Digestive enzymes are produced by the body to help us break down the proteins, carbohydrates and fats contained within food, forming a crucial part of the digestion process. Enzymes are formed and released in different parts of the human digestive system, including in the mouth, stomach, pancreas and intestines.
A number of naturally occurring enzymes are involved in the process of breaking down gluten in food. However, when people talk about gluten enzymes, they are often referring to enzyme supplements. As a Forbes article explains, these supplements are essentially replacements for enzymes that are not being produced naturally in sufficient quantities.
Gluten enzyme supplements are intended to aid in the digestion of gluten and are sometimes promoted as a treatment for various health issues related to gluten intolerance. In this post, we will take a closer look at what these supplements are, how they work, how effective they are, and whether or not they can actually benefit people with coeliac disease, non-coeliac gluten sensitivity and other common gluten-related disorders.
Contents
Understanding Gluten Enzymes
Enzymes are proteins that accelerate chemical reactions within our bodies. They play an important role in the human digestive system and are naturally produced by the body, although some people do not naturally produce all of the common enzyme types in sufficient quantities to break down food properly.
An article from Johns Hopkins Medicine explains some of the different types of digestive enzymes:
- Amylase, which breaks down complex carbohydrates
- Lipase, which breaks down fats
- Protease, which both break down proteins
- Lactase, which breaks down lactose
- Sucrase, which breaks down sucrose
Several companies sell enzyme supplements, claiming to increase the amount of enzymes in the body, with the intention of improving digestion. Some of these products are specifically sold as gluten enzymes and are intended to help the body to break down the gluten contained in wheat, barley, rye and some oats.
DPP-IV is the name of an enzyme that breaks down many of the components found within gluten. As an overview published by Science Direct outlines, it is a form of protease. It is also just one example of an enzyme type that you may see referenced on gluten enzyme supplements. However, most of these supplements will actually offer a mixture of proteases, lipases, amylases and other enzymes, which are intended to work together to break down gluten.
So how effective are these supplements and when can they be used to produce maximum benefit?
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Gluten Enzymes and Non-Coeliac Gluten Sensitivity
In 2018, the Clinical and Translational Gastroenterology journal published a scientific study, which examined the effectiveness of gluten enzyme supplements in helping to tackle the main symptoms of non-coeliac gluten sensitivity.
During the study, patients with non-coeliac gluten sensitivity were asked to maintain a gluten-free diet, with the exception of a slice of wheat bread added to each meal. They were divided into two groups, with one group given an enzyme combination capsule three times a day. This enzyme mixture consisted of semi alkaline protease, peptidase, deuterolysin and cysteine protease. The other group was given a placebo capsule three times a day.
Neither group was aware of whether they were given the enzyme combination or the placebo. They were also asked to answer a questionnaire on their symptoms both before and after beginning the study.
Over the course of the study, it was found that taking the enzyme combination “significantly decreased the change in the score of the symptom questionnaire…compared to the placebo group.” In other words, the change in score for symptoms after eating the wheat bread was lower in the group who took the enzyme supplement.
In particular, among the group of people taking the enzymes, the change in score after consuming the bread with every meal was significantly lower than the placebo group for headache symptoms and incomplete evacuation symptoms. The group taking the enzymes also reported a lower change in score for bloating symptoms.
It was concluded that the enzyme mixture improved symptoms in patients with non-coeliac gluten sensitivity.
Gluten Enzymes and Coeliac Disease
Evidence supporting the effectiveness of gluten enzyme supplements in combating the symptoms of coeliac disease is less conclusive. To date, one of the biggest challenges for researchers has been creating a supplement that can achieve the desired effect while also surviving acidity in the stomach for long enough to be effective.
However, there are some promising signs. A synthetic enzyme called TAK-062 passed phase 1 trials and was able to survive acidity in the stomach. This was followed by a preliminary phase 2 trial, which showed the enzyme could break down at least 95% of gluten. Yet, it must be noted that the phase 2 trial focused on people without coeliac disease.
