The Best Proteolytic Enzymes With Lipase, Amylase, Bromelain

Best Proteolytic Enzymes With Lipase, Amylase, Bromelain At A Glance

Proteolytic enzymes naturally break down proteins into amino acids as part of the digestion process. These amino acids enable healthy body functioning, including combating infection, anti-inflammation, or simply improved digestive functioning.

This article will explore several of these enzymes in detail and provide our recommendations on how you can supplement them to achieve your intended health outcome. Proteolytic enzyme supplementation can occur in many forms including capsule, powder and topical applications – this article will focus on oral supplementation.

Peptidase Function: What Does Peptidase Break Down And What Are Its Benefits?

Proteolytic enzymes, also called proteases, proteinases, or peptidases, are a group of enzymes that naturally (and irreversibly) break long-chained proteins via hydrolysis into shorter fragments, which then form digestible amino acids. This process illustrates essential protein digestion whereby vital amino acids are extracted from your food for normal bodily function. 

These proteases are currently divided into 2 groups: endopeptidases and exopeptidases, depending on their mechanism of action. Endopeptidases cleave sites within long polypeptides, such as pepsin. Exopeptidases cleave either end of the protein molecule, including carboxypeptidases.

The most commonly known proteolytic enzymes reside in different parts of the gastrointestinal system and require different ideal pH conditions. For example, pepsin (found in the stomach) works optimally at pH 1.5-2.5 whereas trypsin (found in the small intestine) is most effective at pH 7.5-8.5. If the pH is not optimal, these enzymes become inactive, and may eventually break down or denature.

Protein breakdown is also called denaturation. Raw food dieters argue that protein denaturation affects food’s nutritional value, but this is not correct. Protein denaturation is a necessary part of the digestion process. Cooking food simply gives your body a head start on the digestive process.

Proteolytic enzymes are largely sold as supplements to reduce inflammation, promote healthy digestion, and combat infection. They are also used in food preparation as meat tenderizers, or medically to break down dead tissue.

Pepsin

Pepsin is the principal enzyme involved in protein digestion in the stomach. It is formed from pepsinogen, which is produced by chief cells in the stomach lining and cleaves itself to form pepsin at low pH. Pepsin specifically breaks down proteins from meat, eggs, dairy products, nuts and seeds.

Despite pepsin’s role in the stomach, it is not considered an essential enzyme and causes issues associated with laryngopharyngeal reflux or acid reflux. 

However, pepsin supplementation does offer health benefits in particular cohorts. Patients with conditions which predispose them to pancreatic dysfunction (i.e. cystic fibrosis) are supplemented with pepsin to improve GI functioning. Commercial pepsin is derived from pig, cow or sheep gastric mucosa, and often supplemented with Betaine HCl to aid digestion. 

Pepsin supplements may also aid in fighting bacterial infections in the stomach. In vitro studies have demonstrated that pepsin supplementation is effective in reducing bacterial cultures such as Escherichia coli and Helicobacter pylori. 

Betaine HCl

pH is an important mediator of essential enzyme activity in digestion. Betaine HCl is a synthetic substance which restores ideal gastric acidity in people suffering from hypochlorhydria (low stomach acid production). This enables digestive enzymes, like pepsin, to function properly.

In patients who produce insufficient stomach acid, betaine HCl aids absorption of orally administered weakly basic drugs that are pH-dependent soluble. Further, betaine HCl can mitigate potential drug-drug interactions between these drugs.

Dietary supplementation of betaine HCl with pepsin can also relieve acid reflux and IBS-associated symptoms including bloating, sleep disturbance and lower abdominal pain. This is due to betaine HCl and pepsin stabilising physiological processes within the gut, and improving protein denaturation and nutritional absorbance.

The standard practice for supplementing with Betaine HCl involves starting with 1 tablet per meal and slowly raising that dose until you feel a warming sensation in your stomach. Once you feel this, lower the dose by one tablet and this is your standard dosing level.  In other words, you want to use the maximum dose that does not produce that warming sensation.

