Enzymes are vital – not only for digestion but also for the nervous system, muscles, and many other important bodily functions. This week I interview Anjie Liu and David Hachuel creators of FODZYME® to discuss how enzymes can help with IBS symptoms.

Nutrition Pearls for Digestive Enzymes and IBS:

  • FODMAPs travel through our bodies and get fermented by the bacteria in our microbiome. FODMAPs can also bring water into the gut which sometimes causes diarrhea. These two actions are the primary mechanisms whereby FODMAPs cause IBS symptoms.
  • FODMAPs are not broken down because we don’t produce enzymes to digest them. When they reach the colon they can be fermented by our gut bacteria and lead to gas and changes in bowel habits.
  • Enzymes, like FODZYME®, can be used to make a meal low FODMAP by pre-digesting indigestible carbohydrates.
  • FODZYME® contains lactase to degrade lactose, alpha-galactosidase to degrade GOS, and their novel enzyme, inulinase to degrade fructans.
  • FODZYME® also innovates through its delivery system. FODZYME® is a powder that is sprinkled directly onto food, so the enzyme can take action before it reaches the gut; chewing begins to help the enzyme work. This has shown increased effectiveness compared to encapsulated enzyme use.
  • Fructose is unique among the FODMAPs in that it’s not the mere presence of fructose that causes symptoms, but it is typically fructose in excess of glucose that can be problematic.
  • Very small amounts of fructans can trigger symptoms whereas the threshold for fructose is much higher making fructose one of the smallest concerns among the FODMAP groups and fructans the biggest troublemaker.
  • Liberating fructose through the action of inulinase is typically not something we have to be as concerned about triggering symptoms in the majority of patients due to its relatively high threshold in comparison with other FODMAPs, though assess individual tolerance.

Enzymes are important for any living organism and play a huge part in the day-to-day operations of the human body. On this week’s episode I discuss with Anjie Liu and David Hachuel – creators of FODZYME® about how enzymes can be used for IBS symptom management.

Co-founded by Anjie Liu and David Hachuel, MPH, Kiwi Biosciences is a human-centered biotech company developing elegant scientific solutions for extraordinary gut relief. 

FODZYME® was developed with a group of world-class experts in enzymology, biotechnology, medicine, and nutrition. FODZYME® was released to the world in Spring 2021. 

On a mission to make more foods painless, the team is working on a novel polyol-targeting enzyme to address the polyol group of the FODMAP family in development. The new solution will be transforming polyols, like sorbitol and mannitol into sorbose and mannose, that are more readily absorbed in the gut.

We talk about:

  • What enzymes are, and how they work in the body
  • Why certain enzymes are beneficial in IBS
  • Why FODMAPs cause symptoms
  • What enzymes are found in FODZYME® (including information about alpha galactosidase, lactase, and inulinase) and what their research has found
  • How FODZYME® and its unique delivery system works to improve patient symptoms
  • How the production of fructose occurs with inulinase, and when this may or may not be problematic
  • Glucose isomerase – is it beneficial to fructose malabsorption? Why or why not
  • Next steps in novel enzyme development

Connect with FODZYME® on their website at fodzyme.com on Instagram @fodzyme or on Twitter or on their Facebook here as well!

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