Crucially, when participants in the phase 1 trial consumed three grams of gluten, the enzyme was able to break down 98% of the gluten, resulting in a remaining gluten amount of less than 50mg. For the majority of people with coeliac disease, this is below the threshold at which symptoms and damage to the intestines would occur.
Nevertheless, further research is required to conclusively demonstrate effectiveness in coeliac patients.
Uses and Limitations of Gluten Enzymes
It is important to understand what the legitimate uses for gluten enzymes are, as well as their limitations.
In general, gluten enzyme supplements are not effective enough to enable people with coeliac disease or non-coeliac gluten sensitivity to regularly consume a diet containing gluten. A permanent gluten-free diet remains the first line treatment for these conditions and is the only truly effective long-term solution.
Where enzyme supplements are useful, however, is in assisting with the digestion of gluten in cases where it has been accidentally consumed. This is a common problem for people with coeliac disease and non-coeliac gluten sensitivity. It is easy to consume a product without realising it contains gluten, or to consume food that has been accidentally cross-contaminated. When gluten enzyme supplements are taken in these circumstances, the negative impact can be reduced.
With that being said, in the grand scheme of things, research surrounding enzyme supplements and gluten sensitivity is still in its infancy and more studies are needed. It is hoped that a combination of enzymes could one day allow gluten to be consumed freely, even by people with a gluten-related health disorder, but it remains a hypothetical scenario.
Key Takeaways
- Gluten enzymes are supplemental enzymes that help in the digestion of gluten, intended primarily for those with gluten sensitivities or celiac disease.
- These supplements typically contain a mix of proteases, lipases, amylases, and other enzymes, including DPP-IV, to break down gluten in food.
- Studies, like one published in the Clinical and Translational Gastroenterology journal, have shown that gluten enzyme supplements can significantly reduce symptoms for people with non-celiac gluten sensitivity, especially in cases of accidental gluten ingestion.
- While there is promising research, such as the TAK-062 enzyme showing efficacy in breaking down gluten in the stomach, conclusive evidence of effectiveness in celiac disease patients is still pending.
- Gluten enzyme supplements are not a cure for celiac disease or non-celiac gluten sensitivity. A strict gluten-free diet remains the only effective long-term treatment for these conditions.
- The primary use of gluten enzyme supplements is to mitigate the effects of accidental gluten consumption, rather than enabling regular consumption of gluten-containing foods.
- Research on gluten enzyme supplements is ongoing, with the hope that future developments could offer more freedom in dietary choices for individuals with gluten-related disorders.
Final Thoughts
Enzymes in our bodies break down the components of food and carefully crafted enzyme supplements have the potential to break down gluten more effectively. This can be especially beneficial to people with gluten-related health disorders. Nonetheless, these enzymes are not a foolproof solution and can only partially assist with digestion.
The best use case for gluten enzyme supplements is to reduce symptoms in the event of accidental gluten consumption. Studies have demonstrated that this can be especially effective for people suffering from non-coeliac gluten sensitivity, where it can reduce the overall impact of gluten in areas like bloating, headaches and incomplete evacuation.
Sources
- “Effective gluten degradation by Aspergillus niger-derived enzyme in a complex meal setting” – Scientific Reports. Read the study on Nature
- “Gluten Degrading Enzymes for Treatment of Celiac Disease” – Nutrients. Read the study on MDPI
- “A Gluten-Digesting Enzyme Passes Phase 1 Trial” – Celiac Disease Foundation. Read the article on Celiac.org
- Ido H, et al. (2018). “Combination of gluten-digesting enzymes improved symptoms of non-celiac gluten sensitivity: A randomized single-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study.” Read the study on PubMed
- Wei G, et al. (2020). “Gluten degrading enzymes for treatment of celiac disease.” Read the study on PubMed
- Pultz IS, et al. (2021). “Gluten degradation, pharmacokinetics, safety, and tolerability of TAK-062, an engineered enzyme to treat celiac disease” [Abstract]. Read the abstract on PubMed