Does your digestion¹ leave something to be desired? If you often experience discomfort² after eating, you're not alone. According to the National Institutes of Health, 60 to 70 million Americans are affected³ by digestive diseases. Many are trying a fairly new but growing category of supplements called digestive enzymes⁵, which may help the body break down compounds in food.

你的消化系统是否还有待改进？进食后你是否会有不适感？你不是一个人！据美国国立卫生研究院统计，6000至7000万美国人都患有消化系统疾病。很多人都在尝试一种相对较新但却日益增长的补充剂--消化酶补充剂，该补充剂或有助于身体分解食物中的化合物。

These supplements typically contain a variety of digestive enzymes such as amylases, lipases and proteases. A report by Transparency Market Research estimates that the global market for digestive enzyme⁴ supplements, worth $358 million in 2016, is expected to grow to more than $1 billion by 2025.

通常情况下，这些补充剂含有一系列的消化酶，包括淀粉酶、脂肪酶和蛋白酶。透明市场研究机构（Transparency Market Research）的一份报告表示，2016年全球消化酶补充剂市场价值3.58亿美元，预计到2025年，其市值将超过10亿美元。

Morning or night? With food or without?

早上吃还是晚上吃？在进食还是不进食的前提下吃？

Promotions⁶ for some of these supplements do more than promise they will cure digestive ailments⁷. They also claim the supplements will help people lose weight, think more clearly and even give people the ability to eat foods they're allergic⁸ to. But before I explain why these supplements aren't all they're cracked up to be, and could even be dangerous, here's a quick lesson on how enzymes fit into the digestive process.

某些补充剂的营销手段不仅仅是承诺它们能治疗消化系统疾病。营销人员还声称，这些补充剂将有助于人们减轻体重、更清晰地思考、甚至能让人吃一些过敏食物。在解释这些补充剂或许并不如其被吹捧的那般有效（甚至可能很危险）前，先快速了解酶在消化系统中的工作情况吧。

What exactly are digestive enzymes?

消化酶究竟是什么？

为什么要谨慎对待消化酶补充剂.jpg

Digestive enzymes are proteins your body produces and uses to break down your food into energy and nutrients⁹. They differ from probiotics, which are bacteria or yeasts¹⁰ that offer health benefits, and prebiotics, which are fibers¹¹ and other non-digestible compounds that promote the growth of healthy gut¹² bacteria. Specific types of enzymes break down carbohydrates¹³, proteins or fats. Digestive enzymes are released and mix with your food throughout digestion, starting in the mouth and continuing in the stomach, pancreas, liver and small intestine¹⁴.

消化酶是身体产生的蛋白质，可将食物分解成能量和营养素。消化酶与益生菌不同，益生菌是带来健康益处的细菌或酵母，而益生元是纤维和促进肠道细菌健康生长的其它不易消化的化合物。特定类型的酶能分解碳水化合物、蛋白质或脂肪。消化酶在消化过程中释放，并与食物混合，始于口腔，继而延续在胃部、胰腺、肝脏和小肠中。

When your body doesn't produce enough of certain digestive enzymes, undigested compounds can make their way into your large intestine and cause unpleasant symptoms - such as the gas some experience after eating beans - or rob your body of essential energy and nutrients.

当身体没有产生足够的消化酶时，未消化的化合物就会进入大肠，带来令人不快的症状--比如吃完豆类会放屁--甚至会带走人体必需的能量和营养。

Digestive enzyme supplements

消化酶补充剂

Lately, consumers have been purchasing over-the-counter digestive enzyme supplements that contain combinations of many different enzymes. These formulations haven't been regulated or scientifically evaluated for effectiveness, and people are taking them without a doctor's recommendation, which could be dangerous.

近来，很多消费者都在购买含多种酶的组合非处方消化酶补充剂。这些补充剂的配方尚未受到有效监管或得到有据的科学评估，而且很多人是在未经医生建议的情况下服用这些补充剂的，可能会带来危险。