How lipase helps digest fats

Fats newsletter


Lipase enzymes are important protein components of digestion. 

The significance of lipase is due to the ability to convert fats and triglycerides to short-chain fatty acids. Short-chain fatty acids are the main source of nutrition for cells in the colon, and are considered helpful in reducing the risk of inflammation. 

Lipases are found in a variety of sources. First discovered in 1846 by Claude Bernard while investigating pancreatic cells, lipases have since been found in plants, fungi, and microbes. 

Much research is devoted to finding ways to produce lipase for industrial purposes such as management of waste oils. Now, medical research is focusing on the use of lipase enzymes as therapeutic agents.

Lipases are vital in breaking down the fats and triglycerides in our foods. The human body produces a variety of different lipases, from the mouth to the intestinal tract, for digesting different types of fats.

Deficiency of digestive lipase results in gastrointestinal problems, indigestion, and skin rashes related to digestive allergies. 

How is lipase helpful as a supplement?

  1. Dietary lipase supplements are helpful in breaking down fats while they are still held in the stomach. The ability to remain active under acidic conditions is the major advantage of microbial/fungal-derived lipase supplements over pancreatic lipases. 

    Dietary fats can slow down the emptying of the stomach, delaying digestion of the food mass. This leads to bloating and stomach distress. 

    Acid continues to be secreted as long as the food remains in the stomach. 
     

  2. High-fat diets such as the Keto Diet and Paleo Diet are often part of a healthy lifestyle, but the extra fat and oil in the diets may produce unwanted effects such as increased flatulence and fatty stools. Breaking down the fats may help prevent these issues.

  3. Another benefit of fungal lipase supplements is that a prescription is not required. Lipases derived from animal sources, such as Creon, are available by prescription only. 

Lipase is a necessary enzyme to digest dietary fats. The use of lipase supplements can help break down the fats and produce essential short-chain fatty acids. If you try a lipase supplement, take it with your meal to ensure it has plenty of time to do its job and give you the benefits of fat breakdown.

 

Source: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0254629918301029


 


Posted in Digestion;