Digestive Enzymes--Do we need them?
Summary
TLDRDr. Jen Sung discusses the role of digestive enzymes in breaking down carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. She explains that enzymes like amylase, lipase, and protease are produced by the pancreas and can be reabsorbed. The video covers the sources of these enzymes, including animal and plant options, and how they aid digestion. Dr. Sung also addresses clinical signs of enzyme deficiencies and the importance of a proper pH and temperature for enzyme activation. She suggests incorporating certain foods and possibly supplements to improve digestive health.
Takeaways
- π Digestive enzymes are crucial for breaking down carbohydrates, proteins, and fats in our body.
- π The pancreas produces and releases enzymes like amylase, lipase, and protease, which were once thought to be continuously produced but are now known to be reabsorbed and recycled.
- π The mouth initiates the digestive process by producing amylase and lipase, while the stomach produces protease.
- π½οΈ Enzymes like lipase, protease, and others have specific roles in breaking down different types of food particles, such as sugars, starches, fats, proteins, and lactose.
- π½οΈ DPP4, an enzyme that breaks down gluten and dairy proteins, can be particularly helpful for those who are gluten-sensitive and want to avoid accidental gluten exposure.
- πΏ Plant-based sources of digestive enzymes include pepin from papaya, bromelain from pineapples, and actinidin from kiwis, which aid in protein breakdown.
- π₯ Foods like mangoes, avocados, bananas, and raw honey contain enzymes that can naturally support digestion.
- π§ββοΈ Clinical signs of digestive enzyme issues include gallstones, autoimmunity, pancreatitis, bloating, gas, bowel movement changes, and floating stools.
- π Supplementing with digestive enzymes, along with HCL and pepsin, can be beneficial, especially when coupled with cofactors like B vitamins and minerals.
- βοΈ Maintaining the correct pH and temperature in the stomach is essential for enzyme activation and proper digestion.
Q & A
What is the primary function of digestive enzymes?
-Digestive enzymes help to break down foods into carbohydrates, proteins, and fats, which are essential for absorption and utilization by the body.
Which organs produce digestive enzymes?
-The pancreas produces and releases amylase, lipase, and protease. The mouth produces amylase and lipase, and the stomach produces protease.
What is the role of lipase in digestion?
-Lipase breaks down fats, which is crucial for the absorption of fatty acids and other fat-soluble nutrients.
What does protease do in the digestive process?
-Protease breaks down proteins into smaller peptides and amino acids, facilitating their absorption in the small intestine.
Why is DPP4 mentioned in the context of gluten sensitivity?
-DPP4 is mentioned because it helps break down gluten and dairy proteins, which can be beneficial for individuals with gluten sensitivity who may experience accidental exposure to gluten.
How do thoughts and smells influence the production of digestive enzymes?
-The thought and smell of food can stimulate the production of saliva and increase enzyme production in the mouth, preparing the body for digestion.
What are some clinical signs that might indicate a problem with digestive enzymes?
-Clinical signs of digestive enzyme problems include gallstones, autoimmunity diseases like celiac or Crohn's, pancreatitis, bloating, gas, bowel movement changes, diarrhea, constipation, and floating stools.
Where can we obtain digestive enzymes from animal sources?
-Digestive enzymes can be obtained from animal sources like porcine (pig) and bovine (cow).
What are some plant-based sources of digestive enzymes?
-Plant-based sources of digestive enzymes include papain from papaya, bromelain from pineapples, actinidin from kiwis, and amylase from mangoes.
How can fermented foods benefit the digestive process?
-Fermented foods like sauerkraut, kimchi, miso, ginger, kefir, and others contain beneficial bacteria that can aid in digestion and support the production of digestive enzymes.
Why is the correct pH in the stomach important for enzyme activation?
-The correct pH in the stomach, which is around 2 to 3, is necessary to activate certain enzymes like proteases, ensuring they function properly to break down proteins.
Outlines
π¬ Digestive Enzymes: Functions and Food Sources
Dr. Jen Sung discusses the role of digestive enzymes in breaking down carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. The pancreas is highlighted as a key producer of amylase, lipase, and protease, with recent findings suggesting these enzymes can be recycled. The mouth and stomach also contribute to enzyme production. Specific enzymes like lipase, protease, and DPP4 are detailed for their roles in breaking down various food components. The video also touches on how thoughts and smells can stimulate enzyme production and the importance of a balanced diet to support digestive health. Foods rich in natural enzymes, such as papaya, pineapple, kiwi, mango, and avocado, are recommended to aid digestion.
π Supplementing Digestive Enzymes and Dietary Considerations
The second paragraph delves into the clinical signs of digestive enzyme deficiencies, such as gallstones, autoimmune diseases, and pancreatitis. It also addresses symptoms like bloating, changes in bowel movements, and floating stools. Dr. Sung suggests that incorporating fermented foods and certain supplements can reduce the need for additional digestive enzymes. The importance of cofactor availability, stomach pH, and temperature for enzyme activation is emphasized. The video concludes with advice on how to identify if one needs digestive enzyme supplementation and the benefits of including plant-based foods in the diet to support enzyme function.
Mindmap
Keywords
π‘Digestive Enzymes
π‘Amylase
π‘Lipase
π‘Protease
π‘Sucrase
π‘Lactase
π‘DPP4
π‘Fermented Foods
π‘PH
π‘Antacids
π‘Supplements
Highlights
Digestive enzymes are crucial for breaking down carbohydrates, proteins, and fats.
The pancreas produces amylase, lipase, and protease, which were once thought to be continuously produced but are now known to be reabsorbed and recycled.
The mouth and stomach also contribute to enzyme production with amylase, lipase, and protease.
Lipase is responsible for breaking down carbohydrates, sugars, and starches.
