Limited evidenceGut health

Amylase

A starch-digesting enzyme, almost always sold inside a multi-enzyme blend. Blends show modest symptom benefits in functional dyspepsia; amylase on its own has essentially no evidence in people with a working pancreas.

Evidence last reviewed: August 2026

What the science says

Multi-enzyme blends in functional dyspepsia Moderate evidence
A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 120 adults found a fungal multi-enzyme blend improved dyspepsia quality-of-life, pain and sleep scores over two months, and an earlier placebo-controlled trial of a multienzyme complex reported similar symptom benefits.
Digestive effects are measurable but small Limited evidence
A randomized, double-blind crossover trial in 30 middle-aged and older adults found a six-enzyme mixture including amylase shifted postprandial glucose and fatty acid curves and slightly sped leucine appearance, but did not change overall plasma amino acid responses to a mixed meal.
Amylase alone is untested Limited evidence
No trial isolates amylase. Healthy people secrete salivary and pancreatic amylase well in excess of need, so a supplemental dose has no obvious deficit to correct.

Dosage & safety

Studied doseLabel doses inside blends are typically 5,000–20,000 DU of amylase per capsule, taken with meals; the dyspepsia trial used 400 mg/day of blend.

SafetyWell tolerated; occasional nausea or cramping. Fungal enzymes derived from Aspergillus oryzae can provoke reactions in people with mould allergy. These products do not treat pancreatic insufficiency, which requires prescription pancrelipase. Added amylase raises the glycaemic response to starchy meals, which is worth noting in diabetes.

Scientific references

Efficacy of digestive enzyme supplementation in functional dyspepsia: A monocentric, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, clinical trial
Ullah H, Di Minno A, Piccinocchi R — Biomed Pharmacother, 2023
Evaluation of the Safety and Efficacy of a Multienzyme Complex in Patients with Functional Dyspepsia: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study
Majeed M, Majeed S, Nagabhushanam K — J Med Food, 2018
Oral Multienzyme Supplementation Alters Postprandial Plasma Nutrient Concentrations after a Mixed Meal in Healthy Middle-Aged and Older Adults: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Crossover Trial
Deutz MT, Askow AT, Garvey SM — J Nutr, 2026

Where to buy

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