How do pancreatic enzyme supplements work to improve digestion and reduce inflammation?
A. To understand how supplemental pancreatic enzymes work to improve our digestion, we need to first understand how the pancreas itself works. Our pancreas is a digestive organ that’s located behind the stomach. It’s about 10 inches long and looks a little like a tadpole. In fact, the pancreas has a “head” and a “tail” just like a tadpole does.21 While, the pancreas has a number of fascinating functions, we’re going to focus on its enzyme production. The pancreas makes many different enzymes – each responsible for breaking down different types of food into small particles suitable for absorption. When the enzymes leave the pancreas, they are secreted into the intestines where they become activated. The main pancreatic enzymes are the amylases (which digest carbohydrates), proteases (which digest protein), and lipases (which digest fats).21 Pancreatic enzyme supplements can assist the work of our pancreas, improve digestion, prevent damage caused by autoimmune disorders, and reduce infl
