Editorial Policy

This page explains how Enzyax decides what to publish, how we weigh evidence, how we'll compare products when we start covering specific brands, and how we keep commercial relationships from influencing editorial judgment.

Source hierarchy

We rank sources in this order, highest confidence first:

  1. Government and clinical health authorities — NIDDK, other NIH institutes, FDA guidance, and equivalent professional medical body positions.
  2. Peer-reviewed clinical research — randomized controlled trials, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses, cited directly (PubMed/DOI links), not through secondhand summaries.
  3. Peer-reviewed mechanistic or preclinical research — useful for explaining why something might work, but treated as weaker support for a real-world claim than clinical trial data.
  4. Manufacturer and retailer claims — never used as the basis for an effectiveness claim. We may cite a manufacturer's own label data (activity units, serving size) as a factual product detail, but never as evidence that a product works.

Affiliate partner websites and manufacturer marketing pages are never treated as an authoritative source for whether something is effective — only independent research is.

How we evaluate documentation

Every use-case claim on this site is assigned one of these tiers, stated explicitly on the page:

  • Well documented — Supported by consistent findings across controlled trials or a clear clinical/regulatory consensus. (example: lactase for lactose intolerance).
  • Mixed evidence — Some controlled trials show a benefit; other trials — often more recent or run in a more specific population — do not. The direction of the effect isn't settled. (example: alpha-galactosidase for gas and bloating).
  • Limited evidence — A plausible mechanism and, at most, small, acute, or preliminary supportive research that hasn't shown a longer-term clinical benefit — not contradicted by better trials, just thin. (example: protease for general high-protein-diet support).
  • Out of scope for OTC — The underlying condition requires medical diagnosis and prescription treatment; we won't present an over-the-counter product as a substitute. (example: exocrine pancreatic insufficiency).

"Framework, not a ranking" is a separate page-type label, not a clinical evidence tier — it marks buying-guide pages that give readers a method for evaluating any product themselves — what to compare, in what order — rather than presenting or ranking specific branded products. (example: how to choose a digestive enzyme supplement).

How we'll compare products

When Enzyax begins covering specific branded products, comparisons will be built around measurable, verifiable facts: which enzymes a product contains, activity per serving in standardized units (see our enzyme activity units guide), price per relevant activity unit, enzyme source (animal, microbial, or plant-based), allergens, and capsule type. Label data will be verified against the manufacturer's own published specification, not third-party copies, before it's used in a comparison.

We will not publish "best supplement for [symptom]" rankings for use cases where the underlying evidence doesn't support that level of specificity — see our current guides for examples of where we've drawn that line.

Update routine

Every page with a factual or evidence-based claim carries a "last reviewed" date near its source list. We re-check cited research and any factual claims (pricing, label data, regulatory status) on a rolling basis, and immediately when we become aware of new relevant research, a correction request, or a regulatory change.

Separating editorial judgment from commercial relationships

Enzyax may in the future earn commissions through affiliate links — see our affiliate disclosure for the current status of any such relationships. Our policy:

  • A commercial relationship never determines which products we describe favorably.
  • If a brand we have a commercial relationship with makes a product that doesn't hold up under our evidence standard, we say so.
  • If a product we can't yet earn a commission on is the better choice on the merits, we say that too.
  • Affiliate links, where they exist, are disclosed at the point where they appear — not only in a footer link.

Corrections

If you believe something on this site is factually wrong or out of date, tell us via our contact page, including the page URL and the specific claim. We review sourcing before responding.