Bromelain

Bromelain, also known as bromelin, is a protein-digesting enzyme derived from all living parts of the pineapple plant. Historically, Bromelain was a common solution for treating inflammation and indigestion in Central and South America. This is possibly due to proteolytic components contained within bromelain, including proteinases.

Today, bromelain is researched intensively for its potential to treat cancer, inflammation and infection. For example, mice cancerous colorectal cell line growth in vitro is inhibited under bromelain application.

Concerning inflammation, bromelain may treat rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis and muscle soreness. A recent review has even suggested that bromelain reduces the activation of inflammatory factors involved in IBS.

Finally, bromelain has antimicrobial effects. For example, in piglet small intestine, bromelain prevents bacteria in the gut from attaching to intestinal mucosa cells. In addition, bromelain offers indirect antimicrobial activity through necrotic tissue debridement – debridement means cleaning wounds in the skin by clearing away dead tissue. This method is possibly more effective than surgical debridement, though it is only achieved through topical application.

To attain bromelain’s benefits, bromelain may be taken alone or in conjunction with other medications – bromelain has been shown to improve antibiotic absorption.

For wound debridement, topical application is necessary to remove necrotic tissue from burn areas, and for areas of swelling (such as osteoarthritis), oral application is advised.

A study has shown that bromelain has blood thinning properties and boosts warfarin’s effect harmfully in bovine and rodent models. Other blood thinners whose activity may be increased by bromelain include aspirin, heparin and clopidogrel. Consult your doctor if you are taking blood thinners before supplementing with bromelain.

Papain

Papain, also known as papaya proteinase 1 (cysteine protease enzyme), is a proteolytic enzyme extracted from the latex of papaya and mountain papaya. Latex is collected after scoring the neck of the fruit, where it may either dry on the fruit or drip into a container. Thus, people with latex or papaya allergies should avoid papain.

Papain is mainly used to digest tough meat fibres. This stems from its original use in South America to tenderize meat. In pure form it is highly potent; 8 drops of papain tenderizes 1 kg of meat. You will typically find papain in powder form for meat tenderizing. 

Like bromelain, papain is effective in debridement therapies. For example, Accuzyme Papain-Urea Debriding Ointment. Further, researchers have observed enhanced skin absorption under papain treatment to remove scar visibility in rodent models. Before investing in this treatment, please visit your doctor – the FDA is currently aware that certain topical papain formulations can cause severe allergic reactions.

Research into other possible papain benefits remains slim despite papain’s traditional use. Papain may aid in treating IBS-associated constipation due to observed increased cysteine levels in constipated patients, though this remains speculatory. Similarly, papain was thought to be anti-inflammatory, though research is lacking. More promisingly, papain taken with bromelain and fungal proteases may aid in muscle recovery after training.

The Best Proteolytic Enzyme Supplements – Buy Proteolytic Enzymes From These Trusted Brands

---

Proteolytic enzymes, or proteases, are often sold as combination supplements to ensure that different proteins are broken down, maximising its effect in the body – each proteolytic enzyme has a unique active site which only acts on a specific protein. One example of a common protease supplement is a combination of amylase, bromelain, lipase.

Therefore, prior to consuming combined enzyme supplements, it is important to check what enzymes are contained within each product in case you are allergic, for example, to papaya. This is especially important to check in meat tenderizers, such as papain tenderizers.

Remember to avoid bromelain if you are taking any anticoagulants, such as warfarin and aspirin, due to bromelain’s blood thinning effect.

All protease supplements require systemic absorption which means you should take these supplements 15-30 minutes before meals on an empty stomach.

---

---

---

---

---

Editor’s note: we are regularly updating this review. If you see any problems, weird interpretations of the data, or just want to say hi, please reach out to hello@the-unwinder.com.