In a study of 92 people with indigestion without a clear biological cause called functional dyspepsia , a pepsin-based protocol decreased symptoms like abdominal pain after 6 weeks of treatment [ 12 , 13 ]. In trials including over children and adults with autism spectrum disorder, pepsin-containing supplements were purported to have a range of beneficial effects [ 14 , 15 ]. The authors claim supplementation helped improve behavior and emotional responses while decreasing vomiting.
In one study, 82 people with chronic gastritis — long-term irritation of the stomach — were given pepsin tablets after meals. Nonetheless, future studies have yet to replicate their results [ 16 ]. Additionally, low levels of pepsinogen have been linked to the development of stomach inflammation and may be used to help diagnose gastritis [ 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 ]. No clinical evidence supports the use of pepsin supplements for any of the conditions listed in this section.
Below is a summary of the existing animal and cell-based research, which should guide further investigational efforts.
However, the studies listed below should not be interpreted as supportive of any health benefit. This approach is advocated by some functional practitioners. Theoretically, resolving low stomach acid helps with digestion and abdominal pain.
Scientists are investigating whether pepsin can kill bacteria in the lab. It is thus plausible that, in the stomach, pepsin might also help destroy bacterial invaders [ 25 ]. However, far more animal and human research is needed before the impact of pepsin on bacterial infections is determined.
Low levels of pepsinogen are linked with a higher likelihood of developing stomach cancer. Some have proposed using pepsinogen levels in the blood to help in early cancer diagnosis — though there is debate as to the usefulness of this strategy. Further studies are needed [ 19 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 20 ].
Reflux is when contents from the stomach come up the esophagus, causing issues like heartburn [ 9 ]. Pepsin from stomach juice can damage the cells in the esophagus — but residual pepsin can also be used to diagnose reflux events. Pepsin is used to help clean leather and to remove residue from photographic film [ 34 , 35 ]. This enzyme also has applications in the food industry. For example, it is used to prepare gelatin and hot cereals.
Pepsin is not found in food since it would basically digest your food before you got a chance to eat it. The human body can produce all the pepsin it needs. The body makes more pepsin when more protein needs to be digested. A study in six healthy people indicated that pepsin is also produced at higher levels in response to ketogenic-like diet , which is higher in fat. Because pepsin supplements are not approved by the FDA for any condition, there is no official dose.
Users and supplement manufacturers have established unofficial doses based on trial and error. Discuss with your doctor if pepsin may be useful as a complementary approach in your case and which dose you should take. Pepsin only works at low pH — that is, in highly acidic environments. Although the stomach is usually naturally acidic, some pepsin supplements include HCl hydrochloric acid to ensure acidity in which the enzyme is thought to function optimally particularly in people with low stomach acid.
Betaine trimethylglycine HCl is a compound that was first isolated from sugar beets. We incorporate physical, electronic, and administrative procedures to safeguard the confidentiality of your personal information, including Secure Sockets Layer SSL for the encryption of all financial transactions through the website.
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For example, when you visit the website, you access servers that are kept in a secure physical environment, behind a locked cage and a hardware firewall. After a transaction, your credit card information is not stored on our servers. Skip to Content View our Accessibility Policy. Written by Phil White. December 30, Updated June 28, Categories: Nutrition Supplementation. Tags: Digestion Vitamins. This article has been vetted by the Onnit Advisory Board. Read more about our editorial process.
What Is Pepsin? Join the Onnit Tribe. Add to bag Learn more. Frank Merritt, Waterman 2. Learn more about his work at www. More articles by Phil White. We just ask that you try it out for at least two weeks to give it a fair shot. The definition of pepsin is a digestive enzyme in the stomach that breaks down proteins into smaller units called polypeptides or peptides for short.
This enzyme helps digest proteins — such as those found in meat, eggs, dairy products, nuts and seeds — by breaking bonds that link amino acids. Pepsin is an enzyme made by the stomach.
It also functions in the stomach. This enzyme is created when stomach acid changes a protein called pepsinogen into pepsin. Pepsin can be found in gastric juices that are acidic and needed to properly metabolize the foods we eat. Glands in the mucous-membrane lining of the stomach, called peptic chief cells, are responsible for making pepsinogen.
This happens after they are stimulated by the vagus nerve and hormonal secretions of gastrin and secretin. Pepsinogen mixes with hydrochloric acid and is then converted to the active enzyme pepsin. Pepsin has maximal activity in acidic environments, ideally around a pH of about 1. It then causes pepsin to be neutralized and denatured. This is important because inside the stomach is intended to be an acidic place. Yes, it is an endopeptidase that breaks down proteins into shorter polypeptide chains.
Technically, it is an aspartic protease and one of three principal proteases in the human digestive system. Amino acids must be broken down before readily being absorbed by the small intestine. Once pepsin degrades proteins into smaller peptides, peptides are then absorbed from the intestine into the bloodstream or further broken down by pancreatic enzymes. Some pepsin is capable of passing from the stomach into the bloodstream, where it continues to breaks down undigested fragments of protein.
These include phenylalanine, tryptophan and tyrosine. This is also believed to help keep the stomach free of most bacteria. How does pepsin work in the body? Its main function is to break down or denature proteins, but it also has other roles, including facilitating nutrient absorption and killing harmful microbes.
The role of digestive enzymes is primarily to act as catalyst in chemical reactions in the body. Digestive enzymes turn larger molecules into more easily absorbed particles that the body can actually use to survive and thrive. There are several main reasons why some people can benefit from taking pepsin enzymes. Pepsin benefits and uses include:. Although pepsin is an important digestive enzyme with many benefits, there are several digestive problems that are linked to dysfunction of pepsin.
These include:. Foods in your diet do not actually contain pepsin, but they can affect your production of stomach acid and digestive enzymes. The volume you produce increases if you eat high volumes of protein.
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