Role of Digestive Enzymes in the Treatment of Barrett’s Esophagus and Heart Burn

Digestive Enzymes and Barrett Esophagus.
Barrett’s oesophagus is a condition in which the lower end of oesophagus become abnormal. The cells of the innermost lining of the lower end of oesophagus change to abnormal form. The raw food that we eat is converted into simplest particles that can be absorbed into blood with the help of digestive enzymes. Different areas of gastrointestinal tract secrete different types of enzymes. The process of digestion starts from the mouth and ends at ileum, the last part of small intestine.
In mouth saliva is secreted by salivary gland. Saliva lubricates the bolus of food and also it contains digestive enzymes that start digesting the food. From the mouth food reaches the stomach after passing through the esophagus. The stomach secretes Hydrochloric acid (HCL) and pepsinogen. Pepsinogen is inactive form and needs acidic environment for its activation to pepsin. HCL is a strong acid and break the bonds between food molecules and pepsin helps to digest the large protein molecules. From the stomach food enters small intestine where further digestion and absorption of food take place. In small intestine, bile (secretion from liver), pancreatic juice (contain pancreatic enzymes, amylase, lipase etc) and other enzymes secreted by the inner tissue lining of small intestine digest the food into smallest absorbable particles. Food is absorbed and unabsorbed and waste material enter into the large intestine. In large intestine extra water is absorbed and semisolid waste material is stored in rectum which is then expelled out through the anus.
Now let us come back to the original topic. The mucosa of the stomach is protected from the harmful effect of acid. The innermost lining of the stomach has a thick mucous layer that protects the wall of the stomach from acidic damage. But the lower end of oesophagus don't have such a protective layer and can be affected by the acid easily. So chronic acidic reflux is responsible for the conversion of the normal oesophagus to Barrett's oesophagus. The epithelium (innermost cell lining) of the lower oesophagal end is converted into a columnar type that contains goblet cells and can withstand acid better than the normal type. But chances of oesophagal cancer increases.
Poor digestion increases the risk of oesophagal reflux. Therefore, taking good quality digestive enzymes along with the other treatment of Barrett's oesophagus also help to reduce the symptom of Barrett's oesophagus. Digestive enzymes help us to digest the food quickly and it is quickly taken away from the stomach and risk of reflux is reduced significantly.