Enzymes play a vital role in nearly every biological process in the body, particularly in digestion. These specialized proteins act as catalysts, breaking down food into nutrients that can be absorbed and utilized for energy, growth, and repair. However, when enzyme production is insufficient or impaired, it can lead to digestive discomfort, nutrient deficiencies, and other health issues. In this blog, we’ll explore what enzymes are and common problems associated with digestive enzyme deficiencies.
What Are Enzymes?
Enzymes are biological molecules, typically proteins, that act as catalysts to accelerate chemical reactions in living organisms. Enzymes are essential for bodily functioning and are required in most metabolic processes. Enzymes are involved in breathing, producing energy, absorbing nutrients, regulating hormones, healing, decreasing inflammation, delaying aging, etc. Without enzymes, most chemical reactions in cells would be too slow to sustain life.
There are two main categories of enzymes, metabolic and digestive:
Metabolic Enzymes
Metabolic enzymes facilitate various biochemical reactions within the body. These enzymes work throughout the body and inside cells, participating in all cellular activity to maintain and regulate bodily functions. They are involved in:
- Energy Production: Enzymes like ATP synthase are crucial for converting nutrients into energy cells can use.
- Detoxification: Enzymes in the liver help break down and detox toxins from the body.
- Repair and Growth: These enzymes help with processes like DNA repair, tissue growth, and cellular division.
Catalase is an example of a metabolic enzyme that helps break down hydrogen peroxide into water and oxygen. Superoxide Dismutase (SOD) is another enzyme that protects cells from oxidative damage by converting superoxide radicals into oxygen and hydrogen peroxide.
Digestive Enzymes
Digestive enzymes help the body break down food into smaller molecules and assimilate its nutrients to allow it to function adequately. Then, these nutrients can be used for energy, growth, and repair. These enzymes are produced primarily in the pancreas, stomach, and small intestine. They are secreted into the digestive tract to help process macronutrients (carbohydrates, proteins, and fats).
Some examples of digestive enzymes include amylase, protease, and lipase which help break down carbohydrates into sugars, proteins into amino acids, and fats into fatty acids and glycerol respectively.
An unfortunate fact to keep in mind is that the body does not endlessly produce digestive enzymes. The body doesn’t run out of enzymes, but enzyme production can decrease or become less efficient. When the body’s natural enzyme production is insufficient, it can lead to digestive issues like bloating, gas, indigestion, or malnutrition. In a healthy state, the body can continue to produce the necessary enzymes throughout life, but the quantity and efficiency may decline over time or with poor health conditions.
Problems Associated with Digestive Enzyme Deficiencies
A lack of digestive enzymes can lead to various digestive conditions. Not having sufficient digestive enzymes leads to food not being properly broken down or digested, causing malabsorption and gastrointestinal symptoms. Here is a list of problems associated with digestive enzyme deficiencies:
- Lactase Deficiency: Lactase is the enzyme responsible for breaking down lactose. Lactose, a sugar found in dairy products, needs to be broken down into glucose and galactose so it can be absorbed by the body. When lactase is lacking, lactose remains undigested in the small intestine, attracting water and fermenting. This results in lactose intolerance or bloating, gas, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and nausea after consuming dairy products.
- Amylase Deficiency: Amylase is the enzyme that helps break down starches (carbohydrates such as bread, pasta, and rice) into simple sugars like glucose for absorption. When amylase is lacking, undigested carbohydrates reach the colon, where they ferment. This results in carbohydrate malabsorption, gas, bloating, flatulence, abdominal discomfort, and diarrhea.
- Lipase Deficiency: Lipase is the enzyme responsible for breaking down dietary fats into fatty acids and glycerol so they can be absorbed in the small intestine. Without sufficient lipase, fats remain undigested and unabsorbed in the digestive system. This can result in steatorrhea (fatty, oily, foul-smelling stools), diarrhea, bloating, and weight loss. Fat malabsorption can also occur, leading to nutrient deficiencies (especially fat-soluble vitamins like A, D, E, and K) and conditions like pancreatic insufficiency -common in chronic pancreatitis or cystic fibrosis.
- Protease Deficiency: Proteases, pepsin, and trypsin are enzymes that break down proteins into amino acids for absorption. Without enough protease, proteins are not fully broken down, leading to bloating, abdominal discomfort, gas, and indigestion. Immune responses and inflammation get triggered in the gut, irritating the intestinal lining, when protein malabsorption takes place.
- Pancreatic Enzyme Deficiency: The pancreas produces some of the digestive enzymes (amylase, lipase, and protease) that we mentioned above. All of these are essential for breaking down carbohydrates, fats, and proteins respectively. When the pancreas does not produce enough enzymes, food is not properly digested, leading to macronutrient malabsorption and deficiencies. This can cause weight loss, chronic diarrhea, bloating, steatorrhea (fatty stools), vitamin deficiencies (especially fat-soluble vitamins), and exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI). EPI is present in chronic pancreatitis, cystic fibrosis, and pancreatic cancer, and requires enzyme replacement therapy for proper digestion.
- General Malabsorption and Gastrointestinal Symptoms: Undigested food in the small intestine leads to fermentation by gut bacteria, producing gas, bloating, and discomfort. Malabsorption of fats, proteins, or carbohydrates can result in diarrhea (due to water being drawn into the intestine) or constipation (due to incomplete digestion). Poor digestion means the body isn’t absorbing essential nutrients like vitamins, minerals, and fatty acids, leading to systemic issues like anemia, weakened immunity, and poor skin, hair, and nail health. At the same time, lack of proper nutrient absorption can cause unintended weight loss, fatigue, and weakness.
- Overgrowth of Bacteria (SIBO): When food is not properly digested due to enzyme deficiencies, it provides fuel for bacteria in the small intestine, leading to small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO). This can worsen digestive symptoms like bloating, gas, and diarrhea.
Besides causing gas, bloating, abdominal pain, nausea, flatulence, diarrhea, weight loss, digestive inflammation, and nutritional deficiencies, a deficiency in digestive enzymes is linked to other conditions such as celiac disease, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), chronic pancreatitis, and cystic fibrosis.
Summary
Enzymes are essential for efficient digestion and overall metabolic function. Digestive enzyme deficiencies can lead to uncomfortable symptoms and poor nutrient absorption, impacting your well-being. It’s important to understand the various factors influencing enzymes and the things that you can do to optimize enzyme function if you experience some of the digestive issues described above. By making the necessary lifestyle adjustments, you can improve your overall quality of life.
To a Fitter Healthier You,
The Fitness Wellness Mentor
