Lipase is an enzyme that breaks down fats during digestion. It is found in many plants, animals, bacteria, and molds. Some people use lipase as a medicine.

Since lipase breaks down fat into smaller pieces, it is possible that lipase supplements might make digestion easier.

Lipase is used for indigestion (dyspepsia), heartburn, and other gastrointestinal problems, but there is no good scientific evidence to support these uses.

Do not confuse lipase with pancreatic enzyme products. Pancreatic enzyme products contain multiple ingredients, including lipase. Some of these products are approved by the US FDA for digestion problems due to a disorder of the pancreas (pancreatic insufficiency).

There is interest in using lipase for a number of purposes, but there isn’t enough reliable information to say whether it might be helpful.

When taken by mouth: There isn’t enough reliable information to know if lipase is safe or what the side effects might be.

Special precautions & warnings:

Pregnancy and breast-feeding: There isn’t enough reliable information to know if lipase is safe to use when pregnant or breast-feeding. Stay on the safe side and avoid use.

Children: There isn’t enough reliable information to know if lipase is safe for full-term infants or older children. But in premature infants, a specific form of lipase, called bile salt-stimulated lipase, is possibly unsafe. Adding this type of lipase to formula can increase the risk of side effects in the gut.

It is not known if this product interacts with any medicines.

Before taking this product, talk with your health professional if you take any medications.

There are no known interactions with herbs and supplements.

There are no known interactions with foods.

There isn’t enough reliable information to know what an appropriate dose of lipase might be. Keep in mind that natural products are not always necessarily safe and dosages can be important. Be sure to follow relevant directions on product labels and consult a healthcare professional before using.

Bile Salt-Dependent Lipase, Bile Salt-Stimulated Lipase, Carboxyl Ester Lipase, Lipasa, Recombinant Bile Salt-Dependent Lipase, Triacylglycerol Lipase, Triglyceride Lipase.

To learn more about how this article was written, please see the Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database methodology.

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