There are many different types of digestive enzymes and many different uses for them. Digestive enzymes have been used for such things as inflammation, multiple sclerosis and lactating mothers with mixed results. There is good evidence that they work for pancreatitis, lactose intolerance and to ward off gassiness. If you think you need supplemental digestive enzymes, run the idea past your doctor to get his opinion. He can guide you based on your whole medical picture.
Pancreatic Enzymes
Pancreatitis is the inflammation of the pancreas, and it can be an uncomfortable and life-threatening condition. One of the treatments is to take the pancreatic enzymes -- amylase, lipase and protease -- in a pill form. According to the University of Chicago Medical Center, this helps with the fatty diarrhea that comes with pancreatitis and may help alleviate some of the pain. It give the pancreas a rest by aiding in the digestion of the food you take in. These enzymes are usually prescribed to you by your doctor, but they are available in supplement form.
Lactase
Lactase is a type of digestive enzyme that breaks down the glucose that is present in milk. Some people do not have this enzyme present in their stomachs and are unable to digest milk properly. If you take a digestive supplement that has lactase in it, you can avoid the side effects of lactose intolerance because the supplement will break down the milk for you. It needs to be taken every time you ingest a milk product.
Proteolytic Enzymes
Proteolytic enzymes break down protein in the stomach. The two most popular can be found in plants in papaya, called papain, and pineapple, known as bromelain. These enzymes are often taken for better digestion, but, according to New York University, a small study published in the Scandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology showed no benefit to using these supplements for indigestion. There are also studies showing mixed results for these enzymes in the relief of chronic inflammation, sports injury and breast engorgement in lactating women. Mixed study results are also available for using proteolytic enzymes to help recover from surgery.
Other Enzymes
Some other enzymes are also used in the preparations that are available as dietary supplements. According to the University of Hawaii, the use of the enzyme cellulase is "wacky." It is not produced in the human body and would succeed in converting dietary fiber into sugar. Usually, this is not something that you would want. Another popular enzyme is Beano, but that is actually a helpful enzyme. It breaks down the starches from beans to help minimize gas and bloating.
