Udo's Choice Digestive Enzyme Blend – 7 Plant-Based Enzymes

Seven plant-derived enzymes, declared with full FCC activity units.

• 7 enzymes — amylase, lactase, alpha-galactosidase, protease, cellulase, lipase and bromelain
• Activity declared in FCC units, not only milligrams — see the table below
• Enzyme-only formula — no herbs, no vitamins, no bacteria
• Produced by solid-state fermentation from a vegetarian Aspergillus source
• No refrigeration required
• 60 or 90 capsules · Vegetarian · Gluten free · Dairy free

What we can tell you

Health claims on food supplements can only be made where they appear on the UK authorised register, and there are no authorised health claims for digestive enzymes. So you will not find any on this page.

What we can give you is the full composition — every enzyme, its weight, and its measured activity. That is more than most enzyme supplements disclose, and it is what actually lets you compare one against another.

How to compare enzyme supplements

This is the part worth understanding, because it is where most enzyme labels fall short.

Milligrams tell you weight. FCC units tell you activity. Two capsules can contain the same milligrams of protease and differ several-fold in measured activity, because activity depends on the enzyme's potency rather than its mass. A label giving only milligrams is telling you how much powder is in the capsule, not what it does.

FCC stands for Food Chemicals Codex — the standardised assay methods used to measure enzyme activity. Each enzyme class has its own unit: DU for amylase, HUT for protease, LU for lipase, ALU for lactase, CU for cellulase, GalU for alpha-galactosidase, PU for bromelain. Udo's Choice declares all of them.

When comparing any two enzyme products, look for the FCC figures. If they are not published, you cannot make a meaningful comparison.

Enzyme Blend or Enzymes Gold?

We stock both, and the difference is not simply more of everything. Compared per capsule:

Gold is substantially higher on lipase, bromelain and protease, and carries three distinct proteases rather than one. The two are identical on amylase and lactase, and this standard Blend is actually higher on cellulase.

So Gold is not a straight upgrade — it is weighted differently. The standard Blend is the broader everyday formula, at a lower price and in larger pack sizes.

The seven enzymes and what they act on

As a matter of enzymology, each of these has a defined substrate:

• Alpha-amylase — starches
• Protease 4.5 — proteins
• Bromelain — proteins (a protease derived from pineapple)
• Lipase — fats
• Lactase — lactose, the sugar in milk
• Cellulase — cellulose, the fibre in plant cell walls
• Alpha-galactosidase — oligosaccharides, the complex carbohydrates found in beans, pulses and brassicas

Why no refrigeration, and no enteric coating

Unlike live bacteria, these enzymes are shelf-stable at room temperature, so the jar can live in a cupboard or a bag rather than the fridge.

They are also tested at 100% survival in gastric solution, which is why there is no enteric coating. Enteric coatings exist to carry an ingredient past stomach acid; where an ingredient already withstands it, the coating is unnecessary.

They are, however, heat sensitive. If you open a capsule onto food, the food should not be hot.

How to take it

One capsule before meals, or as directed by your healthcare practitioner. For a heavy meal, a second capsule may be taken during the meal.

Capsules can be opened and the contents sprinkled onto food — not onto anything hot. In case of ulcer, do not take on an empty stomach.

Common questions

What is an FCC unit?
A standardised measure of enzyme activity from the Food Chemicals Codex. Each enzyme class uses its own unit. It measures what the enzyme does, rather than how much of it there is by weight.

Does this need refrigerating?
No. Store it in a cool, dry place.

Can I take it alongside a microbiotic?
It is an enzyme-only formula with no bacteria and no vitamins, so nothing in it overlaps.

60 or 90 capsules?
Same formula. The 90 is better value per capsule.

Is the Travel Pack the same?
Yes — identical formulation and identical activity per capsule, in a compact pack.

Is it vegetarian?
Yes. The enzymes are produced by fermentation from an Aspergillus source and the capsule is hypromellose. Gluten and dairy free.

Ingredients

Microcrystalline cellulose (bulking agent), hypromellose (vegetarian capsule), alpha-amylase, lactase, alpha-galactosidase, protease 4.5, cellulase, lipase, bromelain, magnesium stearate, maltodextrin.

Gluten and dairy free.

Key nutritionals

Enzymes have no established Reference Intake, so no %RI can be declared. FCC = Food Chemicals Codex.

Food supplements should not be used as a substitute for a varied, balanced diet or a healthy lifestyle. Do not exceed the recommended daily intake. Keep out of the reach of children.