What Are the Causes of Pancreatic Digestive Enzyme Deficiency?
The pancreas, a small organ located behind your stomach, produces digestive enzymes that flow through the pancreatic ducts to the small intestine, where they help break down food particles into usable nutrients. Pancreatic enzymes include a mixture of proteolytic enzymes that break down proteins, lipases that digest fats, and amylases responsible for breaking down carbohydrates. Conditions that affect the pancreas or gall bladder can cause a deficiency in pancreatic enzymes, leading to digestive disorders with a variety of symptoms.
