Digestion is a dynamic process that involves mechanical and chemical actions working together to transform complex foods into absorbable nutrients. Central to this process are digestive enzymes, which are responsible for breaking down macronutrients - carbohydrates, proteins, and fats, into molecules small enough to be absorbed through the intestinal lining. 

 

These enzymes are primarily produced by pancreatic acinar cells, which are specialized cells within the pancreas responsible for synthesizing and secreting key digestive enzymes, including amylase, lipase, and proteases. These enzymes are then released into the pancreatic ducts and delivered into the small intestine for digestion.

 

When digestive enzyme production is low, or activity is impaired, it is often attributed to poor pancreatic signalling or pancreatic insufficiency. However, beyond these primary causes, intestinal inflammation and villi flattening, commonly seen in chronic infections, or inflammatory bowel disorders, can compromise the interface needed for nutrient-enzyme interaction.

 

As a result, the body's ability to chemically break down food into absorbable units becomes compromised. This condition, known as maldigestion, disrupts the proper breakdown of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats, leaving complex food particles only partially digested.

 

As a result, essential nutrients are not adequately absorbed through the intestinal lining. Over time, this can manifest as a spectrum of gastrointestinal symptoms including bloating, gas, abdominal cramping, diarrhea, fatty stools, and the presence of undigested food in stools. If left unaddressed, chronic maldigestion may also contribute to systemic issues such as nutrient deficiencies, fatigue, and impaired immune function.[1]

 

Here we focus on key digestive enzymes, and how they function:

 

Amylase
 

• Metabolises: Complex Carbohydrates / Starch into maltose, dextrins, and simple sugars
   

• Food sources affected: Bread, rice, pasta, potatoes, cereals, and other starch-rich foods
   

• Deficiency Signs: Undigested starches pass into the colon, where it is fermented by gut bacteria, leading to excessive gas, bloating, watery stools, and the appearance of starchy residues in feces.

 

Protease
 

• Metabolises: Proteins into peptides and amino acids by cleaving peptide bonds
   

• Food sources affected: Meat, fish, eggs, dairy, legumes, soy products

 

• Deficiency Signs: Bloating, fatigue, muscle weakness, diarrhea, and sometimes visible protein fragments or undigested meat fibers in the stool, indicating incomplete protein catabolism.
   

Lipase

 

• Metabolises: Triglycerides / dietary fats, into monoglycerides and free fatty acids
   

• Food sources affected: Oils, butter, cheese, fatty meats, nuts and seeds
   

• Deficiency Signs: Clay coloured stool (not dark rich brown), greasy stool, foul-smelling stools, sometimes with visible oil slicks on the water.

 

Cellulase

 

• Metabolises: Cellulose, a structural plant fiber made of β-1,4-linked glucose units
   

• Food sources affected: Vegetables, fruits, grains, and fibrous plant skins
   

• Deficiency Signs:  Bloating, gas, cramping, and the passage of visible plant fibers or vegetable skins in stools
   

Lactase / Tilactase 

 

• Metabolises: Lactose, a disaccharide sugar composed of glucose and galactose
   

• Food sources affected: All dairy based produces
   

• Deficiency Signs: Symptoms occur 30 minutes to 2 hours after consuming dairy. Symptoms include bloating, cramping, excessive gas, and diarrhea, resulting from the fermentation of undigested lactose by colonic bacteria and the osmotic draw of water into the intestine.

 

Alpha-galactosidase

 

• Metabolises: Oligosaccharides / long chain sugars

 

• Food sources: Beans, legumes, cabbage, broccoli, whole grains

 

• Deficiency Signs: Alpha-galactosidase is not produced by humans, which is why these foods produce gas for every individual. If your diet is naturally high in these sources for reasons such as vegan or vegetarian diet, supplementation can alleviate symptoms.
   

Xylose isomerase

 

• Metabolises: Fructose 

 

• Food Sources: High Fructose foods: Honey, Dates, Dried fruits, Apple, Pears, Grapes

 

• Deficiency Signs: Xylose isomerase is not produced by humans, it is indicated for the malabsorption of fructose due to digestive issues, which appears as excessive bloating and gas after consuming fructose rich foods. 

 

[1][9]