Apr. 21, 2025
Amylase, protease and lipase are the three main and most vital digestive enzymes your body utilizes to digest food. A growing number of health problems can be linked to nutrient malabsorption due to a lack of digestive enzymes.
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Amylase has the responsibility of helping your body process carbohydrates into simple sugars while protease breaks down protein and lipase is in charge of fat breakdown.
The role of digestive enzymes is to act as catalysts in speeding up specific, life-preserving chemical reactions in the body. Essentially, digestive enzymes assist in breaking down larger molecules into more easily absorbed particles that the body can use to survive and thrive. Without proper levels of amylase and other digestive enzymes, it really is impossible to have your health be at its best.
By definition, it’s the primary starch-digesting enzyme secreted in the body. To be more specific, it digests carbohydrates (polysaccharides) into smaller disaccharide units, eventually converting them into monosaccharides, such as glucose. Alpha-amylase (α-Amylase) is the major form of amylase found in humans and other mammals and is mainly made the pancreas and salivary glands, but it’s also produced by the small intestine mucosa, ovaries, placenta, liver and fallopian tubes.
The amylase secreted by the salivary glands kicks off the the enzymatic digestion of starches in the mouth as food is chewed and mixed with saliva. It might be surprising, but it’s true that the breakdown of larger, more complex starches into simpler sugars actually starts in your mouth with simple chewing. This is why chewing food thoroughly is truly key to good digestion and optimal overall health.
Amylase is part of a six-step digestive process that begins with chewing in the mouth and triggers the start of a domino effect in firing off mechanisms and secretions:
At this point, if you don’t have a deficit of digestive enzymes, then most of the work is done. However, for many people digestive enzyme supplementation is needed and helps this whole process take place as it should.
What are some of the ways that amylase can benefit your health? Well, aside from the most key and central function to properly digest carbohydrates, it also holds a lot of other valuable health benefits that will probably surprise you.
Your mouth is the place where both the mechanical and chemical breakdown of your food occurs through the combined use of your teeth, jaws and saliva. Amylases are vital to your digestive process because they’re needed to process any starches in your diet, which are a main source from which people derive glucose, the primary sugar molecule the body uses for energy.
It’s key that you combine your body’s natural amylase-producing ability with your natural ability to chew. Why is this important? Because if food is not properly broken down in the mouth, then your body has more work to do in order to digest and extract nutrients and energy from whatever you eat. By chewing thoroughly, you give the amylase more time to process any carbs that you have consumed, and the more time amylase has to work the better and quicker your overall digestion will be.
In addition, cells in your pancreas make another form of amylase called pancreatic amylase, which passes through a duct to reach your small intestine. Pancreatic amylase completes the digestion of carbohydrates.
Food not only provides your body with nutrients, but it also provides it with the energy it needs to keep you going on a daily basis. Glucose is the primary sugar molecule that the body uses for energy, and while you never want to have high glucose levels (think diabetes), you want to obtain some glucose in your diet from healthy sources.
The amylases in your body break starch down into two sugar units, maltose and isomaltose, and then other enzymes, called maltase and isomaltase, hydrolyze these two sugars into the individual monosaccharide glucose. Foods that are high in starch include breads, grains, cereals, pasta, rice, beans, corn, potatoes and peas. If it wasn’t for amylase, your body wouldn’t be able to use foods like these so efficiently to fuel you.
A study published in the Journal of Clinical & Diagnostic Research was designed to determine the serum amylase, blood glucose and the serum lipid profile in 110 type 2 diabetes patients compared to healthy individuals of the same age and sex. The research showed that for the diabetic subjects wherever blood sugar levels were higher, serum amylase activity was found to be significantly lower. This finding was reflective of pancreas malfunction and speaks to the importance of a healthy pancreas producing healthy amounts of amylase.
Another study found that low serum amylase levels are associated with an increased risk of metabolic abnormalities like diabetes as well as metabolic syndrome. Together, these studies show the ability of this digestive enzyme to maintain normal blood sugar levels and help treat or reverse diabetes symptoms.
Stress is by far one of the worst things in the world for your health, particularly chronic stress. Research is showing that amylase can be a very helpful and accurate marker of stress levels.
One study looked at the whether or not the salivary enzyme alpha-amylase could indicate stress-reactive bodily changes. Researchers repeatedly measured salivary alpha-amylase and salivary cortisol as well as plasma catecholamines and cardiovascular activity before, during and after 30 young men underwent the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST).
Results indicated that salivary alpha-amylase is sensitive to psychosocial stress and may be a very helpful additional parameter for the measurement of stress in humans.
Possible reasons for high amylase levels include:
Low amylase levels are also something to be concerned about. The following common health issues could actually be a sign of amylase deficiency:
Testing can be conducted to measure the level of amylase as well as other enzymes in your blood. Amylase level testing can be done with a blood or urine test. For a urine test, it’s likely a two-hour or 24-hour sampling. For a blood test, blood is taken from a vein in your arm. There is more work involved with collecting your urine over a period of time, but there are also no risks, pain or side effects associated with collecting urine samples. If you don’t like needles then the urine test can be a good option.
