The outer portion of the tablet is pepsin, which helps digest proteins into soluble proteoses and peptones. This outer portion and coating is dissolved in the stomach to aid in the digestion there.** The presence of hydrochloric acid (HCl) is necessary for the functioning of pepsin. The better the HCl, the more efficiently the pepsin functions. The inner portion contains several digestive aids, including: 1) bile from the bovine gall bladder to aid in emulsifying fats and other fat digestants which activate pancreatic lipase, and 2) pancreatic substances ? amylase for starch, lipase for fats, and protease for proteins with equal parts of trypsin, chymotrypsin and other proteolytic enzymes. The tablet portion has an enteric coating which resists stomach acid. This prevents the pancreatic enzymes from being destroyed and allows them to be able to work in the small intestine. The pancreatic enzymes need the alkaline medium of the intestine for best results. For this reason, swallow the tablets whole. Do not chew them.
