Impact of Gut Enzymes on Human Health by Anay Suralkar

Abstract

The human gastrointestinal tract is a highly complex environment in which diet interacts

with body enzymes and resident microbes to support health. This provides an overview

of the diverse array of gut enzymes produced by gastrointestinal tissue and microbes,

as well as how pH, dietary nutrients, and microbial composition influence their function.

The article also reports on the function of the gut microbiota in modulating immune

function, metabolism, brain function, skin health, cardiovascular health, and cancer

prevention. Dysbiosis, or an imbalance in the gut microbial community, is linked to

numerous diseases, ranging from autoimmune diseases to mental illnesses. Therapies

to rebalance the gut, including dietary changes, probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, and

personalised enzyme therapies, hold promise to improve overall well-being. This review

emphasises the importance of a balanced gut ecosystem and paves the way for future

individualised therapies targeted at this vital system.

Key words - Gut enzymes, gut lining, gut microbiome, dysbiosis, cardiovascular health, cancer, mental illness, prebiotics, probiotics, dietary changes, supplements,

Introduction

The human gastrointestinal tract is a complex ecosystem where digestive enzymes, a

diverse microbiome, and diet interact dynamically to maintain health. This research

explores how enzymes produced by both gut tissue and resident microorganisms

facilitate digestion, how gut flora is structured, which factors influence enzyme

production, and how different diets affect this entire system. The aim is to synthesise

this information to highlight practical implications for human health.What are enzymes?

Enzymes are biological catalysts that significantly speed up chemical reactions

occurring within living organisms. Most of the enzymes are proteins, composed of long

chains of amino acids, that fold into complex three-dimensional shapes. Each enzyme is

highly specific, typically catalysing only one particular chemical reaction or type of

reaction. This specificity is due to the unique structure of the enzyme's active site, which

binds only to its corresponding substrate. Moreover, enzymes are not consumed or

permanently altered in the reactions they facilitate, allowing them to be reused

repeatedly within biological systems.

Enzymes in the Human Gut

Gut enzymes are enzymes produced in the gut either by the wall of the digestive tract or

by the microbial communities that thrive within it.

Enzymes carry out the digestion of various substrates.

Digestion occurs in a stepwise manner in different parts of the digestive tract due to the

localisation of enzymes at various places along the digestive tract.

1. Carbohydrate Digestion: Begins in the mouth with salivary amylase and

continues in the small intestine with pancreatic amylase. Disaccharidases

(maltase, sucrase, lactase) complete the digestion.

2. Protein Digestion: Starts in the stomach with pepsin and continues in the small

intestine with enzymes like trypsin, chymotrypsin, carboxypeptidase, and

aminopeptidase.

3. Fat Digestion: Begins in the stomach with gastric lipase, but is most effective in

the small intestine with the help of pancreatic lipase.

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