Digestive enzymes are found in the digestive tract where they aid in the digestion of food. They are enzymes that break down fats, starch and protein into their smaller building blocks, in order to facilitate their absorption by the body. The enzymes involved in digestion include:
- Lipase – breaks down fats into fatty acids
- Amylase – breaks down starch into simple sugars
- Protease – breaks down protein into peptides
Where do they come from?
In the human digestive system, the main sites of digestion are the mouth, the stomach, and the small intestine. Digestive enzymes are secreted by different exocrine glands including salivary glands, secretory cells in the stomach, secretory cells in the pancreas and secretory glands in the small intestine.Enzymes are designed to help improve digestion. The amount of digestive enzymes required will be based on individual needs pertaining to age, sex, location, lifestyle, diet and any specific conditions the individual may have. There are no specific guidelines on how many digestive enzymes should be taken. Eating the recommended minimum 5 servings of fruits and vegetables raw can greatly