Digestive Enzymes may help with IBS Symptoms

Results of our research into the role of enzymes in a healthy digestive system and how taking enzyme supplements may help IBS Sufferers

We have read a couple of articles recently in the National Papers and monthly magazines about supplementing your diet with digestive enzymes, so thought we should investigate further.

In a normally functioning digestive system there are a variety of enzymes that digest the different foods we eat; the ones in our saliva start the process as soon as we begin chewing, and the process continues right through to the intestines. Specific enzymes are designed to work on specific foods for instance protease and pepsin breakdown proteins, amylase breaks down carbohydrates and lipases break down fat. A healthy digestive system will produce sufficient amounts of each enzyme to digest the foods we have eaten. There are well known medical conditions such as lactose intolerance where the system is not producing sufficient enzymes (in this case lactase) to digest the foods and the symptoms of this inefficiency are very similar to those of IBS, i.e.: bloating, pain, diarrhoea, constipation.    

In our research we have come across two specific areas that are of interest to IBS sufferers. One researcher, Dr Nathalie Vergnollee identified a high level of protease (protein digesting enzymes) in all the IBS sufferers she tested, which is very unusual in a study of this nature. Her theory is that this high level is reacting with the nerve cells and intestine membranes to trigger pain and cause hypersensitivity. She is continuing to research why the over production is occurring and confirm the link with the physical symptoms, but if she does then this could help the medical profession both diagnose (a test that would show unusual protease levels is feasible) and enable them to identify drugs that can inhibit protease production. We will keep an eye on progress on this research. 

The second theory of interest with respect to enzyme deficiencies relates to a theory about a link to a disease called ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and IBS. AS is a genetically linked form of arthritis triggered by a bacteria called klebsiella, which lives in the gut and feeds on undigested starch. As well as suffering from back and joint pain, AS sufferers often have IBS symptoms. If are suffering from lower back pain and IBS symptoms it seems worthwhile asking the Doctor for a blood test to confirm whether you have the gene or not. Once diagnosed there is evidence that reducing your dietary starch will help reduce your AS symptoms (see Carol Sinclair’s book “The IBS Low Starch Diet”). It also follows that taking a supplement containing amylase (the carbohydrate enzyme) which help you digest starch will minimise the undigested starch in your intestine, and reduce the available food for the klebsiella bacteria.

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