For example, I often use Intoleran’s lactase capsules myself. These help break down lactose in my intestines, so I can still enjoy cappuccinos, ice cream, and other dairy products despite my lactose intolerance.
They also offer supplements that help break down other FODMAP groups in the intestines. For example, Fructase helps break down fructose, which is found in various types of fruit and in honey. And Fibractase helps break down galactans and fructans. These FODMAPs are found in legumes (galactans) and in foods like onion, garlic, and wheat (fructans).
Taking these enzymes with a meal helps your body digest these FODMAPs, which can be especially helpful when eating out, as it gives you a bit more flexibility in what you can choose to eat.
Now they have launched two new enzyme blends that can help break down different types of food, and in this blog I’ll tell you more about them.
This article was written in collaboration with Intoleran.
Digestive enzymes as a supplement to a healthy foundation for your gut
I think it’s important to mention that supplements are always an addition to a healthy foundation. The same applies to your gut health. A balanced diet with enough fiber, for example from fruit, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and whole grains, provides the foundation for healthy digestion.
It’s also important to drink enough water and to avoid a diet that is too high in saturated fats and sugars.
Other lifestyle factors also affect your gut health, such as regular physical activity, managing stress, and getting enough sleep.
In addition to these factors, digestive enzymes can support gut health. For example, they may allow you to eat a more varied diet because they help you better digest certain components in your food.
They may also improve bowel movements, because digestive enzymes help break down substances in your intestines that your body may not produce in sufficient amounts. Lactase is an example of this if you have lactose intolerance.
Lipase Mix: support for fat digestion
If your body needs support breaking down fats from food, the new Lipase Mix from Intoleran may be helpful.
This blend contains the enzyme lipase. Your body also produces this enzyme naturally in the pancreas. In addition, bile helps process fats in your diet.
Sometimes the pancreas does not produce enough lipase, for example due to a medical condition or aging, and your body may have difficulty breaking down fats. In that case, taking a lipase enzyme with a high-fat meal may help your body digest fats more effectively.
In addition to lipase, the Lipase Mix also contains amylase and protease. These enzymes help break down carbohydrates and proteins, since a meal usually contains more than just fats.
A jar of Lipase Mix with 36 capsules is available from Intoleran for €29.99.
Enzymix
As the name suggests, Enzymix is a blend of different digestive enzymes, nine in total. It helps break down different substances in your body:
- Proteins: the enzyme protease helps digest proteins.
- Fats: the enzyme lipase helps digest fats.
- Plant fibers: the enzyme cellulase helps break down fibers from plant-based foods.
- Sucrose: the enzyme invertase helps digest sucrose (sugars), which you find in fruit and sweet products.
- Starch: the enzymes amylase, maltase, and glucoamylase help digest starch, found in foods like potatoes, grains, and rice.
- Fructans and galactans: the enzyme alpha-galactosidase helps break down complex carbohydrates such as fructans and galactans, two FODMAP groups found in foods like legumes, onion, garlic, and wheat.
- Lactose: the enzyme lactase helps digest lactose, a milk sugar (carbohydrate) found in dairy products.
Who is Enzymix suitable for?
Enzymix can be a good digestive enzyme blend to try if your body has difficulty breaking down different food groups, such as various FODMAP groups, proteins, fats, or sugars.
You can take 1 to 3 capsules with a meal and see whether this helps your body break down these substances more effectively.
Always take the enzymes with the first bite of your meal. If you find it difficult to swallow capsules, you can open them and dissolve the contents in water. The capsules work for 30–45 minutes, which is usually enough for a full meal.
If you’re eating a multi-course meal, you may need to take another capsule with the next course. You can take up to 15 capsules per day.
Is Enzymix suitable if I follow the FODMAP diet?
Yes, it is. However, it depends on which substances you need support with during digestion.
If you only react to FODMAPs such as fructans, galactans, fructose, and/or lactose, then Quatrase 10,000 (also known as Fodmix) may be more suitable. This blend contains only enzymes that help break down those four FODMAP groups plus sucrose, and they are more highly dosed.
If you also react to other substances listed above under Enzymix, then it may be worth trying Enzymix.
A pot of Enzymix with 36 capsules is available from Intoleran for 29.99.
Is Enzymix suitable if my body needs help digesting starches?
Yes, because it contains the enzymes amylase, maltase and invertase. If you only need enzymes for breaking down starches, you can also check out the Starchway Pro product from Intoleran.
This is an improved formula of the Starchway product and this enzym mix helps with breaking down starches and sugars in food.
What are enzymes?
Enzymes are proteins in your body that break down substances you consume. Each enzyme has a unique shape that fits a specific substance.
For example, the enzyme lipase fits only fat molecules, not proteins. You can think of an enzyme as a kind of “scissors” that cuts food into smaller pieces so it can be easily absorbed through your intestinal wall. This is how they support digestion.
All the enzymes mentioned in this blog are also produced naturally by your body. However, sometimes your body does not produce enough of them, which can cause certain substances to be poorly digested in your intestines.
A good example is lactose intolerance: your body produces too little lactase, the enzyme needed to break down lactose. As a result, lactose may remain undigested in your intestines. By taking a lactase enzyme, you increase the amount of lactase in your intestines, which may allow your body to fully break down lactose.
Hopefully this blog has helped you learn more about digestive enzymes and whether supplementing certain enzymes might be useful for you!
If you’d like to learn more about the different supplements from Intoleran, you can also check out the earlier blogs I’ve written about them: