Digestive enzymes are proteins that your body synthesizes to break down food molecules and aid digestion. There are several digestive enzymes that are produced naturally in the body. Each enzyme is produced in a different organ and performs a specific function related to digestion.
Examples of digestive enzymes:
Amylase is involved in breaking down complex carbohydrates into smaller sugar molecules.
Lipase is responsible for breaking down fats so they can be absorbed by the body as fatty acids and glycerol.
Protease helps break down proteins into amino acids.
Pepsin and Trypsin help to break down proteins into amino acids.
Deoxyribonuclease and Ribonuclease break bonds in nucleic acids such as DNA and RNA.
Lactase breaks down lactose.
Sucrase breaks down sucrose.