Ortho Digestzyme

Hectic lifestyles and overcooked food can make digestion less than optimal. Poor digestion can produce bloating and gas, cramping, diarrhea or constipation, and even food intolerances. Incomplete digestion of food proteins may also be linked to food allergies, and improper digestion of foodstuffs can cause foods to be fermented in the gut, and can lead to the proliferation of “bad” bacteria and yeast at the expense of “good” intestinal bacteria. More complete digestion removes a potential food source for these bad bacteria, allowing for the complete breakdown of food proteins which helps support regular bowel movements.

Ortho Digestzyme is a full-spectrum enzyme strategically designed to support each phase of digestion. In the gastric phase, betaine HCl and pepsin prime the stomach, ensuring proper pH to initiate the first phase of digestion. This sets up for the second stage of digestion, the enteric phase, in which high-concentration protease, amylase, lipase, and trypsin are released and activated in the small intestine to ensure proper protein breakdown and fat absorption. This unique blend of high-powered enzymes works to enhance digestion and ensure maximum nutrient intake.

Enzyme and Stomach Acid Depletion
Since stomach acid and healthy digestive enzymes are essential for access to nutrients from foods, depletion of enzymes and hydrochloric acid may result in suboptimal nutritional status.

Gastric Phase Digestion (Stomach)
Betaine hydrochloride is an acidic form of betaine, used in the gastric phase to help bring the stomach to a more acidic pH to aid in digestion. Studies have shown the ability to secrete gastric acid decreases with age. Common symptoms of low gastric acidity include: bloating, belching, burning and flatulence immediately after meals, a sense of “fullness” after eating, indigestion, diarrhea or constipation, multiple food sensitivities, and nausea after taking supplements. Ortho Digestzyme also contains pepsin, a protease secreted in the stomach by chief cells for added digestive power in the gastric phase.

Enteric Phase Digestion (Small Intestine)
Pancreatin, bromelain, papain and ox bile extract support enteric phase digestion in the small intestine for further digestion of proteins and fats. Pancreatin extract is composed of three different enzymes: amylase, lipase and protease. All help to digest starch, protein and fat and enhance enzyme activity to support digestion. Eighty percent of pancreatic enzymes by weight are proteases. Lipase works with ox bile extract to emulsify and digest fats. Research has shown that papain, a protease derived from papaya, can help digest wheat gluten in the small intestine and render it harmless in those who are gluten sensitive. Finally, bromelain, an enzyme extracted from pineapple, aids in the digestion of protein and has been shown to help maintain normal levels of inflammation.