As more people become interested in maintaining a healthy lifestyle, it has opened the door for manufacturers to market an increasing number of alternative health supplements and products. Some of these have a solid scientific foundation, while others are based on misconceptions. For instance, many pills and diet aids claim to help relieve symptoms of and health problems rooted in digestive enzyme deficiencies. In reality, there are very few true cases of digestive enzyme deficiencies in humans.
Enzymes
Many of the misconceptions regarding digestive enzymes and enzyme deficiencies stem from a fundamental misunderstanding of the nature of enzymes. Enzymes aren't living, nor are they empowered with any sort of life force -- they're merely proteins that your body produces that help chemical reactions take place faster than they otherwise would. According to Drs. Reginald Garrett and Charles Grisham in their book "Biochemistry," your cells produce the enzymes they need and, for the most part, don't benefit at all from supplemental enzymes.
Enzymes of Digestion
Your body relies on a group of many digestive enzymes to help you break down the nutrients in the food you eat into smaller molecules that your intestine can absorb. For instance, you need amylase and a variety of closely related enzymes to digest starches and sugars. You use several proteases to digest the protein you eat. Your pancreas produces lipase, which helps you digest fat.
Enzyme Deficiencies
For the most part, deficiencies in digestive enzymes are rare. The one exception to this general rule is that many adults lose their ability to produce lactase -- the enzyme responsible for digesting milk sugar, or lactose -- as they age. This results in lactose intolerance, which leads to digestive discomfort, including gas and cramping, upon consumption of dairy, according to Dr. Lauralee Sherwood in her book "Human Physiology." Lactose intolerance aside, however, there are no other common digestive enzyme deficiencies. Further, digestive enzyme deficiencies aren't responsible for -- and can't cause -- non-digestive health problems like weight gain and diabetes, despite common misconceptions to the contrary.
Treating Deficiencies
Some manufacturers market supplemental digestive enzymes -- papaya and pineapple enzymes are common examples -- claiming that they will relieve symptoms of digestive difficulties like heartburn, help encourage weight loss and treat certain diseases. There is no scientific support for any of these claims. Your cells simply don't have the ability to take up and use enzymes that they don't produce. The only exception to this is that if you are lactose intolerant, you can get some benefit from supplemental lactase, which temporarily allows you to digest milk sugar in dairy products.
Other Deficiencies
While true digestive enzyme deficiencies are rare -- and are typically genetic -- it's possible that if you routinely have digestive symptoms upon consuming a specific type of food, you may have a deficiency. For instance, the Genetics Home Reference, which is maintained by the National Institutes of Health, says that approximately 1 in 5,000 individuals of European descent has a genetic sucrase deficiency, which means they are unable to digest table sugar. Upon consuming table sugar, affected individuals experience cramping and bloating. The condition is typically identified in childhood, as it causes a generalized failure to gain weight and thrive. With the exception of lactase deficiencies, digestive enzyme deficiencies don't develop over time or with aging.
References
- "Biochemistry"; Reginald Garrett, Ph.D. and Charles Grisham, Ph.D.; 2007
- "Human Physiology"; Lauralee Sherwood, Ph.D.; 2004
- Genetics Home Reference: Sucrase Deficiency
