- What is amylase?
Amylase is an enzyme that can break down starch and convert it into sugars. It was very the first enzyme to be found and isolated in 1833 by scientists Anselme Payen. Amylase enzymes are all considered glycoside hydrolases and they function on α-1, 4-glycosidic bonds. Greek letters usually represent specific amylase proteins. Human saliva, the place where the digestion process initiates contains alpha-amylase.
Amylase (alpha amylase) is additionally made by the pancreas to hydrolyze dietary starch into trisaccharides and disaccharides which are afterwards transformed by dissimilar enzymes into glucose thus offering necessary energy for the human body. If the system has an amylase deficiency, there are various supplements to replace it and maintain the process of glucose production.
The human body isn’t the only one to makes amylase. Beta-amylase is found in:
- plants
- bacteria
- molds
- yeast
Food that contains starch but not so much sugar like potatoes and rice which have a slightly sweeter taste when they chewed because the amylase found in the saliva transforms the starch into sugar directly within the mouth. Beta-amylase has a great role in the beer industry because it can help with the fermentation process. It is additionally one of the main substances used to soften starchy material and that is the reason why it is used in every laundry fabric softener.
- Health benefits
The amylase must work together with other enzymes to break down starchy carbohydrates and allow molecules to be absorbed. The body’s capacity of absorbing dietary starches is inhibited by starch blockers, amylase inhibitors that are composed of various materials. Even though some individuals recommended amylase inhibitors as an efficient weight loss product, preliminary research showed that it is not very successful at stopping the carbohydrates to be absorbed.
Nonetheless, more recent studies proved that if used in very high concentrated doses, amylase inhibitors can limit the assimilation of carbohydrates within body, thus not permitting them to deposit and form fat tissue.
The increasing blood sugar levels in people with diabetes but also in those with circulatory system problems can be decreased when taking purified starch blocker extracts, more precisely amylase inhibitors, combined with starchy foods. Many blood sugar connected illnesses can be alleviated by adhering to a health treatment based upon this particular combination.
Primarily, amylase is the enzyme that helps the organism digest carbohydrates; therefore, without it the digestion process would become more difficult and may create health problems. Since almost all foods found today on the open market contain starch, amylase might not succeed in breaking it all down, and that is why amylase supplements exist. They are frequently prescribed when suffering from:
- diabetic ketoacidosis
- chronic pancreatitis
- toxemia during pregnancy
- pancreatic cancer
- kidney failure
- pancreatic pseudocysts.
While the amylase enzyme can break down starch and improve the digestive system and overall process, amylase inhibitors are exactly the opposite. They decrease amylase production so that the level of glucose will not become too high and cause health problems. Simultaneously, since the sugars in the body are found in small amounts, people may observe some weight loss. Even though, this was a debatable issue in the past that reached to the conclusion that the effects of amylase inhibitors were almost inexistent, after the year 2000, research studies have shown that dosages with high concentrations of inhibitors do have positive results over fat loss. However, there are several possible side effects such as diarrhea, based on the negative effects that the undigested starch may have on the intestines.