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Typically, there are only low levels of amylase found in the urine or blood. However, if the pancreas or salivary glands become damaged or blocked then more amylase is often released into the bloodstream and urine. When it comes to blood, amylase levels rise for only a short time. In the urine, amylase may remain high for several days.
Why would a doctor ever test your amylase levels? A test might be conducted for several reasons, including:
If you’re preparing to have your amylase levels tested then you should not consume any alcohol for at least 24 hours prior to testing. If you’re having a blood test then do not eat or drink anything except water for at least two hours before testing. For a 24-hour urine test, make sure that you drink enough fluids during the test to prevent dehydration and to ensure that you collect enough samples.
There are a lot of medications that can affect amylase test results so prior to testing be sure to let your doctor know about any medications or supplements.
A lipase test is often used along with an amylase test to help diagnose and monitor acute pancreatitis, chronic pancreatitis, celiac disease, Crohn’s disease, cystic fibrosis and pancreatic cancer. Increases in the level of lipase may signal the worsening of these diseases. A lipase test along with an amylase test can help monitor treatment effectiveness and outcomes.
Testing results are usually available within 72 hours. Normal value ranges can vary slightly among different laboratories. For a urine test, the normal range is typically 2.6 to 21.2 international units per hour (IU/h). For a blood test, the normal range is usually 23 to 85 units per liter (U/L).
Natural dietary sources of amylase include raw fruits and vegetables, along with sprouted seeds, nuts, legumes and whole grains. Both short- and long-term sprouting helps the body regulate amylase-enzyme activity that’s needed to properly digest glucose, which is especially helpful to diabetics. Royal jelly is also another excellent source.
When it comes to supplements, you’ll find amylase in a general digestive enzyme supplement that includes the other key digestive enzymes as well. A common variety is a full-spectrum enzyme blend for general digestive improvement. You can opt for a supplement that is vegetarian or animal-based.
Digestive enzymes are essentially nontoxic and typically don’t cause side effects. Occasional side effects of digestive enzymes can include mild gastrointestinal distress, diarrhea or allergic reactions. If any of these effects persist or worsen, you should discontinue use of the supplement and speak with your health care provider.
If you take a supplement that includes the digestive enzyme bromelain, then you should know that it has possible cross-reactivity and can provoke allergic symptoms in people who are sensitive to wheat, celery, papain, carrot, fennel, cypress pollen and grass pollen, as well as the plant family that includes ragweed, chrysanthemums, marigolds, daisies and echinacea. If you’re allergic to any of these foods or plant, then you may find that you’re allergic to bromelain and vice versa.
Digestive enzymes should only be combined with blood-thinning drugs like warfarin (Coumadin) under a doctor’s supervision. Combining bromelain and papain with blood-thinning prescriptions can further increase the risk of bruising and bleeding. Some evidence also suggests that bromelain may increase the absorption of certain antibiotics, specifically amoxicillin and tetracycline. Digestive enzymes may also enhance absorption of sedative medicines like benzodiazepines so digestive enzyme supplements should not be combined with sedatives.
Tell your doctor immediately if you have any serious side effects after taking digestive enzymes, including severe abdominal discomfort, joint pain, frequent or painful urination, or allergic reaction.
The Struggle:
The conversion of amylase powder to liquid amylase seems to be a common question we get. Sadly sometimes there is no simple definitive answer. All ingredients are not created equal. Amylase is one of those products. Amylase comes in two forms powdered and liquid. This can be very confusing if you have one type and your recipe calls for the other. So how exactly can you replace one for the other in your recipe?
“How do I replace powdered amylase for liquid amylase?”
No Malaise with Amylase:
In a sense this is actually pretty simple. But even for me when I heard this question I thought “I have no idea”. I did my best to work it out in my head as well as do my due diligence. Amylase is an enzyme so there must be a certain level of enzymatic activity in either the powder or liquid. I checked out the Product Data Sheet and found the enzymatic activity. Amylase is measured in amyloglucosidase units (AGU) per gram. Basically this means that 1 AGU breaks down 1 micromole amount of starch per minute. Without getting into the nitty gritty of it lets just say that 1 micromole is a very….very small amount. But thankfully our liquid amylase has 260 AGU/g. The more you use the more effective it will be. So when thinking about conversion the best, most effective way to do so would be to know how many AGU/g the powdered amylase you are trying to convert has. Do I expect everyone to have the answer to this or even the time to find this answer… no. but one tidbit I did find is that almost all commercial forms of amylase have no more than 600 AGU/g.
So here is what I suggest everyone do when replacing the powdered amylase for our liquid amylase. Start at a 1:1 ratio and replace them. If you are making a dough add the amylase and allow it to proof for 12-24 hours. This way even if the ratio of amylase is lower the extended time will allow for more breakdown of starch and you will end up with the same product. If you want to fine tune your recipe, make 2-3 test batches that will rest for different periods of time; 12, 18, and 24 hours. Cook all of these and see which one you prefer. But most of all enjoy the benefits you get from making an amazing dough using amylase. Check out one of the recipes below to see the benefits of using amylase for yourself.
When You Want It Banana Bread
Conventional wisdom states that a banana must be extra ripe and brown to make the best tasting banana bread. The trick is, add a little amylase to convert those pesky starches into sugar and it’s banana bread any time. Make ridiculously tasty banana with green bananas, we dare ya!
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