enzyme · for bloating
Digestive Enzymes
Help break food down properly, so less of it ferments and produces gas.
Say that in clinical terms
Amylase, protease, and lipase improve macronutrient breakdown, reduce undigested food fermentation.
How strong is the research?
In 20 people with IBS, the enzyme taken before trigger meals was no better than placebo.
4 papers read, 3 supporting, 1 against.
Tested as: proprietary multi-enzyme complex blend (specific branded formulations; not single-enzyme supplements and not multi-enzyme blends combined with herbal ingredients)
Who was studied: Studied in people with diagnosed IBS.
How much to take
with meals
1–2 capsules
Take at start of meal. Multi-enzyme formula with amylase, protease, lipase preferred.
Before you take it
- No NIH ODS Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL) has been established for OTC multi-enzyme digestive supplement blends.
- Proteolytic enzyme components (bromelain, papain, serrapeptase) inhibit platelet aggregation and may potentiate the effect of anticoagulants (warfarin, heparin) and antiplatelet agents (aspirin, NSAIDs); concurrent use warrants medical supervision due to increased bleeding risk.
- Persons with documented allergy to pineapple or papaya may experience allergic reactions to formulations containing bromelain or papain, respectively.
- OTC digestive enzyme supplements are not regulated by the FDA as drugs; potency, purity, and enzyme activity are not independently verified and may differ from label claims.
- In IBS patients, digestive enzyme supplements address maldigestion-type bloating only; using enzyme supplements to self-treat presumed IBS without excluding structural or inflammatory causes (IBD, celiac disease, exocrine pancreatic insufficiency) could delay appropriate diagnosis.
What we make of it
Four problems at once, starting with a citation that cannot be found.
The detail
The record calls this both a systematic review and a single trial, which cannot both be true. The identifier does not resolve in any database. Whatever the underlying study is, we cannot currently verify it.