Enzyme Complex (DigeZyme®, Weizmannia coagulans & plant extracts) | 120 capsules | German Elite Nutrition

Enzyme Complex by German Elite Nutrition

This is a broadly formulated product based on digestive enzymes, supplemented with plant extracts and a bacterial culture. German Elite Nutrition combines the patented enzyme complex DigeZyme with bromelain, papain and pepsin, plus ginger, fennel and the bacterial strain Weizmannia coagulans. You take three capsules a day, spread across your meals, and a bottle contains 120 capsules, enough for forty daily doses. Below you will read the facts about what these ingredients are and how enzymes work.

What digestive enzymes are

Enzymes are proteins that trigger a chemical reaction. Digestive enzymes do this with your food: they break down large nutrients into smaller pieces. Each enzyme has its own task. Amylase works on carbohydrates, protease on proteins and lipase on fats. Cellulase targets plant fibers and lactase on milk sugar, the sugar found in milk and dairy. Important to know: enzymes themselves are not absorbed as whole proteins, they do their work in the digestive tract and are then broken down like other food. That is the reason why the amount and the activity of the enzymes matter, and not just the number of milligrams. Your body produces these enzymes itself, among other places in the pancreas and the small intestine. An enzyme product provides enzymes in addition to this, with a pre-determined amount and activity. How those enzymes work exactly is pure biochemistry: each enzyme fits like a key into a specific lock and accelerates a reaction there.

DigeZyme, the standardized enzyme complex

The basis of this formula is DigeZyme, a patented complex of five enzymes: alpha-amylase, a neutral protease, cellulase, lactase (also known as beta-D-galactosidase) and lipase. Each daily dose contains 800 mg of DigeZyme. The special thing about a standardized branded ingredient is that the activity of each enzyme is fixed in units, such as DU for amylase or FIP for lipase. Those units say more than weight alone, because they indicate how active an enzyme is. In a generic enzyme mix, that information is often missing. Because DigeZyme works with fixed activity values, you know what you are getting with every capsule. DigeZyme was developed by the raw material manufacturer Sabinsa and is widely used in enzyme supplements. The five enzymes together cover the most important groups of nutrients, from carbohydrates and proteins to fats, fibers and milk sugar.

The additional ingredients

In addition to DigeZyme, each daily dose contains several other substances. Bromelain (100 mg) from pineapple and papain (100 mg) from papaya are protein-splitting enzymes, just like the 75 mg of pepsin. In addition, there is 300 mg of ginger extract and 300 mg of fennel seed extract, two plant extracts that have traditionally been associated with food and herbal tea. Ginger and fennel are traditionally used after eating, for example as tea or spice. Finally, Weizmannia coagulans has been added, a bacterial strain that used to be called Bacillus coagulans. This strain is spore-forming, which means it has a protective layer around itself. Each daily dose contains 3 billion colony-forming units. The combination of these extra enzymes, two plant extracts and the bacterial culture makes it a more broadly formulated product than a standalone enzyme mix.

Vegan and the activity in units

All ingredients are plant-based and processed in a vegan capsule, without artificial colors, fragrances or flavors. What distinguishes this product from many simple enzyme products is the transparency: the label shows not only the number of milligrams, but also the enzyme activity in units. For digestive enzymes, that is the number that really matters, because two products with the same amount of milligrams can differ greatly in activity. Store the capsules dry and not too warm, because enzymes and bacterial cultures are sensitive to moisture and heat. This way, the activity is preserved as well as possible during the shelf life. A well-closed bottle in a dry place is therefore more than a detail with this type of product.

In short: this is a completely formulated enzyme product with a standardized core, supplemented with extra enzymes, two plant extracts and a spore-forming bacterial strain. We are completely open about the composition. This way you know exactly what is in every capsule, down to the activity of each individual enzyme.