Digestive enzyme products compared
| Product | Form | Daily dose | What the label lists | Pack lasts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NOW Foods Digest Ultimate, 120 vegetable capsules | vegetable capsule | 1 capsule with a meal | 460 mg blend of 18 enzymes, including amylase, protease, lipase, cellulase, lactase and bromelain | 120 days |
| OstroVit DigeZyme, 90 tablets | tablet | 1 tablet | 150 mg DigeZyme complex of 5 enzymes: alpha-amylase 3600 DU, protease 900 PC, lactase 600 ALU, lipase 30 FIP, cellulase 165 CU | 90 days |
| Solgar Comfort Zone Digestive Complex, 90 vegetable capsules | vegetable capsule | 1 capsule during a meal | 200 mg of 11 enzymes plus 225 mg herbal complex of caraway, fennel, chamomile, ginger and anise | 90 days |
Only the Solgar product includes plant extracts. The other two are enzyme-only products.
How to read enzyme units
Each enzyme has its own unit: DU for amylase, PC for protease, ALU for lactase, FIP for lipase and CU for cellulase. A figure in one unit cannot be compared with a figure in another, and a total in milligrams does not tell you how active the enzymes are. NOW Foods and Solgar list many enzymes in a blend, OstroVit lists the activity of five. When two labels use different units, compare which enzymes are present and the daily dose, not one number against another.
Health claims
We do not show health statements for this category. Enzyme supplements are not covered by a general claim in the EU register, and any wording about digestion, bloating or food intolerance that you see elsewhere may go beyond what is permitted. Our product pages give the enzyme content, the daily dose and the manufacturer warnings. See Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006 for the rules on claims.
Before you buy
NOW Foods and Solgar advise pregnant and breastfeeding women, people who take medicines and people who are unwell to consult a doctor first. OstroVit says the product is not for children, pregnant or breastfeeding women. OstroVit lists possible traces of milk, soy, nuts, gluten and other allergens, so check the ingredient list if you are allergic. Do not exceed one capsule or tablet a day.
How to choose
Decide first whether you want enzymes alone or with plant extracts. Then compare the number of enzymes, the form (capsule or tablet) and the price per day, which already reflects pack size. Many people also look at probiotics and magnesium citrate in the same part of the shop, but those are separate products with their own labels.
Questions
When should I take digestive enzymes?
NOW Foods says one capsule with a meal, Solgar one capsule preferably during a meal, and OstroVit one tablet a day. Follow the label of the product you buy.
Why are the units different?
Each enzyme works on a different substance and is measured in its own unit. Totals in milligrams cannot replace them.
Are these products vegan?
NOW Foods Digest Ultimate and Solgar are in vegetable capsules. Check the ingredient list for the source of each enzyme.
Can I take them with medicines?
NOW Foods and Solgar advise talking to a doctor first if you take medicines. Ask a doctor or pharmacist before you start.
Sources
- Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006 (nutrition and health claims)
- Regulation (EU) No 432/2012 (permitted health claims)
- EFSA: Health claims
Content reviewed by Inese Kalniņa, dietitian.
2026-10-20