IO Genix Digestive Enzymes - DigeZyme® Enzymatic Complex

What is IO Genix Enzymes Digestives?

IO Genix Enzymes Digestives is a tablet supplement combining three contributions. One tablet contains 100 mg of DigeZyme complex, 50 mg of papain and 50 mg of bromelain. The bottle holds 60 tablets, which is two months at one tablet a day.

Digestive enzymes are proteins that cut the molecules in food into fragments small enough to be absorbed. The body produces them itself, in saliva, the stomach, the pancreas and the intestine. A supplement does not add a new function: it provides occasional reinforcement, at the time of a given meal.

The formula combines two different origins, and that is what characterises it. The DigeZyme complex brings together five enzymes of microbial origin — amylase, protease, lactase, lipase and cellulase — which cover carbohydrates, protein, lactose, fat and fibre respectively. Papain, extracted from papaya, and bromelain, extracted from pineapple, are two plant enzymes that act on protein. The rest of the Spanish range can be found in our IO Genix section, and the other products in the category in our digestive enzymes section.

What does one Enzymes Digestives tablet contain?

100 mg of multi-enzyme complex is still a small quantity, and that needs saying. What counts for an enzyme is in any case not its mass in milligrams but its activity, expressed in international units — FCC, DU or HUT units depending on the enzyme. Those activity values are not published by the manufacturer for this product, and we are not going to invent them. It is the most important missing figure on this page.

That absence has a direct regulatory consequence. Only one claim is authorised in Europe in this family: the one covering lactase and the improvement of lactose digestion in individuals who have difficulty digesting lactose. It is subject to a minimum activity condition per portion, expressed in units. Since the breakdown of the complex and its activity are not published, we cannot verify that the threshold is met, and we will therefore not repeat that claim. No other digestive claim exists for papain, bromelain, amylase, protease, lipase or cellulase.

The previous version of this page announced a reduction in bloating, an improvement in protein assimilation and support for lactose tolerance. None of those formulations is authorised as they stand, and they have been removed. What we can describe, on the other hand, is what each enzyme does biochemically and in which situations use makes sense.

The composition finally has one real advantage, often missing from this category: the enzymes are of microbial and plant origin, never animal. The product is therefore suitable for vegetarians, which is not the case for many enzyme supplements derived from pig pancreas.

Ingredients list

Maltodextrin (bulking agent), DigeZyme complex (amylase, protease, lactase, lipase, cellulase), papain (enzyme extracted from papaya), bromelain (enzyme extracted from pineapple).

May contain traces of GLUTEN, EGGS, MILK, FISH and SOYA. Enzymes of microbial and plant origin, with no artificial preservative.

How do you take Enzymes Digestives?

Dose: 1 tablet. Liquid: a large glass of water. Timing: at the start of the main meal, the largest of the day. Frequency: one serving a day, not to be exceeded. Duration: a course of at least two months according to the manufacturer, which is exactly what one bottle covers.

“At the start of the meal” is not an approximation, it is the condition for it to work. An enzyme acts on the food present in the digestive tract: if you take it on an empty stomach, it has nothing to cut up; if you take it an hour after the meal, digestion is already well under way. The right moment is the first mouthful, or just before.

The choice of meal matters as much as the timing. One tablet a day means you have to choose: keep it for the meal that gives you trouble, generally the largest, the fattiest, or the one containing the most dairy products. A tablet with a salad is of no use.

Do not take them on an empty stomach, and do not exceed the daily dose. The manufacturer mentions a possible split serving for very large meals, but the limit of one tablet a day remains the one printed on the packaging: that is the one that takes precedence.

Two months is the period a bottle covers and the one the manufacturer suggests. In practice, many people use this type of product occasionally, on difficult meals, rather than as a continuous course — that is a perfectly legitimate use, and often a more economical one.

One practical precaution to finish: if you also take activated charcoal, leave at least two hours between the two. Charcoal binds molecules indiscriminately, including the enzymes you have just swallowed.

Who are these enzymes for, and who are they not for?

