Carbohydrates are one of the basic food groups which include sugars, fibers and starches – found in grains, vegetables, fruits, milk and other dairy products. The digestion of carbohydrates begins the moment food enters your mouth. The saliva secreted from the salivary glands adds moisture to food as it is chewed and releases an enzyme called amylase.

Among the digestive enzymes, amylase is unique in that its effects are observed faster than the other enzymes such as lipase for fat digestion and protease for protein digestion. This is because amylase comes from two distinct parts of your body: the salivary glands in the mouth and the pancreas. As amylase is released it begins the breakdown of carbohydrates into simple sugars that the body can use for energy.

When carbohydrates reach the stomach, no chemical breakdown occurs because the amylase enzyme does not function in the acidic conditions of the stomach. As the partially broken-down carbohydrates enter the small intestine it is broken down further by the next set of amylase enzymes, this time released by the pancreas. The final result is glucose, which moves on into the bloodstream to be used for energy. Glucose is the preferred type of fuel for the brain and nervous system.

An inability to effectively break down carbohydrates may cause heightened feelings of fatigue and constant cravings for sweet foods due to large spikes and decreases in blood sugars because the body cannot efficiently get the energy that it normally would from carbohydrates. Amylase levels can be naturally increased by adding enzyme-rich foods like sauerkraut, raw honey, mango, papaya and avocado.