Vitalzym Enteric Coating

The Delivery System Benefits of Vitalzym

Looking at the delivery system refers to how the enzymes are manufactured, whether it is a powder inside a capsule, a tablet, or as an enteric coated capsule—which is the most effective, state of the art delivery system on the market today. Include liquid enzymes in that enteric coated capsule, and you have the most effective systemic enzyme product available.

Benefits of Liquid Enzymes

1. Provides more uniform dose distribution of the enzymes
2. Enzymes with a higher degree of purity and less moisture
3. Low heat production to prevent enzyme activity loss

Benefits of Enteric Coating

1. Protects capsule or tablet contents from acidic environments of stomach.
2. After passing through the stomach, it allows capsule or tablet to break down easily in pancreatic juices in the duodenum* (pH 6-8).
3. Enables absorption of enzymes, at their highest activity levels, in the small intestine.

Note: Not all enzymes are manufactured with enteric coating, and so often a premature release of certain enzymes can cause minimal if any absorption of the ingredients in the bloodstream where they belong.

*(approximately 1st 10" of small intestine)

Solubilized Liquid Enzyme Filled Gel Capsule

At the center of the advanced delivery system is the Solubilized Liquid Enzyme Filled Gel Capsule used to enhance the absorption of Vitalzym. The technology of liquid-filled capsules is superior to that of capsules filled with powder because it uses low heat production, provides more uniform dose distribution, and prolongs enzyme activity.

Optimal Distribution – Liquid enzyme blends provide a more uniform dose consistency, because the mixing of liquids allows for optimal particle distribution. In powder formulations, each particle of a different enzyme is different in size, causing greater friction between particles during mixing. Excipients are introduced to powder formulations to increase the mixability, but liquids still provide far more even distribution of ingredients, allowing for more consistent dosages in each capsule.

Prolonged Enzyme Activity – Enzymes always retain some amount of moisture when they are produced. Enzymes, as proteins, are more susceptible to denaturation at higher moisture. However, even with lower moisture, enzyme powders will lose some of their activity over time, resulting in a loss of up to 20% of activity over a 12-month period. Vitalzym^® enzymes are combined in medium-chain triglycerides (MCT) oil derived from coconuts. It is then decompressed during the manufacturing process, which removes the moisture completely. As a result, the loss of enzyme activity over time due to moisture will not occur after Vitalzym is produced, maintaining nearly 100% of the activity levels.

Low Heat Production – Powder enzyme blends are available today that use an enteric coating, but they are typically in tablet form. The disadvantage of these blends is the amount of heat created with compressing the ingredients into a tablet. Enzymes are susceptible to high temperatures and may begin to degrade during the manufacturing process. Solubilized Liquid-Filled Gel Capsules allow for an enteric coated enzyme product without activity loss from heat. Throughout all of the processes, Vitalzym is produced under strictly controlled temperature ranges.

Vitalzym^® is manufactured to have at least a 2-year shelf life with no loss of activity when properly stored in a cool, dry place with the lid tightly closed.

Vitalzym's Enteric Coating

Vitalzym is formulated for use with an enteric coated gel capsule manufactured under pharmaceutical-grade guidelines.

Though revolutionary to nutritional systemic enzyme blends, this enteric coating process is similar to that used in today's most advanced products. The capsule has an all-natural shell barrier that allows it to withstand the extremely low pH levels found in the stomach. Once introduced to the pancreatic juices in the duodenum (upper small intestine), the shell barrier breaks down to release the enzymes it contains. The enzymes are then absorbed into the bloodstream through the lining of the small intestine.

The manufacturing of VitalzymXe undergoes a high level of quality control. This applies to all aspects of making this product. Each individual capsule is eye inspected by two people 2 times. The facility's clean room has the highest quality air sterilization system available today. ISO Class 5 facility is considered a high-grade cleanroom and is typically required for aseptic applications such as sterile filling of pharmaceutical products into containers, for example. This achieves CLEAN to the extent that any person entering the production facility must go through a total body sterilization process. An ISO Class 5 cleanroom equates to EU GMP class A and B, and BS 5295 Class E and F.

The enteric coated gel capsule has been designed to pass both the USP (United States Pharmacopeia) and JP (Japan Pharmacopeia) disintegration tests for enteric coated capsules. Every batch is tested to ensure it meets the agency guidelines before exportation to the U.S.

Why is Enteric Coating Necessary?

When taking a typical supplement, the capsule or tablet is swallowed and travels down the esophagus to the stomach. In the stomach, the tablet or capsule is churned and gyrated in the highly acidic digestive secretions with pH 1.0-4.0, for 45 minutes to 2 hours.

If there is anything left of the table or capsule (and its contents), it will be passed through the duodenum to the small intestine.

What determines enzyme effectiveness?

The effectiveness of any systemic enzyme is determined by the amount of activity level in the bloodstream after the enzyme has been absorbed from the small intestine. Systemic enzymes, whose activity is significantly reduced in an acidic environment, must be protected from it for their utmost effectiveness.

Some enzymes will begin to lose their activity once introduced into the low pH (1.0-3.0) acids of the stomach. The amount of activity loss is dependent upon the individual enzyme and the amount of time it spends in the stomach.

What happens to uncoated tablets and capsules?

Stomach acid breaks down tablets and capsules to prematurely release active ingredients (enzymes). The highly acidic environment of the stomach destroys the majority of the enzymes' activities. If the tablet is of poor quality (contains binders and fillers) the product may pass through both the stomach and intestine with no absorption.

Studies have shown that certain unprotected enzymes can lose up to 100% of their activity in fewer than 30 minutes in pH levels below 3.0. The only reliable method of ensuring that 100% of the enzymes are not destroyed by the stomach acid is to enteric-coat the enzymes.

Taking enteric coated Vitalzym can be an effective way to insure that the enzymes in this formula reach the small intestine where they can be absorbed into the bloodstream in order to obtain the utmost effectiveness.

Enzyme Delivery System Comparison

Over the years, there have been various methods of enteric coating to help protect the enzymes that can be destroyed by stomach acid and some have been proven to be more effective than others. As you will see, the latest technology of enteric coating has been used to protect the enzymes in Vitalzym.

Vitälzym^®Extra Strength Enteric Coated Liquid Enzyme Gel Capsule

The all natural protective coating of Vitalzym^® Extra Strength enteric coated liquid gel capsule prevents the enzymes from being destroyed by the stomach acids. The pancreatic juices break down the coating in the duodenum. This makes nearly 100% of the enzyme contents available for absorption into the bloodstream.

Powder-Filled Capsule, Vegetarian or Gelatin

Powder filled capsule technology is suitable for contents that are not susceptible to the acidity of the stomach. The capsule and its enzyme are dissolved prematurely in the stomach, resulting in up to 100% destruction of the enzymes within 30 minutes in the extremely low pH environment.

Enteric Coated Tablet

Enteric coated tablets are able to withstand stomach acids; however they must be introduced into a high pH environment for extended periods before dissolving. Since individual pH levels vary, the tablet may dissolve very late in the small intestine or bypass it completely. Many users also complain of the synthetic coating.