Can digestive enzyme supplements help relieve my heartburn?

If you experience heartburn, you are far from alone. Up to 20% of people in the United States have gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), which can cause recurring heartburn. So it’s easy to see the appeal of digestive-enzyme supplements, often advertised as a natural approach to digestive problems.

It’s a booming business, with sales for OTC digestive enzymes topping a billion dollars in the United States, according to some market research. But do digestive enzyme supplements actually relieve heartburn? Here’s what we know.

Digestive enzyme supplements: ingredients and oversight

OTC digestive enzymes claim they can help you break down food, just like digestive enzymes your own body makes (mostly in the pancreas). For example, the enzymes produced by the pancreas include:

• lipase, which breaks down fats
• amylase, which breaks down carbohydrates
• proteases and peptidases, which break down proteins.

The supplement versions of these enzymes come from plants and animals. Plant sources include bromelain, derived from pineapples; papain, derived from papayas; and lactase that’s obtained from purified yeasts or fungi. Animal sources include enzymes from the pancreases of pigs, cows, or lambs.

It’s important to note that supplements are not FDA tested and approved before they reach the market in the same way as prescription medications. Consumers therefore should research supplements carefully and, when possible, choose products that have been independently tested by third parties such as USP Verified Products or the NSF International Certified for Sport program.

When digestive enzyme supplements may help

Unfortunately, there is limited evidence that OTC digestive enzymes help treat heartburn. But we do know that they can help manage other conditions.

Sometimes the body doesn’t make enough digestive enzymes, which can slow the digestion process and lead to uncomfortable symptoms. This is where enzymes can come into play.

For example, if you don’t make enough of the enzyme alpha-galactosidase, needed to digest the sugar in beans, you may benefit from taking an alpha-galactosidase supplement (Beano, Bean Relief).

Or if you don’t make enough of the enzyme lactase, needed to digest lactose (the sugar in milk and milk-based products), undigested lactose can move into the colon, where it draws in extra fluid and is broken down by bacteria, causing gas, bloating, and diarrhea. A lactase supplement (Lactaid, Lactase) may help relieve these symptoms.

What about prescription enzymes?

Sometimes doctors recommend taking prescription-strength digestive enzymes when digestion enzyme levels are low because of health conditions such as chronic pancreatitis or cystic fibrosis. In cases such as these, prescription digestive enzyme medications can help bring levels back to normal.

Keep in mind that these prescription digestive enzyme medications are not treatments for heartburn.

Digestive enzymes and heartburn: the bottom line

Consider digestive enzyme supplements an unproven option rather than a replacement for avoiding foods that trigger your heartburn or using treatments recommended by a health care professional. If heartburn happens often or does not improve, seek medical advice.