What is Fruit Enzyme Blend?

This is part of our ongoing series helping consumers better understand chemicals, chemistry, and product formulations. We translate the science, bust the myths, and give you an honest assessment, so you can make informed choices for your family!

Ingredient:

Fruit Enzyme Blend

What it is:

Enzymes are nature’s biological catalysts that increase the rate of almost all the chemical reactions within cells (1). The fruit enzyme blend we use is made from:

• Bromelain - a mixture of enzymes from the juice and stem of pineapples (2);
• actinidia deliciosa - enzymes from kiwifruit (3);
• Mango enzymes; and,
• Papain - an enzyme from papayas (4).

What it does:

These four little enzymes are a big help when it comes to healthy digestion.

• Pineapple has been used for centuries in Central and South America to help with digestion and the bromelain enzymes that help with this process were first isolated from the plant in the 1800’s (2).
• Papain breaks down large proteins into smaller ones and it’s so effective that in countries where papaya is grown, natives hang meat from the trees to tenderize them. Yes – just hanging it in the tree is enough to soften the proteins (5)!
• Similar to the other two, the kiwi and mango enzymes help break down proteins to aid in digestion (6,7).

Why we use it:

We chose to use this fruit enzyme blend in our Baby & Toddler Multi Powder because it helps support healthy digestion†.

References:

1. Cooper, G. M. (2000). The central role of enzymes as biological catalysts. Retrieved February 11, 2016, from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK9921/
2. Bromelain. (n.d.). Retrieved February 11, 2016, from http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/supplement/bromelain
3. Barrett, A. J., Rawlings, N. D., & Woessner, J. F. (1998).Handbook of proteolytic enzymes. San Diego: Academic Press.
4. J. (2012, 02). Papain, A Plant Enzyme Of Biological Importance: A Review.American Journal of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, 8(2), 99-104. doi:10.3844/ajbbsp.2012.99.104
5. H. Campbell. (1884). The American Medical Digest, Volume 3. Page 67.
6. Rutherfurd, S. M., Montoya, C. A., Zou, M. L., Moughan, P. J., Drummond, L. N., & Boland, M. J. (2011). Effect of actinidin from kiwifruit (Actinidia deliciosa cv. Hayward) on the digestion of food proteins determined in the growing rat.Food Chemistry, 129(4), 1681-1689.
7. Mango enzymes; and, Murray, M. T., Pizzorno, J. E., & Pizzorno, L. (2005). The encyclopedia of healing foods. Simon and Schuster. p293.