Protein digestion in the body begins in the stomach.
In the stomach, hydrochloric acid and the enzyme called pepsin breaks down large and complex proteins into smaller and more manageable peptide chains.
The mouth begins the mechanical digestion of food, by chewing food into smaller pieces, then the enzymes in the saliva break down the carbohydrates and the fats.
The enzyme that breaks down fat is lipase.
Lipase is the main and primary enzyme that breaks down dietary fat and acts by hydrolyzing or breaking down the triglycerides into smaller and absorbable molecules like free fatty acids and glycerol.
The process of breaking down fat occurs in 3 main stages along the digestive tract which includes.
The mouth, where lingual lipase begins breaking down fats right as you chew the food.
Then in the stomach, gastric lipase continues the process of breaking down fat on partially digested lipids.
Then for the small intestine, pancreatic lipase does the bulk of the work in breaking down the fat and it works alongside of bile, which is produced by your liver, which then emulsifies the fat into smaller droplets so that the lipase can digest them effectively.
To boost natural digestive lipase to break down dietary fats, you should eat lipase-rich foods like avocados and fermented items (kefir, sauerkraut), chew food thoroughly, and take over-the-counter digestive enzyme supplements.
If a doctor has found low lipase levels in your blood work, it indicates reduced pancreatic function.
This requires targeted clinical care to ensure your body can digest and absorb nutrients properly.
If the pancreas is not producing enough lipase, which is often a result of Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency or EPI or chronic pancreatitis, doctors often prescribe Pancreatic Enzyme Replacement Therapy or PERT.
Prescription PERT or Pancreatic Enzyme Replacement Therapy include Pertze or Creon, which provide the exact lipase, protease and amylase that the body needs.
These medications that the doctor prescribes must be taken with every meal and snack that contains fat to mix properly with the food.
Changes in your diet are also crucial in reducing strain on your pancreas and for managing of malabsorption.
These changes in your diet involve, eating smaller and more frequent meals, which prevents overloading your digestive system's natural enzyme capacity.
Reducing heavy fats, as while the body does require healthy fats, eating overly greasy or fried foods are hard to digest without sufficient lipase.
You should also eat foods naturally high in lipase or other digestive aid foods like pineapple, raw honey and avocados, which can provide your body with mild digestive support.
If you smoke, you should also stop smoking as smoking significantly damages your pancreas and exacerbates pancreatic diseases and avoid or limit alcohol if you drink alcohol as it's a main trigger for pancreatitis and pancreatic inflammation.
And you should stay hydrated and drink plenty of water through the day to support overall digestion and cellular function.