Alpha galactosidase is a digestive enzyme produced by Ruminococcus gnavus bacteria in the large intestine. This enzyme targets food composed of the complex sugars raffinose, stachyose, and melibiose. It can break down galactose-containing fibers called galactomannans and polysaccharides such as galactosides and galactolipids. Doing so helps prevent flatulence, abdominal bloating, and stomach pain.

This enzyme is essential for breaking down complex carbohydrates found in foods like:

• Whole grains (wheat, barley, rye, corn, etc.)
• Cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, etc.)
• Legumes (black beans, kidney beans, lentils, peas, etc.)

Alpha amylase is the primary starch-digesting enzyme secreted in the body. Amylases break starch down into two sugar units, maltose and isomaltose, and then other enzymes, called maltase and isomaltase, hydrolyze these two sugars into the individual monosaccharide glucose used for energy. 

Lactase is a digestive enzyme that breaks down lactose, a sugar naturally found in milk that contributes to its sweetness. This enzyme breaks down lactose into the simple sugars glucose and galactose.

Taking lactase-containing supplements before consuming milk or milk products helps digest lactose and prevents symptoms such as diarrhea, cramps, and gas in people with lactose intolerance.*

Lipase is a digestive enzyme that splits fats so the intestines can absorb them. Lipase breaks down fatty foods rich in triglycerides into their component fatty acid and glycerol molecules. Without this enzyme, we would be unable to digest fatty foods like eggs, bacon, fatty fish or meat, butter, avocados, olive oil, pizza, etc. 

Sufficient lipase levels also help our body absorb vitamins and minerals from our foods. So it's not just important to eat the right foods; it's also extremely important to have the right balance of enzymes to process these healthy foods.

Deficiency of digestive lipase results in gastrointestinal problems, indigestion, and skin rashes related to digestive allergies.

Proteases have been called biology's version of Swiss army knives, as they can cut long sequences of proteins into fragments called peptides and eventually into their components, called amino acids. We need a steady supply of amino acids for proper growth and repair. The breakdown of proteins happens in the stomach and intestines. When these protease enzymes aren't present in the body to break down protein, the intestinal lining cannot digest them, which can lead to serious health issues. Without these enzymes, we would be unable to break down protein-rich foods such as lean meat and poultry, eggs, fish and shellfish, milk, nuts, seeds, and legumes.

Take a deep dive.

Cellulase is an enzyme that breaks down the cellulose plant fibers we eat into beta-glucose and short-chain polysaccharides. Almost all species of bacteria, fungi, and protozoa produce cellulase, but humans and animals do not. We can partially break it down via fermentation produced by the microflora in the large intestine, but we cannot utilize the energy from the fibrous plants. And this particular mechanism only breaks down some plant fibers. The others are eliminated from the body. Therefore, we need cellulose enzymes to digest herbs, sprouts, and greens properly. 

Hemicellulase is an enzyme that breaks down a specific form of cellulose called hemicellulose, a major component of plant cell walls. There are many types of hemicelluloses – pentosans, xylans, Galatians, mannans, and glucans – and hemicellulase targets them all, offering various health benefits. The human body does not produce the hemicellulase required to break down fiber-rich foods. Instead, microorganisms in the intestinal tract produce the enzyme to facilitate the digestion of plant-based fibers. 

Consequently, if hemicellulase levels become too low due to an imbalanced gut (unhealthy diet, antibiotics, chemicals, toxins, and our stressed lifestyles), our body's digestive processes may slow down, hindering the proper absorption of nutrients. But adding hemicellulase as a supplement can assist with proper digestion of plant-based fiber from all those nutritious, fiber-rich foods that complete a healthy diet.*

Malt diastase is an enzyme found in malt produced during the germination of seeds. It effectively converts starch into maltose which is then transformed into sugar (glucose).

Glucoamylase is an enzyme that digests partially processed starch in vegetables, potatoes, wheat, rice, and corn in order to release glucose that the body can use for energy. Glucoamylase is often described separately from amylase because it digests starches by removing a glucose molecule from the end of a polysaccharide rather than cleaving longer strings of glucose molecules in the middle, forming smaller chains.

When glucoamylase is absent in the intestinal tract, partially digested starch clumps together, slowing the digestive process and causing constipation, abdominal heaviness, bloating, and even diarrhea when it begins to accumulate. Additionally, undigested starch can become a breeding environment for harmful bacteria if it gets stuck in the intestines.

Invertase is the enzyme that breaks down sucrose (table sugar) into simple sugars (glucose and fructose). Invertase's ability to break down the bond between fructose and glucose makes it a vital part of the digestion of complex sugars into blood sugar (glucose) which can be used as a ready fuel source by the body. 

