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Gut Health

Amylase

Alpha-amylase / 1,4-α-D-glucan glucanohydrolase (EC 3.2.1.1)
Evidence Level
Preliminary
1 Clinical Trial
3 Documented Benefits
1/5 Evidence Score

Amylase is the enzyme that initiates carbohydrate digestion by hydrolyzing complex starches (amylose and amylopectin) into smaller saccharides (maltose, maltotriose, dextrins). Humans produce amylase in two main locations: salivary glands (ptyalin/salivary amylase begins starch digestion in the mouth) and pancreas (pancreatic amylase, the primary digestive amylase, acts in the small intestine). Enzyme products differ in source: pancreatic enzymes are extracted mainly from pig or cattle pancreas, while other products use enzymes made by microbes or plants. Most of the human research on swallowed amylase comes from pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy, a prescription medicine for people diagnosed with pancreatic insufficiency, not an over the counter supplement. None of the studies cited on this page tested an amylase supplement in healthy people, so what a digestive enzyme capsule does for ordinary digestion is unproven.

Studied Dose No cited trial establishes a dose of supplemental amylase for healthy people. Product labels state amylase in activity units such as DU rather than in milligrams.
Active Compound Alpha-amylase enzyme measured in DU (Dextrinizing Units) or FCC units

Benefits

Starch digestion

Amylase splits starch into maltose and other short sugar chains. In a laboratory model of digestion, salivary amylase released about 80 percent of the starch in bread and 30 percent of that in pasta before stomach acid shut it down, and the pancreas makes more for the small intestine. No cited study tested whether swallowing extra amylase improves digestion in healthy people.

Supported by Trial 1

Part of prescription pancreatic enzyme therapy

Amylase is one of the enzymes in pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy, a prescription medicine for people whose pancreas cannot make enough enzymes. In a pooled analysis of 17 studies in chronic pancreatitis it improved fat absorption and reduced fecal fat. That is drug evidence in diagnosed patients and does not show that an over the counter amylase supplement helps healthy digestion.

Supported by Trial 1

Post-meal fullness and bloating

Digestive enzyme blends are often sold for fullness, bloating or gas after starchy meals, but none of the studies cited on this page tested an enzyme supplement against placebo for these symptoms. Whether amylase changes post-meal comfort in healthy people is untested.

Supported by Trial 1

Mechanism of action

1

Hydrolysis of α-1,4 glycosidic bonds in starch

Alpha-amylase (the most common form) cleaves internal α-1,4 glycosidic bonds within amylose and amylopectin starch chains, producing maltose, maltotriose, and α-limit dextrins. The intermediate products are then further hydrolyzed by maltase, isomaltase, and sucrase enzymes in the small intestinal brush border to free glucose, which is absorbed via SGLT1 and GLUT2 transporters.

2

Branch-point and limit dextrin handling

Alpha-amylase cannot cut the α-1,6 branch points in amylopectin, so it leaves short branched fragments (alpha-limit dextrins) that enzymes on the small intestine lining finish off. When pancreatic enzyme output is low, more starch can pass undigested into the colon, where bacteria ferment it. This is the usual explanation for bloating after starchy meals in people with reduced pancreatic function; it is textbook physiology, not something the cited studies tested with a supplement.

3

Calcium-dependent activity

Alpha-amylase is a calcium-dependent enzyme: a bound calcium ion holds its active site in working shape. Whether diet or minerals change the activity of a swallowed amylase supplement has not been tested in the studies cited here.

Clinical trials

1
Prescription Pancrelipase Microtablets in Infants with Cystic Fibrosis: Dose Trial
PubMed

Phase II randomized, investigator-blinded, parallel-group pilot study of enteric-coated pancrelipase microtablets, a prescription enzyme medicine, at four lipase doses per meal for 5 days after a 5-day run-in. (Van de Vijver et al. 2011, J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr)

16 children aged 6 to 30 months with cystic fibrosis and pancreatic insufficiency, 4 per dose group.

