Types Of Enzymes - It’s Not All About Digestion

Note: If you’re looking to learn about specific enzymes found in digestive enzyme supplements, then go to this post. Otherwise, read on for a more general overview of the different types/categories of enzymes.

There are many different categories of enzymes and all enzymes are classified according to the type of chemical reaction that they catalyse. Firstly, if you haven’t figured it out by now, all enzyme names end with the suffix ‘-ase’ or ‘-ases’ if we are talking plural. So for example:

• Hydrases or Hydrolases - deal with adding or removing water to/from the chemical reactions that the catalyse
• Oxidoreductases - catalyze oxidation/reduction reactions
• Transferases - transfer functional groups from one substance to another

There are also enzymes that assist with changing the internal structure of molecules (Isomerases) and enzymes that join molecules together (Ligases). As you can see, there are lots of different types of enzyme categories and each one contains thousands of specific enzymes.

Yes, Yes Lots Of Enzymes - But What About Digestion

For the sake nutrition and enzyme supplementation, we are really only concerned with a few specific sub-categories of ‘hydrolase’ enzymes:

• Proteases - these have the job of hydrolyzing or breaking down proteins
• Lipases - these break down fats
• Amylases -  these deal with carbohydrates
• Cellulases - these break down cellulose, more commonly known as fibre (although it should be mentioned that cellulases are technically speaking a type of amylase :))

It is important to remember that the above are not specific enzymes but are categories, each containing thousands of specific enzymes with specific functions.

There are over 5000 known enzymes that our bodies produce and utilize day to day, however each one falls into one of the above categories, it is either a protease, a lipase or an amylase (or cellulase if you treat those ones separately from amylases).

Why Do I Keep Harping On About Cellulase?

Well, you know how everyone says that dietary fiber is good for you, good ‘roughage’ and all that. This is because our bodies are unable to break down fiber, the reason they are unable to breakdown fiber is because our bodies do not have the ability to create cellulase. No cellulase means fiber can’t be digested (since we know that it is enzymes that are responsible for breaking down things - what are enzymes) and so it passes through our bodies and adds bulk to stool and what-not (yeah, it is fun facts like that one that make it all worthwhile).

Back To Enzymes And Digestion

There are thousands of different enzymes, but they all have a specific function since they act to break down a protein, fat or carbohydrate in a specific way. This act of breaking down substances in our bodies is what’s known as digestion when it occurs in the digestive tract. And all the enzymes that participate in digestion (proteses, lipases, amylases) are - you guessed it - digestive enzymes. As an aside, when enzymes act to break down stuff in our bodies anywhere else aside from the digestive tract (e.g. tissues, blood) this is known as a metabolic process and the enzymes are called - metabolic enzymes (I bet you guessed that one also).

That’s about all there is to the different types of enzymes (at least the ones that we are concerned with - the health-related ones). Although, there is much more to be said about digestive enzymes and metabolic enzymes, but I promise to cover that soon.