Enzymes Made Simple: How They Work and the Collagen Connection

Enzymes are your body’s tiny catalysts that help turn the food you eat into fuel and building blocks your body can use. They support the body’s healthy digestion process, inflammatory response, detoxification, liver health, stress response, and overall longevity. They are predominantly in raw foods. Given that the standard American diet is highest in cooked and ultra-processed foods, with fewer people eating raw vegetables and fruits, the need for enzymes is greater than at any time in human history. Could this missing link be partially contributing to our unprecedented global health crisis?

To emphasize the scale at which our body depends on enzymes, some estimates suggest there could be as many as 75,000 or more, each catalyzing a specific chemical reaction that is essential for life. The vast number of unique enzymes ensures that the thousands of metabolic and cellular reactions required for processes like digestion, movement, and cell repair occur at a rate that sustains life.

We have compiled a quick guide that explains what natural enzymes do for us, what the published research says about natural digestive enzymes, and how enzymes are vital to absorbing collagen…

What are the roles of natural enzymes, and what benefits do people receive?

Think of enzymes as specialized scissors that snip big food molecules into smaller, absorbable pieces. When digestion runs smoothly, people often report feeling less heavy after meals, experiencing less gas from undigested food, and having better tolerance to rich meals. Here are the main players:

• Amylase: Starts starch breakdown right in your mouth and continues in the small intestine. Think carbohydrates. This is especially helpful for those who have been or who are on carb-rich diets.
• Protease: Breaks dietary proteins into smaller peptides and amino acids your body can absorb. It is fairly common for people, especially as they age, to struggle with undigested proteins in their bodies. Protease solves this issue for us.
• Lipase: Splits dietary fats so they can be absorbed with the help of bile, which is useful for fatty acid-rich meals. Are you one of the millions of people doing the Ketogenic diet? This is the perfect enzyme for you!
• Lactase: Breaks down milk sugar (lactose). For those with lactose intolerance, targeted lactase with dairy can improve comfort.
• Cellulase: Humans don’t make cellulase; some supplements include it to help with plant cell walls/fiber comfort. Your gut microbes are supposed to do most of the fiber work, but the beneficial microbe counts are often lower than what they should be in a great deal of people. Cellulase can assist with the plant fiber breakdown process. Due to our modern diet and environment, humans tend to lack the amount of microbes to break down and eat plant fiber in the way our ancestors were able to.

Two Special Enzymes:

🍍 Bromelain: a protein‑digesting enzyme from pineapple stems. Think of it as a helper that breaks big proteins into smaller pieces and, when used appropriately, supports the body’s natural recovery processes.

🧯 Supports a healthy inflammatory response after physical stress: Systematic reviews and clinical trials around dental (third‑molar) procedures suggest small‑to‑moderate comfort benefits; results vary by dose and study design.

Link: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667147623000614

😊 Post‑procedure comfort: Recent RCT with bromelain (pineapple extract) explored pain, swelling, trismus, and NSAID use after wisdom‑tooth surgery.

Link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38542694/

🤧 Everyday sinus comfort: Pharmacokinetic research found orally ingested bromelain can reach sinonasal tissues; use only as an add‑on to clinician‑guided care. Link: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6036946/

🏃 Exercise recovery: Small trials of protease‑based blends report signals for less soreness after heavy training; findings are preliminary and product‑specific. Link: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5569274/

🦵 Joint comfort: Older trials and reviews in knee osteoarthritis show heterogeneous results; bromelain and enzyme combos may help some people.

Link: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC538506/

• 🍽️ Protein digestion support: It breaks dietary protein into smaller peptides, which include collagen! This is one reason it also appears in digestive‑enzyme blends.

Mechanistic & review overview: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8067380/

*There is much more to bromelain. We could write a whole article on this one enzyme! If you would like to do your own deep dive, see the link above. 

🥭Papain: a protein‑digesting enzyme, ideally from non-GMO papayas. Like bromelain, It also helps to clip big proteins into smaller pieces and supports the body’s natural recovery processes.

• 🧯 Supports a healthy inflammatory response after physical stress. Clinical studies suggest that papain can be part of comfort support.
• 😊 Post‑procedure comfort: Evidence from dental settings (e.g., third‑molar studies) points to modest benefits when used. Oral papain was associated with less swelling and lower pain scores vs placebo.

Link: https://www.jrmds.in/articles/effectiveness-of-papain-as-an-antiinflammatory-agent-in-patients-undergoing-surgical-removal-of-impacted-teetha-randomiz.pdf

• 🍽️ Protein‑digestion support: Papain is a cysteine protease that breaks dietary proteins into smaller peptides. This is the core reason it appears in digestive‑enzyme blends. (protein → smaller peptides/amino acids). This study additionally discusses its benefits in healthy skin care.