None of the higher doses improved fat absorption over the 500 units per kg baseline dose, which gave about 89 percent fat absorption. Palatability was rated fair to good and no serious adverse events occurred. The trial measured fat absorption with a prescription drug and did not test amylase or carbohydrate digestion.

Side effects and drug interactions

Common Potential side effects

No safety data for amylase supplements in healthy people appear in the studies cited here.
In a trial of prescription pancreatic enzymes in infants, some children had gastrointestinal symptoms and no serious adverse events were reported.

Important Drug interactions

Acarbose: the U.S. prescribing label says digestive enzyme preparations containing carbohydrate-splitting enzymes, such as amylase or pancreatin, may reduce the effect of acarbose and should not be taken at the same time.
No other drug interactions were reported in the studies cited here, which is not the same as none existing; ask your pharmacist if you take regular medication.

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Frequently asked questions about Amylase

What is amylase?

Amylase is a digestive enzyme that breaks down starches and complex carbohydrates into simpler sugars. The body makes it in saliva and the pancreas, and it is a standard component of digestive-enzyme supplement blends.

What is amylase used for in supplements?

It is sold to help break down carbohydrate rich meals, and it is almost always combined with other enzymes like protease and lipase. Be aware that the human studies cited on this page are about prescription pancreatic enzyme medicine in people with diagnosed pancreatic disease. No study here shows that an amylase supplement eases fullness or bloating in people without that diagnosis.

When should I take amylase?

Labels typically say to take it at the start of a meal so the enzyme is present as food is digested, and it is aimed at starchy or carbohydrate heavy meals. This timing is based on how the enzyme works, not on any dosing study cited here.

Is amylase safe?

No study cited here tested the safety of amylase supplements in healthy people, though prescription pancreatic enzyme products were well tolerated in their trials. People with pancreatic conditions should use prescribed products under a doctor's care, and anyone taking acarbose should not take amylase at the same time.

What is Amylase used for?

Amylase is researched primarily for Gut Health. Amylase splits starch into maltose and other short sugar chains. In a laboratory model of digestion, salivary amylase released about 80 percent of the starch in bread and 30 percent of that in pasta before stomach acid shut it down, and the…

What is the recommended dosage of Amylase?

No cited trial establishes a dose of supplemental amylase for healthy people. Product labels state amylase in activity units such as DU rather than in milligrams. Always follow the product label and check with a healthcare provider for personal advice.

Does Amylase interact with any medications?

Possible interactions include: Acarbose: the U.S. prescribing label says digestive enzyme preparations containing carbohydrate-splitting enzymes, such as amylase or pancreatin, may reduce the effect of acarbose and should not be taken at the same time. If you take prescription medication, check with a pharmacist or doctor before using it.

How strong is the scientific evidence for Amylase?

NutraSmarts rates the evidence for Amylase as Preliminary (1 out of 5). It is backed by 1 study summary and 8 cited references summarized on this page. A higher rating reflects more, larger, and better-designed human studies.

References(8 citations)

Evidence ratings on NutraSmarts are based on the totality of human clinical research, with emphasis on randomized controlled trials, meta-analyses, and systematic reviews. The references below directly support claims made throughout this page.

