Protease, also called a proteolytic enzyme or peptidase, is an enzyme that breaks down proteins by hydrolyzing peptide bonds between amino acids. In the body, proteases are essential for digesting dietary proteins and for clearing damaged or unneeded proteins inside cells.
Proteases belong to the hydrolase family and require water to carry out their enzymatic action. They can be divided into endoproteases, which cut within protein chains, and exoproteases, which trim amino acids or small fragments from the ends of those chains.
In dietary supplements, protease is mainly included in digestive enzyme products designed to support the breakdown of protein from food, especially for people who have difficulty digesting or absorbing protein efficiently. For that reason, it is commonly found alongside other digestive enzymes in broader digestive support blends.
Outside digestion, proteases are involved in protein regulation, cell communication, inflammation, immunity, wound repair, blood coagulation, and tissue remodeling throughout the body. In supplement use, protease is therefore best understood as a digestive-support ingredient centered on protein breakdown rather than a primary nutrient like a vitamin or mineral.
