Do OTC Gluten Digestion Pills Work?

Gluten — a protein found in wheat, rye, barley, and other grains — has gotten a lot of attention in recent years. 

A gluten-free diet is necessary for people with certain health conditions like celiac disease or a wheat allergy. But some people without these specific conditions get negative side effects from gluten as well. These people have what’s known as non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) — meaning they experience symptoms like stomach pain, bloating, and changes in bowel movements after consuming gluten.

People with NCGS also benefit from a gluten-free diet. There’s also evidence that avoiding gluten may benefit people with other digestive problems, like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). 

Over-the-counter (OTC) gluten digestion pills claim to help your body metabolize gluten, and thus relieve you of pain and bloating. There are many OTC gluten digestion pills on the market, including Gluten Cutter, GlutenEase, and Gluten Digest. But if you have a true gluten intolerance, you might be wondering whether gluten digestion pills can help you. 

Read on to learn how these pills work and whether or not they’re effective.

How is gluten broken down in the body?

Gluten is a complex structure consisting of different proteins. The two main proteins in gluten are ​​gliadin and glutenin — and different grains also have their own specific proteins. 

Gluten is hard for the body to digest. One of the main reasons is because gliadin is not easily broken down. Gliadin itself contains amino acids — which function as the building blocks of proteins — that the gastrointestinal (GI) tract has trouble metabolizing. These two tricky amino acids in Gliadin are called proline and glutamine.

When you eat gluten, the undigested parts make their way to the small intestine. In most people, this doesn’t cause any problems. But, if you have a wheat allergy or celiac disease, the undigested gluten can trigger an immune response. This causes damage to the surface of the intestine, leading to inflammation. 

However, we don’t know exactly why or how NCGS occurs. Researchers think the immune system is involved, but in a different way than in celiac disease.

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What are gluten digestion pills?

Gluten digestion pills are a mix of different digestive enzymes. Digestive enzymes are proteins that break down food into smaller molecules the body can absorb. This helps us get nutrients from the food we eat. The purpose of the enzymes in gluten digestion pills is to break down gluten into smaller molecules that the body can process more easily. 

How do gluten digestion pills work?

Many of the enzymes in OTC gluten digestion pills come from bacteria or fungi. These enzymes work to break down proline.

Studies have shown that you can lessen your body’s reaction to gluten if it’s broken down into smaller molecules known as peptides. As mentioned above, gluten doesn’t naturally break down completely because proline isn’t processed well by the body. In theory, the enzymes in gluten digestion pills break down the proline in gluten, which allows gluten to be broken down into peptides. This makes gluten easier for the body to metabolize, and should minimize any immune response to gluten.

Are OTC gluten digestion pills effective?

The short answer? Probably not. Studies have found that OTC gluten digestion pills aren’t that effective.

One study looked at five different OTC gluten digestion pills. The researchers found that they lacked the ability to break gluten down into a more easily digestible form. This was because the majority of the digestive enzymes in these pills were the type that break down starches, not gluten. 

And, the enzymes that could break down gluten were most active at a pH of 6 to 8. A “pH” is a measure of how acidic or basic something is. The stomach’s pH is much lower than 6 (more acidic). Therefore, the gluten digestion pills weren’t as active in the more acidic environment of the stomach.

Another study evaluated nine different OTC gluten digestion pills and came to a similar conclusion. But, there was one gluten digestion product included in the study that worked well. It contained an enzyme called caricain. It was also enteric coated, meaning it was designed to dissolve in the small intestine rather than in the stomach. This formulation was the only pill included in the study that was found to be effective at digesting gluten proteins.

If you have a gluten intolerance and are interested in trying gluten digestion pills, talk to your healthcare provider first. Even if the pills make you feel better, it doesn’t guarantee that damage isn’t being done to your body. Your body may still experience inflammation even if you don’t have obvious symptoms. 

Can any OTC products help with gluten intolerance?

No OTC products are proven to help with gluten intolerance. The best way to treat celiac disease, a wheat allergy, or NCGS is with a gluten-free diet. 

Gluten-free diets can be challenging, especially because gluten is in many of the foods we eat on a regular basis (like bread, pasta, and cereal). Some foods that you might not expect also contain gluten, like soy sauce and some salad dressings. For more information on how to start a gluten-free diet, visit the Celiac Disease Foundation website.

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Written by:

Sarah Lobello Pearson, PharmD

Sarah Pearson is a practicing pharmacist with over 10 years of experience in the field. She received her doctorate in pharmacy from the University of Georgia in Athens, GA.

Edited by:

Karla Robinson, MD

Karla Robinson, MD, is a medical editor for GoodRx. She is a licensed, board-certified family physician with almost 20 years of experience in health through varied clinical, administrative, and educational roles.

Reviewed by:

Valerie Emuakhagbon, MD

Valerie Emuakhagbon, MD, is a board-certified colorectal surgeon. A native of Dallas, Texas, she completed the six-year BA/MD program at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

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