If you take one thing from this blog, make it this: a digestive enzyme label that quotes only milligrams is telling you almost nothing about what you are buying.
This is not a subtlety. It is the single biggest reason two enzyme products at the same price can differ enormously, and it is hidden in plain sight on every pack.
Why weight is the wrong measure
For most supplement ingredients, weight is a fair guide. 500mg of turmeric is more than 250mg of turmeric.
Enzymes do not work like that. An enzyme is a catalyst — a molecule that makes a reaction happen — and what matters is how much work it does, not how much it weighs. Two enzyme preparations of identical weight can differ several-fold in activity depending on the strain they came from, how they were produced, and how they have been stored.
So “500mg enzyme blend” is a bit like buying a heater by the kilogram. It is a real number. It is just not the number that tells you what happens when you switch it on.
The measure that matters is activity, and activity is quoted in units — a different unit for each type of enzyme.
The units, one at a time
SKB and DU — amylase
Amylase acts on starch. Its activity is quoted in SKB units (after Sandstedt, Kneen and Blish) or in DU — the two are closely related and roughly interchangeable in practice.
Ours: 45mg of amylase providing 2250 SKB.
HUT — protease
Protease acts on protein. Activity is quoted in HUT units (Hemoglobin Unit, Tyrosine basis).
You will often see more than one protease on a label, and this confuses people. It is deliberate: different proteases work best at different pH levels, so a blend covers more of the journey through the gut than any single one could.
Ours: three proteases, providing 540 HUT, 48 HUT and 23.9 HUT.
FIP — lipase
Lipase acts on fat. Usually quoted in FIP units, sometimes simply as “units” on a UK label.
Ours: 6.6mg of lipase providing 330 units.
GDU — bromelain
Bromelain comes from pineapple and acts on protein. Activity is quoted in GDU — Gelatin Digesting Units.
This is the unit most worth looking for, because bromelain is commonly sold by weight alone and its activity varies widely.
Ours: 3mg of bromelain providing 6 GDU.
USP units — papain
Papain comes from papaya and also acts on protein. Quoted in USP units.
Ours: 0.15mg of papain providing 0.3 USP units.
How to compare two labels
The rule is simple: compare like units, never weights.
- Find the enzyme you care about on both labels — amylase, protease, lipase.
- Look for the activity figure next to it.
- If one label gives units and the other gives only milligrams, you cannot compare them. That is not your failing; it is a decision the second seller made.
- Where both give units, check they are the same unit. HUT and GDU are not interchangeable, and neither is convertible into the other.
A label that gives both the weight and the activity — as ours does for all seven — lets you do the comparison. A label that gives one number and calls it a “blend” has made the comparison impossible, and that is usually the point.
Why so few labels show it
Two reasons, and only one of them is cynical.
The honest reason is that activity testing costs money. Every batch must be assayed, and a manufacturer who prints an activity figure has committed to hitting it.
The less honest reason is that a big milligram number looks impressive and cannot be checked. “1,000mg enzyme complex” reads better on a shelf than “2250 SKB”, even though only one of those tells you anything.
What about betaine hydrochloride?
Not an enzyme, but it appears on many enzyme labels including ours, so it is worth knowing what it is.
Betaine hydrochloride is an acidic salt form of betaine, a compound found naturally in beetroot and wheat. Because it is acidic, it should not be taken if peptic ulcers are present — that warning is on our label and should be on any product containing it.
Here the useful transparency is different: a good label states both the weight of betaine hydrochloride and the amount of betaine it provides, because those are not the same number. Ours: 145mg of betaine hydrochloride providing 110.58mg of betaine.
Where to go next
Our honest buyer's guide to UK digestive enzyme supplements puts this into a full set of checks, and what digestive enzymes actually are covers the science in plain English.
Ours is Plant-Based Digestive Enzymes — seven enzyme preparations, every one declared with its activity units, plus betaine hydrochloride and eight botanicals. 90 capsules, £24.99, vegan and made in the UK.
Do not take this product if peptic ulcers are present. Contains bromelain (from pineapple) and papain (from papaya). Always read the label. Food supplements are not a substitute for a varied and balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle.
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