Each capsule contains:
| Pancreatin 1:8 (180 mg) | |
| Protease | 36,000 USP |
| Amylase | 36,000 USP |
| Lipase | 7200 USP |
| Trypsin 1:75 (35 mg) | 2625 USP |
| Chymotrypsin 1:25 (1mg) | 25 USP |
| Papain | 8,000 FCC |
| Bromelain | 600 GDU |
| Lipase (Aspergillus oryzae) | 20 mg |
| Amylase (Aspergillus oryzae) | 20 mg |
Pancreatin
Pancreatin is derived from pancreatic digestive juice. A highly concentrated form is used in Digeston. It contains activity of the following enzymes: protease (protein digestion), lipase (lipid digestion), and amylase (carbohydrate digestion).
Bromelain
Bromelain is a protease derived from pineapples.
Papain
Papain is derived from papaya. It is a powerful protease with particular activity in cleaving peptide bonds involving basic amino-acids, leucine, or glycine.
Trypsin
Trypsin has particular activity in cleaving peptides at the carboxyl group of arginine and lysine.
Chymotrypsin
The chymotrypsin used in Digeston is highly concentrated. It cleaves peptide bonds adjacent to aromatic amino-acids.
For treating chronic degenerative diseases, where immune complexes, or damaged proteins are a factor, it is the protease part of the formula, which is important, since proteases act on breaking down immune complexes, and damaged or diseased tissue. Many proteins have attached to them carbohydrate moieties, which require enzymes to break them down. Hence a carbohydrase (amylase) is also included in this formula.
For treatment protocol see “Enzymes in the Treatment of Chronic Degenerative Diseases and Other Disorders.”
In treating digestive problems a potent lipase to break down triglycerides also needs to be included, so that all major food types (proteins, carbohydrates and fats) can be digested.
Insufficient enzyme production leads to maldigestion, resulting in impaired nutrient absorption and digestive problems. Commonly encountered symptoms are flatulence and digestive disturbances: constipation or steatorrhea depending on the predominant enzyme deficiency. Deficient enzyme production is found in the following conditions: aging, stress, damage to the intestinal wall (See article on Inflammatory Bowel Disease) and glandular insufficiency. A full diagnostic work-up needs to be performed, since steatorrhea can be a sign of serious disease.
