Frequently Asked Questions

Traditional enzyme therapy was built around a limitation: animal-based enzymes can't survive stomach acid. That's why prescription enzymes require an enteric coating—to shield the enzymes until they reach the small intestine.

BoulderBio's patent-pending enzyme technology is acid-stable, allowing the enzymes to begin working in the stomach and continue activity throughout the small intestine. Instead of protecting enzymes from stomach acid, our enzymes are designed to function in it.

The result is digestive activity that starts sooner, continues longer, and doesn't require a chemical enteric coating. Same goal. Completely different technology.

BoulderBio is manufactured in a cGMP-certified, FDA-audited facility and is third-party tested for purity, potency, and identity. Many people use digestive enzymes daily as part of their ongoing routine.

Many customers report noticing changes within the first few meals, especially with higher-fat or higher-protein foods. Individual experiences vary based on meal size and overall digestive needs.

Clinical data is clear on which enzymes are effective and the levels of activity that are necessary for a therapeutic effect, and unsurprisingly, it is the three that are normally produced by the pancreas:

• Lipase - breaks down fat (Therapeutic Activity Level: 40,000 FIP)
• Protease - breaks down proteins (Therapeutic Activity Level: 100,000 HUT)
• Amylase - breaks down starches (Therapeutic Activity Level: 3,755.5 SKB or 180,264 HUT)

Our formulation is the only over the counter product with the clinically relevant enzymes at their recommended levels of activities. Other products contain a fraction of the necessary levels of activity and usually contain many 'filler' enzymes. 

BoulderBio's enzymes do not contain 'filler' enzymes or blends, ever. Only lipase, protease, amylase, and Nu-flow, a proprietary agent extracted from rice that ensures maximum bioavailability and activity.

BoulderBio is a one-of-a-kind patent-pending formula that fully lists three high-potency, microbial-fermented enzymes 40,000 FIP lipase, 100,000 HUT protease, and 3,755 SKB amylase. There are no blends, enteric coatings, plasticizers, phthalates, or synthetic dyes.

Yes. 40,000 USP lipase is a clinically meaningful potency level commonly found in prescription-strength enzyme products. The AGA recommended therapeutic dose for digestive enzymes is between 40,000-200,000 USP lipase. BoulderBio offers this lipase activity in a clean, plant-based format.

To put this number in perspective, a healthy pancreas produces an average of about 500,000 USP lipase per meal.

Prescription enzymes are typically enteric-coated and activate later in digestion. BoulderBio’s plant-based enzymes become active immediately in the stomach and continue working through the small intestine.

BoulderBio was created for those who wanted a clean, vegan, and effective alternative to animal-based prescription enzymes.

Digestive enzymes are naturally produced by the pancreas and work to break down the food you eat, allowing the nutrients to be absorbed by your body. Pancreatic function can decline for a lot of reasons, such as age, genetics, disease, infection, and injury. Taking supplemental digestive enzymes supports natural pancreatic function by helping your pancreas digest food. This promotes nutrient absorption and relieves the discomforts/symptoms associated with undigested food, such as gas, bloating, low energy, pain or tiredness after eating, nausea and more.

Digestive enzymes can provide relief for a variety of gastrointestinal symptoms such as gas, bloating, pain after eating, low energy/mental acuity, nausea, tiredness, inflammation, bacterial overgrowth, anxiety, and more! We have witnessed a surprisingly wide range of symptoms resolved by digestive enzymes, so if you are interested in hearing more, please subscribe to our email list!

If you suffer from gas, bloating, low energy, pain or sleepiness after eating, inflammation, bacterial overgrowth, or other gastrointestinal discomfort, you may have enzyme deficiency and not even know it. The simplest way to determine if digestive enzymes can solve your ailments is to try them!Enzyme deficiency is far more common than most people think and causes a variety of symptoms. These symptoms are often misattributed by doctors, resulting in an incorrect diagnosis. According to Healthline, pancreatic insufficiency (aka lack of digestive enzymes) is the Number 1 missed diagnosis out of all gastrointestinal conditions. Even when doctors do test for pancreatic function,  the test has a high specificity, but a low sensitivity. Basically, this means that it is great at confirming pancreatic insufficiency in the most severe cases, but lower levels of pancreatic insufficiency are not detected. Unfortunately, many of these individuals can go years, decades, or longer living with unresolved GI distress. We will share many of these case studies to our email subscribers as they are what led to BoulderBio's founding.

Filler enzymes is a term we coined to describe the multitude of other enzymes found within other products. They are not used clinically and are simply a marketing tactic to make the product seem more effective than it is. To put it simply, if they were effective, they would be present in prescription digestive enzymes, which they are not. BoulderBio’s products will never contain useless filler enzymes.

Companies use the term 'blend' commonly in supplements. They can be used to protect formulations, but they are also used to hide ingredients and to hide other relevant information such as levels of activity. BoulderBio’s products will never contain blends.

Undigested food is problematic for two reasons:

1. The nutrients in undigested food are unable to be absorbed by the body, which can cause symptoms such as low energy, brain fog, malnourishment, vitamin deficiency, anxiety, etc.
2. Food is not meant to remain in the digestive tract when undigested, so when it does, it causes symptoms such as inflammation, discomfort (gas, bloating, nausea, etc.), bacterial overgrowth, and more

Follow the product label. BoulderBio directions recommend taking a capsule with the first bite of a meal or snack and adjusting for heavier meals. Dosing is individual, so work with your clinician if you have a diagnosis or persistent symptoms.

Our enzymes only consist of enzymes that are naturally present in the GI tract, taking them unnecessarily is not a cause for concern.

For most customers, 1–2 bottles per month is sufficient. Each bottle contains 90 capsules. If you're taking one capsule with each meal, one bottle will typically last about a month. If you find you need two capsules per meal, you'll likely use two bottles per month and so on. Your ideal serving size depends on your individual needs and the size and fat content of your meals. Always consult your doctor before starting any regimen.

The capsules can be opened and the contents sprinkled onto soft, cool food such as applesauce or yogurt. Avoid hot foods, as high heat may reduce enzyme activity.