Pancreatic Enzymes (formerly Dipan-9)

Indigestion affects millions of individuals every day. Although diet greatly influences the frequency and severity of indigestion, indigestion is also related to less than optimal digestive enzyme activity, which can be worsened by illness, gall bladder removal, overuse of antacids, and aging. Pancreatin – a mixture of three digestive enzymes amylase, lipase, and protease – is essential to digestion and the absorption of numerous nutrients, especially fats.* Supplementing with pancreatin can support digestion and provide nutritional support to individuals who have occasional indigestion.* Because many pancreatin supplements contain lactose, which can cause digestive discomfort in individuals who are lactose intolerant, Thorne’s Dipan-9 contains pancreatin that is not diluted with lactose. Lactose intolerance – a deficiency of the lactase enzyme – is a common reason to prescribe a digestive enzyme support product. Yet many digestive enzymes on the market (pancreatin, pepsin, papain, and bromelain) are actually diluted with lactose, because it’s to dilute a digestive enzyme’s potency to meet a particular specification. For example, the U.S. Pharmacopeia (USP) dictates that pepsin and pancreatin have a specified digestive power. Anything greater than the specified USP potency is listed on the label as 2X, 3X, etc., which means the product has two or three times the specified USP digestive power. Pure pancreatin typically has a digestive power of 9X. Anything less than 9X means the pancreatin is diluted, often with lactose. And prescription and non-prescription digestive enzyme products alike can contain lactose that might not appear on the label.