Digestive enzymes are proteins that act on specific food components: amylase acts on starch, protease on protein, lipase on fat, lactase on lactose, cellulase on cellulose. Enzyme food supplements supply these in measured activity units, taken with a meal. This page explains how the products in this range differ and how to read an enzyme label.
Every product here is a food supplement, not a medicine. No health claim has been authorised in the EU for any digestive enzyme, so this page describes what each product contains and how the formats differ. It does not describe what any of them will do for you.
How to read a digestive enzyme label
-
Activity units, not weights. Enzymes are declared in activity units (USP, GDU, FCC PU, HUT, CU, DU), because a milligram figure says nothing about how active the enzyme is.
-
Units are not interchangeable. A GDU cannot be converted into an FCC unit or a milligram. Two products can only be compared on the same enzyme measured in the same unit.
-
Named enzymes beat blend weights. A label listing "enzyme blend 200 mg" tells you less than one listing each enzyme with its own activity figure.
-
Source matters for suitability. Enzymes are either plant or microbial (bromelain, papain, fungal proteases) or animal-derived (porcine pancreatic enzymes, porcine pepsin, bovine ox bile). Only plant and microbial formulas are suitable for vegetarians and vegans.
-
Higher is not better. A larger activity figure is a formulation difference, not evidence of a better product.
What is in this range
Broad-spectrum enzyme complexes
Multi-enzyme formulas covering starch, protein and fat, taken with a meal. The NOW Foods Super Enzymes line comes in two formats that are not the same formula: the capsule carries a higher pancreatic enzyme activity and a fungal acid-stable protease, while the tablet carries a lower pancreatic activity, adds porcine pepsin and calcium, and is the smaller tablet at about 2 cm. Both contain porcine and bovine ingredients and are not suitable for vegetarians or vegans.
Plant-based enzyme formulas
Enzymedica Digest Basic is a plant-sourced enzyme blend in a vegan capsule, for anyone avoiding animal-derived enzymes.
Targeted single-purpose enzymes
Some formulas are built around one substrate rather than a full meal. Enzymedica BeanAssist is formulated around the complex carbohydrates found in beans and pulses. EatEnjoy Glutalytic is an enzyme capsule formulated around gluten proteins. Neither is a substitute for a medically required diet, and neither is suitable for anyone with coeliac disease, who must follow a strict gluten-free diet on medical advice.
Choosing a format
| If you want |
Look for |
| A broad multi-enzyme formula for a full meal |
A complex listing amylase, protease and lipase individually with activity units |
| A vegetarian or vegan formula |
Plant and microbial enzymes only. Avoid pancreatic enzymes, pepsin and ox bile, which are animal-derived |
| The smallest thing to swallow |
Compare the stated tablet or capsule size, not the pack size |
| To target one food group |
A single-substrate formula rather than a broad complex |
| To know exactly what you are getting |
A label that names each enzyme with its own activity figure, rather than one blend weight |
Enzymes, probiotics and prebiotics are three different things
They are often shelved together and are not the same. Enzymes are proteins that act on food components and are taken with a meal. Probiotics are live microorganisms. Prebiotics are fibres that are not digested by human enzymes. Products in this range are enzymes; probiotics and prebiotic fibres are listed separately.
Not medicines. The products in this range are food supplements and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease or health condition. No EU-authorised health claim exists for any digestive enzyme. Food supplements should not be used as a substitute for a varied, balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle. Speak to your doctor or pharmacist before use if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, taking medication, or under medical supervision.
Frequently asked questions
What are digestive enzymes?
Digestive enzymes are proteins that act on specific components of food. Each is named for the substrate it acts on: amylase acts on starch, protease on protein, lipase on fat, lactase on lactose, cellulase on cellulose. The human body produces them in the mouth, stomach, pancreas and small intestine, and they also occur naturally in foods such as pineapple (bromelain) and papaya (papain). Enzyme food supplements supply measured activity units of these enzymes in a capsule or tablet.
What is a digestive enzyme supplement?
A food supplement containing one or more enzymes, declared in activity units and usually taken with a meal. Formulas differ in which enzymes they contain, the activity of each, and whether the enzymes are plant, microbial or animal-derived. Under EU law these are foods, not medicines, and no health claim has been authorised for any of them.
What do USP, GDU, FCC and HUT units mean?
They are enzyme activity assays, not weights. Each measures how much of a standard substrate an enzyme preparation acts on under defined laboratory conditions. USP follows the United States Pharmacopeia method, GDU (gelatin digesting units) is the standard assay for bromelain, HUT is a protease assay, and FCC units follow the Food Chemicals Codex methods. Units from different assays cannot be converted into one another or into milligrams.
When are digestive enzyme supplements taken?
Most enzyme labels direct one capsule or tablet with a meal, because enzymes act on food. Always follow the directions on the individual product label and do not exceed the recommended daily dose. These products are for adults aged 18 and over.
How long can you take digestive enzyme supplements?
Each product label states its own directions and duration, and those directions are what to follow. There is no general answer that applies across products. If you are considering taking any supplement long term, or you are taking medication or under medical supervision, speak to your doctor or pharmacist.
Are digestive enzyme supplements suitable for vegetarians and vegans?
Some are and some are not, and the label is the only reliable guide. Bromelain, papain and fungal or microbial enzymes are not animal-derived. Pancreatic enzymes and pepsin are usually porcine, and ox bile extract is bovine, so any formula containing them is not vegetarian. Capsule shells matter too: some are plant-based hypromellose, others are gelatine. Check the individual product page.
What is the difference between digestive enzymes and probiotics?
Enzymes are proteins that act on food components and are taken with a meal. Probiotics are live microorganisms. They are entirely different categories of product with different labelling, different storage requirements and different regulatory positions. Neither carries an EU-authorised health claim.
Why does this page not say what digestive enzymes do?
Because no health claim for any digestive enzyme has been authorised under EU Regulation 1924/2006. Only authorised claims may be made for food supplements sold in Ireland, so this page states what each product contains rather than what it might do. Pages that promise a benefit from an enzyme supplement are making a claim that is not authorised.
Are digestive enzyme supplements legal in Ireland?
Yes. They are sold as food supplements under EU and Irish food law, overseen by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI). They are not medicines. Some enzyme preparations also exist as licensed prescription medicines for specific medical conditions; those are a different category of product, available only on prescription, and nothing in this range is a substitute for them.
Where do these ship from?
Probiotic.ie dispatches from Dublin, so Irish orders carry no customs charges or import duties, unlike orders shipped from outside the EU. Delivery is tracked across Ireland and is free on orders over €75.
- Food supplements should not be used as a substitute for a varied, balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle.
- For adults aged 18 years and over. Do not exceed the recommended daily dose stated on the individual product label.
- Consult your doctor or pharmacist before use if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, taking medication, or under medical supervision.
- Check individual product labels for allergens and for ingredients of animal origin.
- Keep out of reach of children. Store as directed on the label.
- These products are food supplements, not medicines. Food supplements in Ireland are regulated under EU food law and overseen by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI).
