For constipation, it is necessary to carefully select a remedy so as not to aggravate the symptoms. To restore normal digestion, it is also possible to add a certain enzyme to food in small doses - papain, bromelain, betaine hydrochloride, bovine bile, protease, lipase or amylase, and some other components.
Digestive and stomach problems are a common occurrence among modern people. The reasons may be various factors - from poor quality or stale food to the presence of an infectious disease in the body.
Biological catalysts - enzymes for digestion - will help get rid of unpleasant consequences and normalize the functioning of the stomach. It is worth understanding what types of enzyme medications there are and when they need to be taken.
To effectively treat the consequences, you need to correctly determine the cause of the disease. Many factors influence the functioning of the stomach. Provided you constantly monitor your health, you can find out immediately about problems in the digestive system. The sooner you can determine the source of the problem, the easier and faster it will be possible to solve it.
The main signs of nutritional deficiency are:. If you have serious problems with the gastrointestinal tract, you need to take tablets for the functioning of the stomach. The drugs are obtained from plants, the pancreas of cattle or pigs. Digestive enzymes can be of either purely plant or animal origin, or combined animal-plant origin.
Depending on the main enzyme substance, they are divided into several subgroups, which are aimed at combating ailments of a different nature:
In addition to the active substance, the effect of the drug is affected by its release form. Pharmaceutical companies produce all medications for the digestion of food in the stomach in two forms:
One of the best medicines for combating digestive ailments due to poor secretion of enzymes is Pancreatin. It is available in the form of biconvex tablets coated with a light pink coating and does not dissolve under the influence of gastric juice. Tablets for stomach function Pancreatin compensate for the lack of enzymes produced by the pancreas and accelerate the breakdown of fats, carbohydrates and proteins.
Why take enzymes?
The medicine is indicated for the following conditions:. The tablets are taken during meals with a glass of clean water, without chewing or crushing.
This has happened to every person at least once in their life when their stomach started to hurt or food simply couldn’t be digested. There are many reasons for this phenomenon. And to help the body improve digestion, you will have to take special medications that are designed specifically for this. If you begin to observe the work of your body and treat it with reverence, you can immediately notice the beginning changes that will indicate problems with the gastrointestinal tract.
The duration of treatment ranges from several days to several months or even years. The maximum daily dose of the drug is 21 tablets. According to the instructions, to facilitate the digestion of food, treatment is carried out according to the following scheme: The cost of the drug varies from 20 to 70 rubles, it depends on the number of tablets in the package. The medicine is contraindicated in children under 6 years of age, with acute pancreatitis, intestinal obstruction, or allergies to the components of the drug.
Side effects are extremely rare and mild. Sometimes the following phenomena occur:. The enzyme preparation Creon helps improve digestive processes.
The active component is pancreatin, auxiliary components are macrogol, paraffin, several iron oxides, titanium dioxide, dimethicone, gelatin. The medicine is produced in the form of capsules in 3 dosages differing in the amount of the active ingredient:. The drug is taken for prophylactic purposes when a person has consumed heavy or poorly digestible food and for a number of diseases. The main indications for taking Creon are:.
According to the information specified in the official instructions, the drug is taken 1 capsule before each meal with a glass of water. It is advisable not to open or chew the capsules. Creon is contraindicated for people with hypersensitivity to the components of the drug. The drug has no side effects. The price of a medicine is determined by the dosage of the active ingredient and the number of capsules in the package, on average it ranges from up to rubles.
The German drug Mezim is produced in tablet form. The active ingredient of the drug is pancreatin. There are three types of the drug, which differ in different concentrations of digestive enzymes:.
The attending physician should describe the dosage regimen, dosage and duration of therapy. Depending on the nature of the disease and its severity, the course of treatment lasts from 2 days to six months. Take the drug with plenty of water without chewing. According to the instructions, treatment regimen: 1 tablet before meals. Pregnant and breastfeeding women should take the medicine with caution.
Contraindications to taking Mezim are:. The drug Festal has several active ingredients - pancreatin, hemicellulose, bile components. The medicine is produced in the form of white dragees with a slight vanilla scent, packaged in strips of 10 pieces. The price for Festal depends on the number of strips in a pack of 2, 4, 6,10 and is 67 rubles.
Festal is taken for: The duration of treatment with Festal can vary from 2 days to several months or years. Adults are prescribed to take 1-2 tablets three times a day after or during meals. For children, the dosage of the medicine and the duration of therapy are determined by the doctor. There are some diseases for which you should not take this drug, these are:. An excellent drug for solving digestive problems.
