Understand the function of digestive enzymes to absorb food

Implementing a healthy diet is the key to maintaining overall body health. However, to be able to get every benefit from the nutrients in these foods, you need the help of digestive enzymes. If the enzymes in your digestive system don't work properly, your body will have a hard time absorbing nutrients. This can increase the risk of various health problems, from malnutrition to malnutrition.

How do digestive enzymes help the body take up every food nutrient?

Every food we eat must be broken down into basic nutrient molecules (protein, fatty acids, carbohydrates, and vitamins and minerals) so that they are easily absorbed and circulated through the bloodstream to support the body's metabolism.

The process of absorption of these nutrients is largely aided by the presence of enzymes which are secreted at various points along the digestive tract. Without these enzymes, the food we eat will build up and rot in the stomach, and we will not be able to get nutrients and energy from food. In short, you cannot live without digestive enzymes.

Most of the digestive enzymes are produced by the pancreas. The salivary glands in the mouth, liver, gallbladder, stomach, and small intestine and large intestine also produce enzymes to help break down food. The amount and type of enzymes produced depends on what you eat and how much you eat.

Various kinds of digestive enzymes and their functions

Your body produces various digestive enzymes to absorb the nutrients contained in food. Here are the various digestive enzymes and their functions:

1. Amylase

Amylase is a digestive enzyme that the body needs to digest complex carbohydrates in order to make them simpler. The reason is, this enzyme functions to break down starch into glucose.

Amylase consists of two types, namely ptyalin amylase and pancreatic amylase. Ptyalin amylase is produced in the salivary glands which functions to destroy sugar while it is still in the mouth and into the stomach. Meanwhile, pancreatic amylase is produced in the small intestine and is responsible for continuing the work of ptyalin by digesting the sugar that enters the small intestine.

Measurement of amylase levels in the blood is sometimes used as a means of diagnosing pancreatic or other gastrointestinal diseases.

2. Lipase

Lipase is an enzyme that is responsible for breaking down fat from the food you eat. In particular, lipases break down fat into fatty acids and glycerol (sugar alcohol). In your body, lipase is produced in small amounts by the mouth and stomach. While in larger amounts, lipase is produced in the pancreas.

Lipase is also found in breast milk to help make it easier for the baby to digest fat molecules while breastfeeding. Lipids play many roles, including long-term energy storage and supporting cellular health.

3. Protease

Proteases are enzymes in the digestive system that break down protein into amino acids. This enzyme is produced in the stomach, pancreas, and small intestine. However, most of the chemical reactions occur in the stomach and small intestine. The following are the main types of protase enzymes found in the human digestive tract: