Pancreatic enzymes are animal enzymes that include proteases, amylases, and lipases. Pancreatic enzymes function in the intestine and in the blood. Supplemental pancreatic enzymes can aid digestion in the intestine, sharing the workload of the body's own pancreatic enzymes that are active there. However, they do not digest food in the stomach, or contribute to the important step of predigestion. Dr. Loomis recalls a  patient with chronic pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas) felt pain after every meal. He had been taking pancreatic enzymes but they had not helped. Since pancreatic enzymes are inactive in the stomach, they were not able to address the real problem. Dr. Loomis tried putting the man on plant enzymes instead, which predigest food in the stomach before it reaches the intestines. With the food first prepared for digestion, the condition was resolved. After taking plant enzymes, the patient's pain stopped at the very next meal.

  By supplementing the body's own pancreatic enzymes, pancreatic enzyme therapy, like plant enzyme therapy, promotes health by lessening the demands on the body for supplying enzymes to convert food to usable nutrients and energy. Pancreatic enzymes also play a fascinating role in the immune system, directly assisting the defense mechanisms, and this function has been shown to make a significant contribution to the therapeutic powers of these enzymes.

  According to Dr. Loomis, protein molecules that are only partially digested in the small intestine are able to be absorbed into the bloodstream. The immune system now treats these as invaders. Antibodies couple with these antigens (foreign substances that provoke an immune reaction) and circulating immune complexes (CIC's) are formed. In a healthy person, these CIC's may be neutralized in the lymphatic system. But in a sick person, CIC's accumulate in the blood where they can initiate an "allergic" reaction. As too many CIC's accumulate, the kidneys cannot excrete enough and the CIC's begin to accumulate in soft tissues, causing inflammation. This brings unnecessary stress to the immune system. Dr. Loomis says, he always wonders why the diets for cancer and AIDS include such high amounts of protein when an excess of undigested protein can so obviously lead to demands on the immune system.

  The pancreatic enzymes are able to break down CIC's so that they can pass through the kidneys for excretion. The enzymes are taken between meals so they will not be used for digesting food, but will make their way directly to the bloodstream. Because of their ability to digest foreign proteins, pancreatic enzymes are also able to clear out infecting organisms such as viruses, scar tissue, and the products of inflammation. For this reason, pancreatic enzymes are used in a variety of conditions, including lung infections, tooth infections, bone fractures, and are recommended prior to surgery