  1. de la Iglesia-García D, Huang W, Szatmary P, Baston-Rey I, Gonzalez-Lopez J, Prada-Ramallal G, Mukherjee R, Nunes QM, Domínguez-Muñoz JE, Sutton R, NIHR Pancreas Biomedical Research Unit Patient Advisory Group. Efficacy of pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy in chronic pancreatitis: systematic review and meta-analysis. Gut. 2017;66(8):1354-1355. doi: 10.1136/gutjnl-2016-312529.PubMedUsed to support: Systematic review and meta-analysis of 17 studies (511 patients) of prescription pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy in chronic pancreatitis: it improved fat absorption versus placebo and baseline and reduced fecal fat, fecal weight and abdominal pain. It is drug treatment for a diagnosed disease and does not test amylase on its own or in healthy people.
  2. Vujasinovic M, Valente R, Del Chiaro M, Permert J, Löhr JM. Pancreatic Exocrine Insufficiency in Pancreatic Cancer. Nutrients. 2017;9(3):183. doi: 10.3390/nu9030183.PubMedUsed to support: A review article about pancreatic exocrine insufficiency in people with pancreatic cancer. It provides background on what happens when the pancreas cannot make enough enzymes, but it is not original research and does not test a supplement or measure post meal fullness.
  3. Ferrone M, Raimondo M, Scolapio JS. Pancreatic enzyme pharmacotherapy. Pharmacotherapy. 2007;27(6):910-20. doi: 10.1592/phco.27.6.910.PubMedUsed to support: A review of prescription pancreatic enzyme drug therapy. It describes how those medicines are dosed by prescription in diagnosed pancreatic insufficiency and cannot be used to set a dose or support a benefit claim for an over the counter amylase supplement.
  4. Freitas D, Le Feunteun S. Oro-gastro-intestinal digestion of starch in white bread, wheat-based and gluten-free pasta: Unveiling the contribution of human salivary α-amylase. Food Chem. 2019;274:566-573. doi: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2018.09.025.PubMedUsed to support: A laboratory experiment that simulated digestion of white bread and pasta: before stomach acid inactivated it, salivary amylase released about 80 percent of the starch in bread and 30 percent of that in pasta. No people took anything in this study, so it supports the mechanism only and says nothing about supplements.
  5. Perry GH, Dominy NJ, Claw KG, Lee AS, Fiegler H, Redon R, Werner J, Villanea FA, Mountain JL, Misra R, Carter NP, Lee C, Stone AC. Diet and the evolution of human amylase gene copy number variation. Nat Genet. 2007;39(10):1256-60. doi: 10.1038/ng2123.PubMedUsed to support: A genetics and anthropology study showing that people from populations with starch rich diets tend to carry more copies of the AMY1 gene and make more salivary amylase. It shows amylase matters in human biology, but it is not a trial of a supplement and reports an association rather than an effect.
  6. Van de Vijver E, Desager K, Mulberg AE, Staelens S, Verkade HJ, Bodewes FA, Malfroot A, Hauser B, Sinaasappel M, Van Biervliet S, Behm M, Pelckmans P, Callens D, Veereman-Wauters G. Treatment of infants and toddlers with cystic fibrosis-related pancreatic insufficiency and fat malabsorption with pancrelipase MT. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 2011;53(1):61-4. doi: 10.1097/MPG.0b013e31820e208e.PubMedUsed to support: Randomized, investigator-blinded pilot study in 16 infants and toddlers with cystic fibrosis: prescription pancrelipase microtablets at 500 units lipase per kg per meal gave about 89 percent fat absorption, and higher doses did not improve it. Some children had gastrointestinal symptoms; no serious adverse events. Does not test amylase or carbohydrate digestion.
  7. U.S. National Library of Medicine, DailyMed. Acarbose tablets: prescribing information (Hikma Pharmaceuticals USA Inc.). DailyMed. 2024;.SourceUsed to support: Not PubMed-indexed. The FDA-approved acarbose label states that digestive enzyme preparations containing carbohydrate-splitting enzymes (for example amylase, pancreatin) may reduce the effect of acarbose and should not be taken concomitantly.
  8. Ianiro G, Pecere S, Giorgio V, Gasbarrini A, Cammarota G. Digestive Enzyme Supplementation in Gastrointestinal Diseases. Curr Drug Metab. 2016;17(2):187-93. doi: 10.2174/138920021702160114150137.PubMedUsed to support: Non-systematic review of digestive enzyme supplements. Products differ in enzyme type, source and dose; pancreatic enzymes are extracted mainly from pig or cattle pancreas, and plant-based and microbe-derived enzymes are also available. Background on sources only; it does not test an amylase supplement in healthy people.