Digestive enzymes: A Necessary Part of

A Necessary Part of Digestion By Barbara Bolen, PhD Medically reviewed by Jay N. Yepuri, MD Digestive enzymes are substances that help you digest your food. They are secreted (released) by the salivary glands and cells lining the stomach, pancreas, and small intestine.1 Digestive enzymes do this by splitting the large, complex molecules that make up proteins, carbohydrates, and fats into smaller ones. This allows the nutrients from these foods to be easily absorbed into your blood and ... Digestive enzymes are naturally produced by your body to break down and digest food. They help absorb nutrients and keep your gut healthy. Explore the various types of digestive enzymes that break down food into absorbable nutrients, including amylase, lipase, protease, and more. Do digestive enzymes help the body absorb more nutrients and improve gut health? Learn about how they work, potential benefits and the many types (both in supplement and food form) that exist.