12 Popular Enzyme Reviews: Can Enzymes Really Help You Lose Weight? Can They Help You Moisten Your Intestines and Have a Laxative Effect?

When it comes to enzymes, the most common effects that come to mind are: blocking heat, regulating physical fitness, promoting digestion, moistening the intestines and relieving constipation, and expelling intestinal waste. These magical effects are all attributed to enzymes.

It seems that as long as you eat it, you can lose weight while eating and easily have a graceful figure.

But are enzymes really as magical as the legend says? Some time ago, we reviewed 12 popular enzyme products and found that things are not simple.

Sample fee 3800 yuan + testing fee 42600 yuan + notarization fee 9600 yuan = 56000 yuan

Next, we will unveil the mystery of enzyme products layer by layer.

1. Can enzymes really help you lose weight? Enzymes were originally another name for "enzymes", and now commonly known as enzymes usually refer to enzyme products that contain enzymes after fermentation.

We tested the total lactic acid bacteria and crude polysaccharides of 12 samples, and the results are as follows:

Generally speaking, the probiotics mentioned in the merchants' promotions are lactic acid bacteria. According to the test results, it can be known that these enzyme jelly samples contain almost no active lactic acid bacteria.

In other words, such products are unlikely to contain live probiotics, and it is difficult to achieve the effects of promoting digestion, regulating the stomach, and even regulating weight by increasing the beneficial intestinal flora.

As for crude polysaccharide, it belongs to the dietary fiber, which must be familiar to everyone. It is essentially a carbohydrate with low energy value and cannot be digested and absorbed by the human body.

It absorbs water in your intestines, swells up, and makes your poop looser, helping them move smoothly through your intestines and toward freedom (out of your body)!

There are many enzyme jellies that claim to contain dozens of fruits and vegetables.

However, according to our actual test results, the sample No. 1 with the highest crude polysaccharide content was only 2.1g/100g, which is not as high as apples (2.4g/100g).

Inner thoughts: Then wouldn’t it be nice to eat apples? They’re also cheap.

At the same time, we also found in our investigation that many enzyme jellies use similar promotional pictures to explain the working principles of the products.

There are also products that claim to contain lipase, which can accelerate the decomposition of fat in the body.

Does it sound very exciting? Sorry, we are here to pour cold water on you!

Even if enzyme jelly products work, they accelerate the decomposition of the fat in the food you eat, not the fat on your face, arms, stomach, or thighs.

Because lipase, dietary fiber, intestinal flora and other ingredients that may play a role can only help you digest the "meal" in your stomach and intestines, but cannot enter the body's fat tissue.

Promoting digestion and losing weight are not the same thing. The former helps you absorb more and makes you hungry faster. Friends who have weak willpower or think that eating a "big meal savior" is foolproof may gain weight!

2. Can it cleanse the intestines and relieve constipation? After looking through the "buyer comments" of these samples, we found that many people experienced "uncontrollable" diarrhea after eating these enzyme jellies.

There must be something wrong when things are abnormal. The effect is so good, could it be that... laxatives were added?

Therefore, we sent the 12 enzyme jelly samples we purchased to the laboratory and tested them for two banned drug ingredients: sennoside and sibutramine. The results are as follows:

Sennoside was detected in 6 samples, namely, No. 6, No. 7, No. 9, No. 10, No. 11 and No. 12, while sibutramine was not detected in any of the 12 samples.

Both sennoside A and sennoside B are laxative ingredients extracted from the leguminous plant senna. In the pharmacopoeia, senna has the effects of purging heat and relieving stagnation, laxative, and diuresis.

According to the "Notice of the Ministry of Health on Further Standardizing the Management of Health Food Ingredients", senna leaves can be used in health foods and must be labeled.

However, enzyme jelly is a common food and is subject to the national standard for Jelly (GB 19299 and GB/T 19883). None of the six enzyme jellies in which sennoside was detected had senna leaf ingredients marked in the ingredient list.

According to the "Reply of the Ministry of Health on Issues Concerning Raw Materials in Ordinary Foods", items listed in the list of products that can be used in health foods may not be used as raw materials in ordinary foods.

In summary, adding senna leaves to enzyme jelly is illegal.

Many papers have shown that senna has a strong effect, and long-term use can easily lead to drug dependence and damage to body functions in patients with constipation. Abuse may even cause liver damage, acute intestinal obstruction, etc.

Last weekend, an aunt from Hangzhou became a hot topic. After taking enzyme products for 3 years, she developed melena colon disease. Her intestines were covered with brown and black lines, and the surface looked like snake skin.

Wanting to use enzyme jelly to "cleanse the intestines" or "solve constipation problems" will undoubtedly quickly move you from an unbalanced state of irregular bowel movements to another unbalanced state of high-frequency bowel movements in a short period of time.

This frequent imbalance is really harmful to the body.

3. What should I do if I am constipated? We found in the comments that people of different ages are suffering from constipation for various reasons.

If you have bowel movements less than 3 times a week for more than 6 months; or even if long-term constipation and dry stools lead to hemorrhoids, anal fissures, etc., we recommend that you go to the gastroenterology department of a tertiary hospital for treatment.

If the patient is not suffering from long-term constipation, we recommend improving the condition by adjusting the lifestyle, such as eating a balanced diet, drinking plenty of water, exercising more, and establishing good bowel habits.

We have compiled a "Constipation Improvement Guide" for you, which you can share with your friends who suffer from constipation!

Finally, Dad Review also wants to tell you: In this fast-paced society, everyone seems to have long been accustomed to "taking shortcuts". But the risks hidden behind efficiency are often unbearable for health.

Sometimes, if you slow down, you will see different scenery, which will give you different feelings and perhaps even unexpected surprises.

References [1] QB/T 5323-2018 Plant Enzymes

[2] Cui Liying, Jia Yueru. Study on liver damage caused by long-term abuse of senna leaves for constipation[J]. Chinese Journal of Drug Abuse Prevention and Treatment, 2021, 27(03): 405-408.

[3] Chinese Medical Association, Chinese Medical Association Journal, Chinese Society of Gastroenterology, Chinese Society of General Practice, Editorial Committee of Chinese Journal of General Practitioners, Expert Group on Primary Care Diagnosis and Treatment Guidelines for Digestive System Diseases. Primary Care Diagnosis and Treatment Guidelines for Chronic Constipation (2019)[J]. Chinese Journal of General Practitioners, 2020, 19(12):1100-1107.

[4] https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/baby/health/constipation-in-children/

[5]https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/digestive-diseases/constipation-children/symptoms-causes

[6]http://wsjkw.sh.gov.cn/lnbj/20200619/fd0c0cd6c1294a6cbe5766798c2bc77d.html