Digestive enzymes help us break down food to extract and process the nutrients. An effective supplement needs to have the right types of enzymes that your body needs for digestion. Some enzymes are only effective in certain pH levels. SpectraZyme Complete contains 3 proteases for breaking down proteins in different pH levels, which is an impressive attribute for a supplement.The pH level inside the digestive tract fluctuates, and clearly this product takes into account these fluctuations in order to improve the efficacy of their supplement.
This product also made our list because it has 11 enzymes, including the three key enzymes protease, amylase, and lipase. A high number of enzymes means that this supplement is working on many fronts to help manage your digestive health. Additionally, none of the ingredients are genetically modified organisms (GMOs) which aligns with our values of choosing natural ingredients.
Is SpectraZyme Complete Effective?
Naturally, our bodies have to break down more than just proteins so an effective enzyme supplement will need to aid digestion of other types of compounds. It seems, however, that besides protein digesting enzymes there is a lack of variety with other types of enzymes. One of our main criteria is that each type of enzyme should contain a few different enzymes of each type in order to cover more options for food breakdown.
This product contains milk, wheat, and soy. While there is nothing inherently wrong with those ingredients for most people, they can be allergens or irritants for others. Additionally, most supplements like to cater the widest spectrum of consumers possible, and make their products vegan friendly which this product is not. Since our review site reaches a wide audience and we also want to be mindful of all types of consumers, the non-vegan and allergen inclusion aspects of the ingredients were part of the reason that this product was not our top pick.
Additionally, we would have liked to have seen the inclusion of Betaine HCL or BioPerine® . While this supplement contains a spectrum of enzymes, it doesn’t have ingredients to help the initial benefits of the enzymes. Betaine HCL boosts stomach acid to help break down food and balances pH levels to make the enzymes more effective, while BioPerine® increases the bioavailability of the nutrients broken down. It is unfortunate that Metagenics didn’t choose to include these in their digestive enzyme supplement.
Is SpectraZyme Complete Safe?
The individual ingredients are safe when not taken in excess. Results and reactions can vary from individual to individual. That said, it’s important to check first that all the ingredients, for example wheat or milk, are safe for you specifically. Additionally, if you are on anti-diabetic medications, SpectraZyme Complete advises that you first consult your healthcare practitioner before taking this supplement.
Approved Science Digestive Enzymes
SpectraZyme Complete
World Nutrition Vitalzym
Source Naturals DigestActiv
Contains a minimum of 15-20 enzymes
✓
x
x
x
Contains Multiple Types of Protein, Carb, Fiber, Fat, and Lactose Absorbing Enzymes
✓
✓
x
x
Contains Key Enzymes Amylase, Protease and Lipase
✓
✓
✓
✓
Includes Boosters Such As Bioperine®
✓
x
x
✓
Provides Stomach Acidifiers Like Betaine HCL
✓
x
x
✓
No additives, preservatives, or artificial ingredients
✓
✓
x
✓
Money-Back Guarantee
✓
x
x
x
Summary
SpectraZyme Complete is a well designed product though we believe it could be better. We were pleased that Metagenics displays the whole label for the product which shows that the ingredients include 11 enzymes. Metagenics aims for transparency and does include enzyme amounts but it isn’t presented in a customer-friendly, easy to understand way but rather requires a lot of knowledge about enzymes in order to understand the label. Lastly, the fact that this product is not free of wheat, dairy, or soy kept it from being ranked higher.
