capsules you still get a month’s supply if following recommendations.

The product has won a couple of awards including Better Nutrition’s ‘Best Supplement Award’. This digestive enzyme product is also a top seller on Amazon (9)(10).

Conclusions

Zenwise and Udo’s Choice are generally the more sought after products. Here we have rated Enzymedica Digest Gold and Pure Encapsulations Digestive Enzymes Ultra as the best at 9/10 each.

Pure Encapsulations uses hypoallergenic, non-GMO and vegetarian ingredients; while also having a massive range of enzymes compared to the competitors.

Enzymedica Digest Gold is simply one of the very best products boasting organic ingredients and has the highest enzyme activities. It definitely is a unique enzyme blend.

“We have rated Enzymedica Digest Gold and Pure Encapsulations Digestive Enzymes Ultra as the best at 9/10 each.“

This review should have helped you to identify the ideal digestive enzyme product for you. If you aren’t sure about a product then contact your healthcare provider for further information.

You should now understand the products you are thinking about taking a bit better.

Below you can navigate back to our articles main page. Or you can native to some more useful articles in our series on digestive enzyme supplements.

We also have an article on top tips when shopping for general health supplements.

The post Best Digestive Enzyme Supplements: Top 5 Digestive Enzymes appeared first on Revitalize My Health.

Digestive Enzyme Supplements: How Can They Help

Digestive enzymes are a health topic that not many people have read about or touched upon, but are gaining popularity. When people are looking to improve their diet and nutrient intake most people go straight to food supplements or healthier foods.

However, digestive enzymes are key players in terms of unlocking that energy and body building block potential from your food.

Without normal levels of enzymes in your food digestion process you would become very depleted, tired and have lower daily performance. As we will discuss, these enzymes tail off as you age and quite drastically too. Digestive enzyme supplements are a popular recent development in the health industry.

Added digestive enzymes can be a resourceful way to improve the amount of nutrients from food you already eat. How good is that! Rather than add more nutrients, they can increase the amounts you already have, this seems environmentally friendly too.

You can find my review of what I think are the top 5 best digestive enzyme products available here.

What Are Digestive Enzymes?

Digestive enzymes are proteins made by your body. They are released in your gut and are responsible for the majority of food digestion. This means they are a key player for taking in vitamins and minerals from all the food you eat.

Without this enzyme controlled breakdown of larger food molecules to smaller ones you would not be able to access the vitamins, minerals, proteins, carbohydrates and fats you require to survive. In other words, you would die without digestive enzymes.

Luckily our bodies produce a lot of them, mainly in the pancreas and gall bladder but also other areas of the body. Interestingly, mechanical and enzyme digestion both start in the mouth. Salivary amylase breaks up carbohydrates as they enter your mouth.

This demonstrates how important the enzymatic breakdown of food truly is if we evolved to digest food so early in the digestive system.

Why Should We Look After Our Digestive Enzymes?

Digestive enzymes are especially important for people falling in the baby boomer age range. This is because the effectiveness of your digestive system and enzymes in particular tend to drop off drastically. Histology studies show pancreas size also decreases with age.

Certain cells are replaced by fat during aging, causing enzyme production to fall. If you are digesting less of the food you eat, a nutrient imbalance can develop over time. Regardless of age group, this can potentially make you more vulnerable to diseases, injuries in sport and reduce muscular recovery time.

This is why supplemental digestive enzymes have become a very hot topic. It is not just the ‘baby boomers’ and above who are potentially vulnerable to declines in digestive enzymes. If you drink excessive alcohol or experience gastrointestinal issues, you can also become at high risk.

If your body is not able to produce enough digestive enzymes to breakdown food it can cause slow digestion, resulting in digestive distress, uncomfortable bloating and gas build up.

In addition to potentially improving digestion, supplemental digestive enzymes may help to relieve gut related issues caused by slow digestion such as inflammation. Trypsin, amylase and protease digestive enzymes can all help prevent infections by breaking down microbial biofilms, one of the main lines of defence for pathogens.

Pathogenic Fungi such as Candida are notorious for forming thick layers of unbreakable biofilms of specific sugar molecules. However, supplementing with specific digestive enzyme groups, including beta-amylases, could potentially help break them down. Certain enzymes could help with fighting certain urinal, skin and gut infections of particular microbes.

Examples of Natural Food Digesting Enzymes

Digestive enzyme supplements have even been shown to help people suffering from joint disorders such as osteoarthritis, which also become more common as we age. Three of the most common food digestive enzymes: Trypsin, Lipases and Pancreatin were found to aid osteoarthritis in the knee and shoulder, decreasing joint pain and improving their functioning.

Certain proteolytic or protein digesting enzymes seem to have a positive effect on diseases effecting the joints, tendons, ligaments, bones and muscles. Taking proteases while drinking your whey protein shake before you go to the gym is something you can try.

Bromelain, an anti-inflammatory enzyme found in pineapples with tremendous protein digesting properties. Bromelain is heavily touted as being able to lower blood fat levels and protect heart health by helping a healthy blood flow. Due to a range of potential health benefits, Bromelain is a massively popular digestive enzyme supplement. As a stand-alone product and plant derived or phytotherapeutical drug Bromelain is gaining traction. While it is touted as a brilliant anti-inflammatory agent and immunomodulator, with potential anti-cancer properties.

Conclusions

Digestive enzymes are naturally produced and released within the body. They help with the digestion and access to nutrients within your food, encouraging overall wellbeing. This is ultimately where their health benefits can come from. The use of digestive enzymes could help to reduce body inflammation, bloating and also help improve symptoms of some joint diseases.

Some examples are trypsin and amylase. They are regularly produced in the body but their production reduces over one’s lifespan.

Overall supplemental digestive enzymes could present potential health benefits. This especially applies to individuals in certain health risk categories, or those wanting to make some gains at the gym.

For more interesting articles, see the main page below

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