Another lipase function is the breakdown of fats.
Protease's role is in the breakdown of proteins.
Sucrase breaks down sucrose, and lactase is essential for lactose digestion.
DPP4 aids in the breakdown of gluten and dairy proteins, which is beneficial for those with gluten sensitivity.
Digestive enzymes are activated by the thought and smell of food, increasing saliva production and enzyme release.
Clinical signs of digestive enzyme issues include gallstones, autoimmunity, pancreatitis, bloating, and changes in bowel movements.
Floating stools can indicate inadequate fat breakdown due to a lack of lipase.
Digestive enzymes can be sourced from animal sources like porcine and bovine or plant-based sources like papaya and pineapple.
Kiwi contains actinidin, which aids in protein breakdown, and mangoes produce amylase.
Fermented foods and certain juices like lemon and celery can support digestive enzyme function.
Supplementing with digestive enzymes, HCL, pepsin, and ox bile can be beneficial for those with enzyme deficiencies.
Proper pH and temperature in the stomach are necessary for enzyme activation.
The stomach's pH activates protease, while trypsin in the small intestine continues protein breakdown as the pH changes.
Understanding digestive enzymes is vital for proper nutrient absorption and utilization by the body's tissues.
Transcripts
welcome back this is dr jen sung where
clinical excellence meets excellent
results today we're going to talk about
digestive enzymes what does it do what
can you get it and what kind of foods
can you eat to help improve digestive
enzymes so let's get right into it
digestive enzymes help to break down
foods so your carbohydrates proteins and
fats
the pancreas produces and releases
amylase lipase and protease
the interesting fact is in the past they
used to think that the pancreas would
continuously produce these digestive
enzymes
however more recent literature will show
that
digestive enzymes can be reabsorbed and
recycled through the pancreas
the mouth produces amylase and lipase
stomach produces protease
so what does the enzymes do
lipase breaks down carbohydrates sugars
and starches
lipase breaks down fats
protease breaks down
protein sucralase breaks down sucrose
lactolase breaks down lactose
this is an interesting one dpp4
breaks down gluten and dairy proteins
so that's good to have when you go out
and eat at restaurants and you're gluten
sensitive
so you're trying to avoid gluten and on
a gluten-free diet but accidental
exposure is very common when you eat out
so when you eat out you might want to
add in
dpp4
to help prevent gluten reactions
now this is not meant to be
used so you could have more gluten it's
meant for accidental exposures
and certainly celiac patients should
absolutely avoid gluten
[Music]
so there are more enzymes than the ones
that are listed obviously there's a lot
more
in terms of different breaking down
different types of particles in our
system
now the digestive process starts with a
thought
and a smell
so if you think about food think about
it for a second
your saliva production will increase
if you smell something think about
smelling a lemon
automatically your saliva will start to
produce more right
so the thought and smell will start to
improve or increase the enzyme
production in the mouth
and then your stomach will go hmm we're
going to get ready for food it's going
to increase hcl
and pepsin and the pancreas will start
to kick out more amylase lipase and
protease
into our system
[Music]
now
digestive enzymes what are the clinical
signs
uh that you may have a problem with
digestive enzymes
gallstones autoimmunity like celiac
disease or crohn's disease
pancreatitis because pancreas produces
the amylase lipase and protease
bloating gas bowel movement changes
diarrhea constipation use of antacids
excessive stress
floating stools mean greasy stools that
you're not able to break down your fats
and your your stool will actually float
in the water
in digestion and i already mentioned gas
and bloating
so where do we get digestive enzymes so
you can get one from animal sources like
porcelain and bovine basically pig and
cow
you can also get plant-based
pepin from papaya
bromelain from pineapples
okay
and they both help to break down protein
so these plant-based
digestive
formulas will also help break down
protein
kiwis has something called actinidin
which is also helping breaking down
proteins you have mangoes that produce
amylase
raw honey is also advantageous
avocados
interesting they pic it produces light
paste or has lipase in it because
avocados are fat and lipase breaks down
fats
bananas amylase and glucosidase
so a lot of these plant-based
foods
can also help break down
proteins and fats and carbohydrates
other foods that can be beneficial
fermented foods like sauerkraut kimchi
miso
ginger
kefir which is a fermented milk lemon
juice celery juice dandelion root
so if you use or implement some of this
into your diet
you might need
less
of taking digestive enzyme hcl and so
forth so it's important to have some of
this in your diet
other considerations
i obviously you can supplement digestive
enzymes plus hcl
plus pepsin ox bile
cofactors like b vitamins and minerals
are also very important
cofactors that are needed for
enzyme production
also you will need the correct ph in our
stomach
so the ph stomach runs around two two
and a half three
so you need the correct ph in the
stomach
and proper temperature to activate these
enzymes
so what that means is that if you're if
you're taking a lot of ants at if you're
taking a lot of antacids the ph is not
going to be low enough to activate some
of these enzymes and the proper
temperature
also
when you look at things like proteases
in the stomach helps to break down
proteins in the stomach the stomach ph
activates the protease however when the
protein gets into the small intestine
the ph changes
right once the ph changes protease is
not as active so you need another enzyme
called
trypsin which will help break down
protein in the small intestine
so digestive enzymes can be pretty
complicated but if you just break it
down and very simply say do i have
issues or signs and symptoms
and then can we add in some of these
foods that can be advantageous
if not we can add in animal sources
plant sources of digestive enzymes and
more foods that have
quote unquote digestive enzymes in them
so it's very important to understand
because you need to break down your
foods
appropriately to the proper amino acids
so it can be absorbed and utilized by
your own healthy tissues all right my
name is dr jin sung where clinical
excellence meets excellent results and
we'll see you guys next week on the
healthy side have an awesome day
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