Vegetarian Enzyme 120 Tabs

The pancreas supplies the major digestive enzymesthat catalyze the breakdown of starches(carbohydrates), proteins, and fats, so that thebreakdown products can be absorbed in the uppersmall intestine.Some carbohydrate digestion takes place in themouth by salivary amylase, but pancreatic amylase isthe major carbohydrate-digesting enzyme. Amylasesbreak down starches to maltose and maltotriose,which are further hydrolyzed into glucose by thedisaccharidases of the mucosal cells, and thenabsorbed. Although cellulose is indigestible bypancreatic and intestinal enzymes, the microflorawithin the large intestine may degrade it and produceuncomfortable symptoms in the process.Although fat digestion starts in the mouth with theaction of salivary lipase, the great majority of fattriglycerides are digested by pancreatic lipase secretedby the exocrine pancreas into the duodenum. Lipasesbreak down triglycerides into monoglycerides andfree fatty acids, which are efficiently absorbed in theupper small intestine.Protein digestion is initiated in the stomach by pepsinand hydrochloric acid, which denature and breaklarge proteins down to smaller polypeptides. In thesmall intestine, proteases break down thesepolypeptides into free amino acids, and di- andtripeptides, which are directly absorbed by theintestinal mucosa.Vegetarian Enzyme provides catalytically activeenzymes specific for fats, carbohydrates and proteins,similar in effectiveness to pancrease-deriveddigestive enzymes.