For each food you eat, your body must be able to break it down. Before absorption of nutrients can occur, your body must digest the food you put into it. In order to break down complex food molecules, your body produces digestive enzymes. Pancreatin and protease are two enzymes that aid in the digestion of the food you eat.
Pancreatin
Pancreatin is an umbrella term for a group of digestive enzymes secreated by your pancreas. The cells of the pancreas not only make glucagon and insulin to regulate blood glucose, they also aid in the digestion of nutrients. Pancreatin consists of the enzymes amylase, protease and lipase, each of which is responsible for digesting a different macronutrient.
Protease
In order for your body to use dietary proteins, they must be broken down into their simplest forms. Proteins are made of polypeptides that are combinations of amino acids. Protease starts the digestion of proteins inside your stomach, working to break down proteins into smaller chains of polypeptides and some free amino acids. Once the polypeptides pass into the small intestine, the enzymes carboxypeptidase, aminopeptidase and dipeptidase break down the polypeptides further until they are simple enough for your body to digest.
Amylase
Amylase is one of the enzymes your body uses to break down proteins. Amylase is released by the salivary glands inside your mouth when you start to chew your food. Amylase works to break down large chains of polysaccharides into smaller ones and monosaccharides. Although amylase it is denatured by stomach acid, if it is contained inside the chewed food, it can continue to break down carbohydrates for one to two hours.
Lipase
The digestive enzyme lipase works on breaking down fat in your food. Lipase is a unique enzyme, in that it is excreted by your salivary glands but does not start working on fat digestion until it gets into your stomach. Your stomach acid activates the action of lipase enzymes. Lipase is responsible for breaking down approximately 10 percent of the fat you ingest. The rest is passed into the small intestine, where bile takes over.
References
- "Anatomy and Physiology"; Kenneth S. Saladin; 2004
- "Exercise Physiology"; George A. Brooks, et al.; 2005
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