How To Find A High Quality Effective Digestive Enzyme Supplement

  Sally Harper

  Senior Editor

  Health & Wellness Advice

  [email protected]

The industry behind health supplements is frequently abuzz with new health trends. With each latest fad, such as with digestive enzymes, manufacturers begin creating new products very swiftly. Each immediately espouses the claim that their product is the best or most effective on the market, and will sometimes even manipulate facts in order to attempt to solidify their assertions.

These wild claims are often not backed up by scientific data, contain no real details about how and why they have formulated their version of a supplement the way they have, and do not explain what benefits they provide.

It can be quite confusing for consumers when attempting to figure out which digestive enzyme supplements are worth buying and which should be avoided. We felt that it was time to carefully examine some of the available products from an informed perspective, and decide for ourselves which ones really live up to their claims. 

5 Things To Look Out For In An Effective Digestive Enzyme Supplement

• It should contain a minimum of 15-20 enzymes for optimal digestive health benefits.
• It should consist of plant-based enzymes which offer increased efficacy and are safe for long term use. 
• It should contain within these strands multiple types of protein, carb, fiber, fat, and lactose absorbing enzymes.
• It should contain the key enzymes amylase, protease and lipase. 
• It should contain stomach acidifiers like Betaine HCL which break down nutrients and help balance the stomach pH levels.

What We Uncovered

Immediately we were able to spot the brands that were simply out to cash-in on the latest health trends and make a quick return, versus the high-quality and result driven products.

1. Many of the digestive enzyme supplements do not contain the amount of ingredients that have been shown to get great results like the 15-20 plant-based unique enzymes and stomach acidifier Betaine HCL, nor do they have any scientific or clinical support explaining why they were added.
2. What’s more, they often include unnecessary ingredients that provide no benefit whatsoever. Some formulas do not contain the same potency their labels claim, with many companies even hiding the supplement facts to prevent consumers from better understanding the product’s contents.

This issue can be both disheartening and misleading. Some companies think that sticking a label on their bottle with the words, ‘Digestive Enzyme Supplement’ without even stating exactly what is inside each pill and why certain ingredients have been added, is enough for consumers to want to buy their products. This is simply wrong.

Our Research

Our research identified key areas that we felt raised concerns when purchasing a digestive enzyme supplement. With so many products out there, we felt that we needed clear parameters as to what to look out for when investing in a digestive enzyme product.

• Will it be effective? This is perhaps the main concern for consumers, after all, why waste your money on something that is useless? Unfortunately, there are many products that simply don’t work, which is a real concern for many potential buyers. Consumers need to be aware that there is a precise science in creating an effective formula.

• Will it be too expensive for me to purchase? Our research uncovered many manufacturers selling digestive enzyme products for well over $100. People often think that by paying more, they will get better quality. This is not always the case. Don’t risk your hard-earned money on something that has a price which is over inflated and unrealistic.  

• Is the company open and transparent? For you to understand whether a company is simply exploiting the latest trends, you need to be consumer savvy in order to establish which are the best places from which to purchase products. This means ideal manufacturers should be transparent and open, providing you with as much information and guidance as they can.

Finding Effective, Quality Digestive Enzyme Supplements?

OK, so….there are several key elements to look out for that can pretty much guarantee the product’s authenticity.

1. Monitoring By A Third Party: There are organizations that will independently monitor and track the reputation of a company and assess their customer satisfaction levels. A company’s reputation is incredibly important within the health industry. Make sure you select a top provider, one that has an impeccable reputation and is backed by an independent third-party monitoring organization.
2. 100% Money-Back Guarantee: Many companies offer you a money-back guarantee if their products do not bring the results that you are looking for. Some are better than others. Choose a company who has a solid satisfaction guarantee – a strong guarantee demonstrates the confidence that manufacturers have in their products and the results you will experience.
3. External Testing: This is not the same as a monitoring company. Third-party testing substantiates and verifies the quality of the manufacturer’s product. It can be very expensive for manufacturers to undertake and even disqualify entire shipments of products that don’t reach the desired standards. That said, when manufacturers don’t have independent quality control and testing, there is no way of knowing if their products are effective or safe.

Research On Digestive Enzyme Products

Thorough research takes time and money, which most people don’t have an endless supply of. So, we did the work for you, saving you both! We researched numerous digestive enzyme supplements in order to provide an in-depth analysis of what is out there on the market.  

To determine which products we could rate as beneficial, we checked if they contained the proper ingredients, how potent they were, and their grade of purity. We eliminated products that we found to contain synthetic fillers, unnecessary ingredients, and useless proprietary blends.

However, we didn’t stop there. We understand that facts and figures don’t always tell the whole story – so we looked for real consumers who had purchased and used the products and asked them for their feedback. Their testimonials helped us establish a list of the best possible products currently available on the market.

Our Research Results

An effective digestive enzyme supplement should contain top quality, clinically proven ingredients in significantly potent doses for optimal effect. There are unique digestive enzymes that serve different purposes, which include protein, carbohydrate, fiber, fat and lactose digesting types. Key enzymes that should be included in every blend are amylase, protease, and lipase. The most effective for long term benefits are plant-based enzymes.

By restoring stomach acidity levels, boosters like Betaine HCL should be present in order to assist in the digestion of stomach proteins and help destroy any harmful bacteria in the stomach before they can enter the digestive tract. Stomach acidity boosters can also make the digestive enzymes more effective, because when the stomach contents reach the small intestines the proper pH is necessary to help stimulate the release of more endogenous digestive enzymes. Besides that, special ingredients such as BioPerine® are effective methods for upgrading nutrient bioavailability.   

Most products failed to pass our specific criteria.

There are some manufacturers who actually include some good ingredients in their formulas, but then dilute the potency of the product through the use of unnecessary ingredients. Other manufacturers simply used key ingredients in very low doses, in contrast to the amounts that were proven effective in scientific studies. Still others filled their pills with binders, additives, or preservatives, and all but a handful of them neglected quality control testing.

We are very confident in the brands that we did pick. Given our stringent parameters and reasons for choosing our top products, we are sure our top picks will help you achieve the results you are looking for.

Why Did We Select Our #1 Choice As Our Top Digestive Enzyme Product?

Our top pick not only met all of our strict criteria for a quality digestive enzyme supplement, but it also surpassed them!

Look at what it contains:

• 22 unique enzymes – more than the recommended 15-20.
• Plant-based enzymes – these are essential for long-term intestinal health benefits. 
• Multiple protein, carb, fiber, fat, and lactose absorbing enzymes – most do not contain more than one or two of each.
• Betaine HCL to help stomach acidity – the majority of products do not include this in their formula.
• BioPerine® to enhance bioavailability– none of the other products we reviewed added this.

Our Top Digestive Enzymes Product Choices

Our top choice stands above and beyond the competition, and we think you will agree. The company’s excellent reputation, top quality product, external independent monitoring and testing – coupled with an incredible money-back guarantee policy – makes this an undoubtedly solid pick for our #1 choice.