How to understand when it's time to take enzymes
Overeating often leads to digestive disorders
If you begin to observe the work of your body and treat it with reverence, you can immediately notice the beginning changes that will indicate problems with the gastrointestinal tract. There are a number of manifestations that indicate that it is time to help the stomach:
- Constant fatigue, which appears due to the fact that the body does not receive the proper amount of vitamins and microelements that are so necessary for normal functioning. This is why the body gets more and more tired due to the use and depletion of its own reserves
- Constant drowsiness, which also occurs due to lack of nutrients
- Poor skin condition. It becomes dry and pigment spots may appear on it.
- Poor condition of hair and nails. These are some of the most alarming symptoms that the body lacks vitamins due to poorly digestible food.
- Intestinal problems, namely frequent constipation or diarrhea, flatulence, nausea
- Painful sensations in the abdomen, especially after eating
- Poor appetite, which appears due to discomfort in the stomach
- If a person has at least one of the above signs that problems with the gastrointestinal tract have begun, it is imperative to consult a doctor and start taking enzymes.
Table listing digestive enzymes and their functions in the body
In the table below I provide a list of all the digestive enzymes that are found in the preparations described above. You can find out exactly what substances they digest and what it ultimately gives us. For convenience, I divided it into groups of nutrients: proteins, fats and carbohydrates.
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| Enzyme | Functions, features |
| Proteins (proteins) | |
| Protease | A wide variety of proteins, including gluten and casein (milk protein). It is better when the enzyme preparation contains a protease that acts at different acidity levels - this is either written approximately like this on the packaging, or is indicated as separate items, usually: protease 3.0, 4.5, 6.0 and neutral (pH about 7). |
| Peptidase | Some sources say that peptidase is one of the types of protease, while others say that protease and peptidase are complete synonyms. In general, it is taken to improve protein digestion. |
| Dipeptidyl-peptidase IV | A special type of protease that helps digest proteins even more efficiently and promotes the flow of bile. |
| Papain | Derived from papaya. Apparently, it is involved, first of all, in the digestion of meat. |
| Bromelain | Obtained from pineapple (mostly from the stem). I came across information that bromelain promotes the digestion of various types of proteins and acts at different levels of acidity. It is also used as an anti-inflammatory agent, including for joints - in this case it is taken on an empty stomach. |
| Fats | |
| Lipase | Participates in the digestion of all types of fats - both animal and vegetable. To maintain normal levels of cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood, take on an empty stomach. |
| Carbohydrates | |
| Amylase | It breaks down starches and glycogen into sugars: disaccharides and trisaccharides - mainly, as I understand it, into maltose (a disaccharide consisting of two linked glucose molecules). |
| Glucoamylase | Breaks maltose down into individual glucose molecules, which are then used to produce energy. In general, this enzyme finishes what amylase started. And, moreover, I read that an enzyme preparation with amylase, but without glucoamylase, is essentially incomplete. |
| Diastase | Like amylase, it breaks down starches into maltose. In fact, today the term “diastase” can refer to any type of amylase. |
| Maltase | Like glucoamylase, it converts maltose into glucose. |
| Invertase | Breaks down sucrose (including regular table sugar) into fructose and glucose, in equal proportions. |
| Lactase | Breaks down milk sugar (lactose) into galactose and glucose. I read that approximately 70% of the population suffer from lactose intolerance (respectively, dairy products) to one degree or another. Symptoms of intolerance: increased gas, bloating and/or loose stools. |
| Cellulase | Breaks down plant fiber (cellulose). And we need this not in order to digest and assimilate it, but in order to, by improving its breakdown, release the nutrients associated with it, for example: carotenoids in carrots, polyphenols in berries, folic acid in legumes, spinach and broccoli, and others. |
| Hemicellulase | Breaks down hemicellulose (a type of plant fiber), meaning it continues what cellulase started and does the same job of releasing fiber-bound nutrients. |
| Xylanase | It also destroys hemicellulose. |
| Beta-glucanase | Promotes the digestion of beta-glucans - a type of fiber found in yeast, cereals, and some mushrooms. Even individual beta-glucan supplements are sold - they are used to increase energy in the body, stimulate the immune system, speed up recovery from illness, and reduce the side effects of chemotherapy. |
| Phytase | Neutralizes the well-known antinutrient phytic acid, contained in grains, seeds, nuts, legumes, as well as, for example, coconuts, avocados, spinach, and new potatoes. Phytase converts phytic acid into phosphates and releases its associated minerals: calcium, iron and zinc. |
| Pectinase | Breaks down the pectin shell of proteins contained in fruits and vegetables, thereby releasing them and ensuring absorption. This also reduces the possibility of allergic reactions to certain proteins. |
| Alpha-galactosidase | Reduces gases, bloating, flatulence caused by certain types of carbohydrates (in particular, those contained in legumes), which, being not completely digested in the small intestine, enter the large intestine and are fermented by the bacteria living there. |
Happy shopping and good digestion!
