heart health

What Are Proteolytic Enzymes? Proteolytic enzymes, also called proteases or proteinases, break down proteins. Specifically, they catalyze chemical reactions to break proteins into smaller molecules. Larger polypeptide chains get broken into individual amino acids. Several types of proteolytic enzymes exist. Your body produces pepsin, chymotrypsin, and other proteolytic enzymes. Others come from food or dietary supplements and are helpful to your body. As you get older, your body may produce fewer enzymes, which may lead to more digestive concerns.