Link: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/15/5/2637

• 😌 Occasional post‑meal comfort: The best multi‑enzyme formulas include non-GMO papain and have shown improvements in long-term indigestion, in small trials. Papaya preparation (Caricol) in digestive disorders. Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

40-day supplementation (20 mL/day) in adults with chronic indigestion; significant improvements in constipation and bloating vs placebo.

Link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23524622/

• 🏃 Exercise recovery: Protease‑based supplements such as papain are being studied for perceived soreness and recovery after heavy training. Study: 21-day randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in young adults doing downhill running. The protease blend included papain (plus bromelain and fungal proteases). Results: better strength recovery and signals of moderated inflammatory markers vs placebo.

Link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19727022/

Note:  The best way to benefit from enzymes is with a diverse approach. You want to have a balance of each enzyme type to provide a full spectrum of support.

🧱 The Collagen Connection:

Did you know that when you drink or eat collagen, you don’t absorb whole collagen protein molecules? Protein-digesting enzymes like protease itself, bromelain from pineapple, and papain from papaya actually help break collagen into smaller peptides like proline‑hydroxyproline (Pro‑Hyp) and hydroxyproline‑glycine (Hyp‑Gly). These tiny peptides are then able to cross the gut wall and can be measured in the bloodstream for hours after a dose of collagen is taken. Once this internal chemical process takes place, a  “signal” to fibroblasts indicates it’s time to maintain healthy connective tissue.

Are you taking collagen but lacking in enzymes? Would you like to enhance your absorption? This is just one important area where eating more raw foods and taking superior quality enzyme supplements can really make a difference.

And if you want to take it a step further…to support those healthy enzyme and collagen levels, add more natural vitamin C into your diet!

🧰 Practical tips

• Use a blend of enzymes: Lactase with dairy; lipase for fat-rich meals; general proteases for protein‑heavy meals, etc.
• Timing matters: Most digestive enzymes are taken at the start of a meal. Always follow your product’s directions.
• Inflammatory support: For occasional post‑exercise or post‑procedure swelling/discomfort, bromelain has supportive evidence. Talk to your healthcare provider, especially if you use blood thinners or have allergies to pineapple/papaya.
• For collagen goals: Focus on steady protein intake (including “hydrolyzed collagen” or collagen peptides if you like) plus vitamin C‑rich foods/supplements. Enzymes help you digest and build new collagen!

BONUS: If you stack fasting with enzyme supplementation, you can also support healthy recovery, inflammation balance, detoxification, sleep, liver health, and more! If your needs are greater than digestion alone, this is an excellent way to get the most from your enzyme supplements.

NAHS Products with Enzymes:

Collagen Power Plus Capsules (90ct): While most collagen products simply deliver collagen, we know the human body requires important nutrient co-factors to effectively utilize and construct our necessary connective tissues. Enzymes like bromelain and papain, with raw, whole-food vitamin C from Camu Camu berries, supercharge this incredible formulation. Not to be outdone, you also receive high Himalayan Shilajit, which provides 80+ trace minerals!

Gastronex Capsules (90ct): This is our FULL SPECTRUM complete enzyme blend. Gastronex has all of the enzymes mentioned in this article, plus an extra buffer: A unique spice blend. Coriander, fenugreek, oregano, cardamom, and sumac. These powerhouses boost antioxidant levels, digestibility, and overall health benefits many times over!

Inflam-EEZ Capsules (90ct): The best inflammation support anyone can have, when they need it the most. Turmeric and Ginger combine with the power of inflammation-supporting enzymes, bromelain from pineapple, and papain from non-GMO papaya. You have to experience this soothing experience for yourself!

🔬More Supporting Evidence:

• Lipase for heavy, high‑fat meals– In a randomized crossover trial, acid‑resistant lipase taken before a high‑fat meal reduced early fullness/bloating in healthy adults. (Levine et al., 2014 – Journal of Neurogastroenterology & Motility)

  Link: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4477989/

• Lactase for lactose intolerance-Comprehensive review of lactase physiology/genetics, diagnosis of lactose malabsorption, and management options including lactase enzyme supplementation. Link:: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6316316/
• Amylase- “Salivary Amylase: Digestion and Metabolic Syndrome” review article.

What it covers: Roles of salivary α-amylase in oral starch digestion, taste/perception, cephalic-phase responses, glycemia, and clinical implications. Great one-stop summary of how amylase affects digestion and metabolism.

Link: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6825871/

• Humans & cellulase-Humans rely on gut microbes for most cellulose/fiber breakdown; humans do not meaningfully produce cellulase. (Morais et al., 2024 – Review)

  Link: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7615765/