They are aimed at an adult who can identify discomfort after certain specific meals: a very rich meal, a late dinner, an indulgence, or a plate containing a lot of dairy products. They also have their place with people on a bulking plan, whose daily food volume is well above average and sometimes becomes a burden.

Two points to watch are worth knowing before you buy, and they concern the two plant enzymes. Bromelain and papain are active proteases: interactions are described with anticoagulant and antiplatelet treatments, so medical advice is needed if you take any. In addition, people allergic to pineapple, papaya or latex may react to these two ingredients — cross-allergies between latex and exotic fruits are documented.

The manufacturer does not recommend the product for pregnant and breastfeeding women without medical advice, asks people on medical treatment to consult a healthcare professional, and reminds you to keep it out of the reach of children. The product may contain traces of gluten, eggs, milk, fish and soya.

What not to expect from it: this is not a treatment, and it is not an answer to entrenched digestive problems. Pain, a lastingly disturbed transit or a severe intolerance are a matter for a doctor, who will make a diagnosis where a supplement merely accompanies. Nor is it a product that would make your protein “better absorbed” to the point of changing your results: protein digestion already works very well in a healthy person.

Digestive enzymes or a change of protein?

That is the real question to ask yourself if your discomfort appears mainly after a shake, and it is the advice we give most often over the counter.

If the bloating consistently follows your protein powder, the most likely cause is not a lack of enzymes but the lactose in a concentrate whey. In that case, switching to a whey isolate, whose lactose content is very low, or to a clear whey settles the problem at its root, and for good. A daily tablet treats the symptom; changing powder removes the cause.

Enzymes keep all their value in a different situation: when the discomfort comes from full and varied meals, and not from an identifiable product. There, no change of powder will settle anything, and reinforcement at mealtime makes sense.

Finally, if your discomfort sets in over time and does not depend on a particular meal, the answer is neither one nor the other: it is rather towards probiotics, which work over several weeks, that you should turn — and towards a doctor if the discomfort persists.

Frequently asked questions

Should they be taken before or during the meal?

At the very start of the meal, or just before. An enzyme acts on the food present in the digestive tract: taken on an empty stomach it has nothing to do, taken an hour after the meal it arrives too late. The first mouthful is the right marker.

How many tablets a day?

Just one, and that is the daily dose set by the manufacturer. So choose the meal you place it on: the largest, the fattiest, or the one containing the most dairy products. Exceeding that dose is not provided for.

Does this product help digest lactose?

The complex does contain lactase, the enzyme in question. But the only claim authorised in Europe on this point requires a minimum activity expressed in units, which the manufacturer does not publish for this formula. So we cannot state it. In cases of proven intolerance, a product whose lactase activity is quantified is a safer choice.

Is it suitable for vegetarians?

Yes. The enzymes in the complex are of microbial origin, papain comes from papaya and bromelain from pineapple. None is of animal origin, which clearly sets this product apart from enzyme supplements derived from animal pancreas.

Is there a risk with anticoagulant treatment?

Bromelain and papain are proteases for which interactions with anticoagulants and antiplatelet agents are described. If you are on such a treatment, the question goes to your doctor or your pharmacist before any purchase, and not after.

Can you be allergic to this product?

It is possible for people allergic to pineapple, papaya or latex, because of documented cross-allergies between latex and certain exotic fruits. If that applies to you, this product is not for you, whatever the dose.

How long does a bottle last?

Exactly two months: 60 tablets, one a day. That is also the length of course the manufacturer suggests. Many customers, however, use it occasionally, on difficult meals, in which case a bottle obviously lasts a good deal longer.

Where can you buy IO Genix Enzymes Digestives?

The 60-tablet bottle can be ordered from this page, and we ship throughout France and Europe. At the Vendargues shop, about ten minutes from Montpellier, we always start by asking after which meal the discomfort appears: when the answer is “after my shake”, we rarely sell this bottle and we advise changing protein instead. The rest of the section can be browsed in our sports nutrition range.