Papaya Enzymes
Now Papaya Enzymes combine natural papaya enzymes with Mint and Chlorophyll. This product is good as a digestive aid, and may also help prevent gas. Since poor digestion can contribute to bad breath, Papaya Enzymes and Chlorophyll may help by supporting healthy digestion. This is a vegetarian product. Stearic Acid and Magnesium Stearate are edible natural waxes derived from palm oil, used in small amounts for processing purposes.
Although both ripe and green papaya have proteolytic papaya enzymes, they are found at a higher concentration in green papaya. These enzymes are typically extracted from a milky substance called the papaya latex. This crude papaya latex has been heavily researched for its ability to support the body’s natural excretion of hemolytic parasites. The enzymes identified in the crude papaya latex are: papain, chymopapain, caricain, glycyl endopeptidase and glutamine cyclotransferase. The supportive benefits of these papaya latex enzymes include: aiding tissue protection, breaking down proteins and regularity support.
The Caricain Enzyme
Out of the five papaya latex enzymes, the Caricain enzyme has been shown to be the most effective detoxifying enzyme for removal of gluten-type proteins. You may not have known this, but a person with gluten intolerance lacks naturally produced enzymes similar to Caricain that break down gluten proteins. This can be problematic, because undigested gluten protein can cause tissues to be harmed in the body, which may decrease one’s quality of life. Caracain has been shown to effectively support the body's natural processes of breaking down and removing gluten proteins, which may be beneficial to a person with gluten intolerance.
The Papain Enzyme
The most popular and highly researched papaya enzyme is papain. Papain is a proteolytic enzyme from the cysteine proteinase family. It functions by breaking down bonds in proteins, which is why it is commercially used as a meat tenderizer. In the body, papain specifically breaks down and helps to remove weak or damaged protein bonds. These weak or damaged bonds may cause discomfort. Papain is able to support the body's natural tissue protection process by promoting the maintenance of healthy proteins.
Other Enzymes
The three other enzymes present in papaya latex are chymopapain, glycyl endopeptidase and glutamine cyclotransferase. Glutamine cyclotransferase was identified in 1965. It is similar to caricain and was researched for its potential benefit of breaking down and removing gluten proteins9. The chymopapain enzyme is a proteolytic enzyme. It helps in breaking down bonds in protein, similar to papain. Lastly, glutamine cyclotransferase is a catalyst enzyme. All three enzymes contribute to the benefits of papaya latex. However, the body of research for all three enzymes are limited related to digestive health.
