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Written By Ana Aleksic, MSc Pharm

Pancreatin Benefits: Health Benefits of Pancreatin Enzymes

1. Promotes normal Digestive Health

The Pancreatin supplement is a blend of three key digestive enzymes, namely protease, amylase, and lipase, which aid in the digestion of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats respectively. These degraded food particles are small enough to be absorbed through the intestine. On the other hand, inefficient breakdown of nutrients results in abdominal bloating, irregular bowel habits, cramping, and gas. Thus, by speeding up the digestion and breakdown of the three macronutrients within your gut, pancreatin supplementation can help fix digestive issues.

2. Treats Pancreatic Enzyme Deficiencies

Pancreatin supplement also helps meet the daily needs of the natural pancreatic enzymes if your pancreatic function is compromised and is hindering the normal enzyme production. Pancreatin supplementation offers a great deal of benefit to people suffering from the following pancreatic diseases:

  • Pancreatitis (or inflammation of the pancreas): Pancreatin enzyme supplementation may also helpease abdominal pain via regulating enzyme secretion and minimizing the pressure within the duct (tube) leading off from the pancreas [1]
  • Cystic fibrosis
  • Pancreatic cancer
  • Surgical removal of pancreas

Inadequate fat absorption is a hallmark feature of these disorders and pancreatin supplementation can help break down the food, primarily fat, reducing the excessive loss of fat in stool and the associated symptoms. It bridges the interval until the normal pancreatic function can kick in and start producing enzymes necessary for digestion.

3. Supports Heart Health

Digestion of proteins yields an amino acid, called homocysteine (Hcy). This amino acid is normally converted into other harmless amino acids by our body with the help of vitamins, primarily B12 and folic acid. However, certain disorders such as a problem with the pancreas, interfere with the absorption of vitamin B12. [2] A lack of B12 causes a buildup of Hcy in the blood that drives the formation of plaque within the arteries supplying the heart, contributing to cardiovascular disease. [3] By converting Hcy into safer amino acids, pancreatin can help protect us against heart disease.

4. May fight cancer

The tumor cells protect themselves against destruction by the immune system by forming a protective coat of protein, called fibrin. By working in close association with T cells (types of white blood cells), pancreatin can dissolve the protein coat encircling the tumor cells. [4] This helps destroy the mutated (or cancerous) cells.

5. Boosts Immune Health

Although not much supported by literature reviews, the pancreatin supplement may help dissolute the protective coating of the viruses, including the flu virus. This protective effect of pancreatin may boost the immune system by destroying the viruses before they can attack you.

6. May help fight Inflammation and Immune System Attackers

Pancreatin possesses anti-inflammatory properties that may help you deal with sore joints and muscles. The proteases in pancreatin can disintegrate the immune complexes that are the major culprit behind rheumatoid arthritis, Celiac disease, and other autoimmune diseases. The Pancreatin supplement can decrease the levels of these circulating immune complexes that can cause the body to turn against itself. Trypsin, which breaks down proteins and is a component of the pancreatin supplement has been employed in the treatment of a neurological autoimmune disorder called multiple sclerosis, where it appears to benefit the sufferers. [5]

References

  1. Olesen SS, Juel J, Graversen C, Kolesnikov Y, Wilder-Smith OH, Drewes AM. Pharmacological pain management in chronic pancreatitis. World Journal of Gastroenterology : WJG. 2013;19(42):7292-7301. doi:10.3748/wjg.v19.i42.7292.
  2. Guthikonda S, Haynes WG. Homocysteine: role and implications in atherosclerosis. Curr Atheroscler Rep. 2006;8(2):100-6.
  3. Maron BA, Loscalzo J. The Treatment of Hyperhomocysteinemia. Annual review of medicine. 2009;60:39-54. doi:10.1146/annurev.med.60.041807.123308.
  4. Lipinski B, Egyud LG. Resistance of cancer cells to immune recognition and killing. Med Hypotheses. 2000;54(3):456-60.
  5. Baumhackl U, Kappos L, Radue EW et al. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of oral hydrolytic enzymes in relapsing multiple sclerosis. Mult Scler. 2005;11(2):166-8.
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