What do laundry detergent, automobile exhaust systems and saliva have in common? All three contain catalysts or substances that speed up a chemical reaction while remaining unchanged. In cars, this is useful for reducing the toxicity of emissions, but detergents and saliva contain a different type of catalyst—the enzyme. An enzyme is simply a protein, produced by any living organism, that functions as a catalyst (1). Taken as a supplement, enzymes can benefit digestion, immune function, inflammation and more.

How Do Enzymes Work?
For most chemical reactions that release energy, a certain amount of energy must first be input for the reaction to proceed. This is called the activation energy. Think of a lighter—before you can get fire, you need that initial spark. Sometimes, though, you can spark a lighter and it doesn’t light. This could be due to a variety of conditions, including wind, wetness or the size of the spark. As a solution, a catalyst for...