Where is Lipase Produced?

Lipase is a digestive enzyme that is produced in the pancreas in large amounts, and to a lesser degree in the stomach and the mouth. Many natural health care practitioners recommend taking lipase supplements to help with a variety of digestive problems that may prevent proper absorption of nutrients from food.

Function

• Lipase is an enzyme that is secreted, primarily from the pancreas, in active form. It works in conjunction with bile salts to emulsify and break down fats as they pass through the small intestine. By breaking fats into the components of fatty acids and glycerol, lipase helps to release fat-soluble nutrients from the fats, for absorption and use by the body. Lipase cannot be obtained through any natural food products. However, supplements made up of animal lipase are sometimes given to patients with a severe deficiency.

Expert Insight

• Dr. Andrew Weil, MD, is one of the foremost experts on natural health and integrative medicine today. In his book Spontaneous Healing, he explains that enzymes serve very important roles in health maintenance and that they are responsible for most of the body's chemical reactions. These reactions are what helps us to transform food into energy and nutrients, get rid of carbon dioxide and much more. While Dr. Weil does not categorically recommend that all people, or even all people of a particular age group, take lipase supplements, he does suggest that they consider enzyme deficiency as a potential cause of digestive and nutritional problems.

Benefits

• Doctors prescribe lipase supplementation for a variety of complaints and conditions. It has been used for years to treat the symptoms of the chronic, and often debilitating, condition, cystic fibrosis (CF). Most patients with CF take supplemental pancreatic enzymes several times per day to help combat the effects of malabsorption of nutrients. Many health food and supplement companies sell lipase supplements and advertise their helpfulness in treating a variety of digestive ailments, including Crohn's Disease and chronic indigestion.

Warnings

• A severe lipase deficiency, such as that caused by pancreatitis, can be serious or even life-threatening and should not be self-treated. Any severe abdominal pain or symptoms should always be evaluated by a physician. Although pancreatic enzyme supplements are available commercially, you should not assume that you need them unless they have been recommended by a health professional. Improper use of enzyme supplements can cause problems with vitamin absorption and irritation to the digestive tract.

Significance

• Lipoprotein serves a very important function in that it not only releases fat-soluble vitamins and minerals from fats, but it also helps balance the level of fat in the body's stores and its organs. Severe lipoprotein lipase deficiency, such as that caused by rare genetic conditions, can be a very serious problem. In these cases, because the body does not properly break down fats, they build up in the blood, often getting to dangerous levels. The result can be, ultimately, heart disease and recurrent pancreatitis, or swelling of the pancreas. Lipase supplements are prescribed to treat this problem, as well as a host of others; most notably, cystic fibrosis. Conversely, drugs that inhibit the release of lipase decrease the amount of fat that is absorbed by the body and can aid in weight loss. The prescription medication Orlistat is an example of this type of drug.