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Gluten Enzyes--anyone Use These?

RoseRobin

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RoseRobin Rookie
RoseRobin
Posted

On one of my many internet searches re gluten/ celiac, I came across mention of supplemental gluten enzymes (eg, GlutenEase) which can be taken to help with the digestion of gluten. Is anyone familiar with these? Are they helpful for those who are just gluten sensitive, as opposed to those who are actually celiac? Or are they not of any significant help?

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lizard00 Enthusiast
lizard00
Posted

There's a lot of controversy about those. The website says that they are not intended to be used by people with celiac. If for some other reason you are gluten sensitive or intolerant, as can be caused by some bacterial infections, it may be possible to use them.

I've heard of some folks using them as "insurance" if they go out to eat or eat at someone's house, for example. I personally have thought about it for this purpose, too, but I go back to the website: Not intended for use by people with celiac.

They are made my EnzyMedica. Check out their website, it has more information about them.

Mrs. Smith Explorer
Mrs. Smith
Posted

I use them to help with digestion and as insurance for CC-ings! My husband and kids are not gluten free and although I am careful...well u know. I take them with every meal. The ones I use are called Gluten Defense they are by Enzymatic Therapy. I actually stopped taking them for a week recently because I ran out and had really bad D all week. This confirmed to me that they were aiding me anyway. I think maybe they help to digest very minute amounts. There is a disclaimer on the bottle that reads: "Although Gluten Defense will reduce the level of reactive gliadin and gluten in a meal, it is advised that celiac disease sufferers continue with their normal gluten exclusion diet as even small amounts of gliadin can cause adverse reactions in the most sensitized individuals." They do help me and I am gluten free always. I mostly take them to help digest my food as my intestine are damaged. These just seemed a logical choice.

GFinDC Veteran
GFinDC
Posted

I take DPP-iv for minor cc only. I wouldn't suggest anyone use it to intentionally eat gluten though. It seems to help me some and that is a good thing IMHO. I have tried using DPP-iv for casein digestion and it doesn't seem to help me much or any with casein.

gfb1 Rookie
gfb1
Posted
On one of my many internet searches re gluten/ celiac, I came across mention of supplemental gluten enzymes (eg, GlutenEase) which can be taken to help with the digestion of gluten. Is anyone familiar with these? Are they helpful for those who are just gluten sensitive, as opposed to those who are actually celiac? Or are they not of any significant help?

i'm sorry; but there is absolutely no (as in zero) reputable scientific evidence that these enzymes have any effect.

i realize that it is a wonderfully comforting thought, that taking a pill can replace the enzyme that will allow anyone with celiac disease to digest gluten normally... but, it's not true.

there are a couple of enzyme treatments in clinical trials and NOT COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE that involve gliadin-specific enzymes; but, i think that they will have limited utility (due to the nature of celiac disease).

most of these enzyme supplements contain a dipeptidy peptidase, which is a 'general' enzyme that works (mostly) on the amino acid serine or anything that precedes a proline from the amino terminus (meaning one end) of a protein/peptide. unfortunately, gliadin is a glutamine-rich INTERNAL sequence of gluten.

further, there are so many problems with taking these enzymes and having them retain any biological activity; ranging from the pH of the intestinal tract to the fact that your own digestive enzymes will digest/inactivate the enzymes in pill form to there.are.so.many.i.don't.know.where.to begin...

many of the compositions contain an antacid, perhaps reflecting their level of relief (or, discomfort upon missing a pill). they also contain fat or carbohydrate-digesting enzymes (e.g., lipases or amylases, respectively).

digesting proteins and cleaving the proteing bond (based on Nitrogen chemistry) is far different than digesting sugars and/or fats. indeed, the rate of reaction is nearly an order of magnitude (a factor of 10) SLOWER to digest proteins than fats/carbs. meaning that even if the enzymes worked as advertised -- gluten would still be in your gut for a significant period of time. more than long enough to have an immune reaction to the antigen.

i wish that i could be more positive about this, but you can't change the chemistry.

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