Xylanase is a naturally occurring enzyme that breaks down xylan, a type of cellulose, by cleaving it into a simple sugar called xylose. Xylan is the second most common polysaccharide in nature and is a component of plant cell walls. Fungi and bacteria produce xylanase from insects, crustaceans like snails, and even seeds. Wheat bread, cereal grains, nuts, and legumes contain this type of fiber.

In the digestive tract, xylanase can break down the xylans we eat, liberating more nutrients from vegetables with a high fiber content and preventing some of the gas or digestive discomfort often associated with fibrous veggies, grains, and legumes. Supplemental xylanase and a blend of other carbohydrate-digesting enzymes can help digest fibrous foods more completely. This helps avoid indigestion and discomfort.*

Commonly found in many fruits, such as bananas and apples, pectinase is an enzyme that plays a key role in the digestive process. Pectin is a fiber that makes up the cell wall of many fruit and vegetables. It is composed of long polysaccharides forming a gelatinous substance in the plant cell wall and between plant cells. It occurs primarily in the non-woody parts of plants, which, of course, are the parts that are most likely to be consumed.

Pectin is a part of our diet because of its presence in fruit and vegetables. It's also used extensively as a thickening agent in processed foods, particularly jams and jellies. Pectinase, cellulase, and hemicellulase help digest plant-based foods, increasing their nutritional and prebiotic value.

Beta-glucanase represents a group of carbohydrate enzymes that break down glycosidic bonds within beta-glucan. Beta-glucan is a polysaccharide made of glucose molecules linked together into long chains humans cannot readily digest. In more familiar terms, they are cellulose plant fiber, cereal bran fiber, and parts of certain types of fungi. As a kind of indigestible fiber, they may become viscous in the intestinal tract and slow peristalsis (intestinal contractions).

Beta-glucans are health-promoting in that they act as intestinal fiber, which may help reduce high serum cholesterol levels and help create regularity through bulk formation. They may also help regulate blood sugar and reduce the likelihood of colon-related diseases. 
Supplementation with beta-glucanase can reduce indigestion, bloating, abdominal discomfort, and gas after consuming beta-glucan-rich foods such as heavy cereal grains, including wheat, barley, and rye.*

Many of the plants we eat, such as corn, grains, seeds, legumes, soybeans, and most cereals, contain high amounts of phytic acid, which we can't digest. Referred to as an "anti-nutritional factor," phytic acid can reduce our ability to absorb nutrients within cereal grains, creating insoluble complexes with minerals and proteins. In addition, phosphates and many minerals such as calcium, magnesium, iron, and zinc are frequently bound (chelated) with a phytic acid molecule in plant foods. 

Phytase is an enzyme found in some plants that break down phytic acid. By doing this, it also frees the bound phosphates from the phytic acid molecule. This process provides essential phosphorus, which is needed for healthy nutrition. During the chemical reaction, phytase also frees calcium, zinc, iron, magnesium, and manganese, making these minerals available to the body.

Overall, phytase breaks down and increases the nutritional quality of grains, legumes, seeds, and corn.

Dipeptidyl peptidase IV cleaves the peptide bond between proline and another amino acid. Through its action, it facilitates the digestion of proteins and, more specifically, the digestion of gluten for people with gluten intolerance. Although it is not intended to replace a gluten-free diet or to treat celiac disease, this enzyme allows people with gluten intolerance to digest the residual gluten in their diet.

Gluten is a protein that is difficult to digest because it is rich in proline, a nonessential amino acid. The human body cannot effectively break down proline-rich foods, so about 13% of the world's population is sensitive to gluten in the diet.

Bromelain is a protein-digesting (proteolytic) enzyme complex found in pineapple. It can break down a variety of types of protein in both acid and alkaline environments. More specifically, bromelain assists the body's digestive mechanisms in reducing very large, complex protein molecules into smaller peptide units or individual amino acids. These smaller peptide units are crucial for the body's production of muscle tissue, neurotransmitters, and other protein-based molecules. However, many of the enzyme's benefits come into play when it is absorbed in the small intestine; this absorption produces its systemic anti-inflammatory effects, such as reducing redness, swelling, and irritation that can wreak havoc on the body's overall health.

Papaya has been commonly used in its native South America for digestive support when eating meat and even to tenderize meat before cooking. This is because papaya contains the enzyme papain. Papain is a powerful digestive enzyme commonly found and extracted from papaya.

Papain plays a key role in digestive processes involving the breaking down tough protein fibers. It breaks down larger proteins into smaller proteins, known as polypeptides, and into individual amino acid subunits. Papain enhances the digestive process and increases nutrient absorption from protein-based foods. It also works as an anti-inflammatory.