Too often insufficient digestive enzyme production is overlooked as the culprit of indigestion, heartburn, and acid reflux. Proton pump inhibitors and antacids actually hinder the body’s ability to physically break down food, which results in a very dangerous cycle. When the body cannot keep up with the level of enzyme production necessary to utilize the nutrients in our food, the body compensates by producing stomach acid in between meals. In fact, there is no such thing really as excess acid production, only inappropriate production when the stomach is empty. Pharmaceuticals and antacids that limit the body’s acid production actually do more harm than good; as a result most patients experience incomplete digestion and sub par nutrient absorption. Adding Devacor not only provides the broad spectrum digestive enzyme blend that will help restore the body’s depleted digestive enzymes (and normalize digestion), it also will help prevent the acid “triggers” that occur when the body cannot keep up. Devacor has a “buffered” second stage delivery system with an alkalization formula for optimal enzymatic activity after the food leaves the stomach for the normally slightly alkaline environment of the duodenum. Using Devacor in lieu of proton pump inhibitors and antacids is possible, and may prove to be a much better solution to many digestive ailments when stomach or duodenal ulceration is not an issue.

The food we eat has three major components Carbohydrates, Fats/ Oils, Proteins, which are digested in our body by enzymes amylase, protease, and lipases respectively. Digestion begins in mouth where the enzyme Ptylin in saliva breaks down starches into more simple sugars. Once the food is swallowed it comes in contact with the hydrochloric acid and enzyme pepsin in the stomach where the digestion of proteins start. In about half an hour the food reaches the intestine, where it is exposed to digestive enzymes secreted by the pancreas, which digests proteins, starches and fats. The gall bladder secretes bile which emulsifies and helps in digestion of fats.

A healthy body produces all these enzymes in sufficient quantities to ensure proper digestion of food. In many people enough quantities of these enzymes are not produced, and they often get the common symptoms of indigestion such as gas, bloating, heartburn and constipation. In such cases, supplementing the natural enzymes secreted by our body ensures that the food is digested properly. Digestive enzymes preparations aid our body enzymes in digestion of food.

The Bromelain and Papain work on the digestion of proteins. Bromelain attacks the long chain polypeptides of the proteins ingested, and breaks them down via hydrolysis to shorter chain peptides. These peptides are subsequently hydrolyzed by Papain, into basic amino acids or lower molecular lower weight peptides.