Guide · 7 min read

The science behind whole-food enzymes, and why it works.

Nzymes isn't a digestive enzyme. It's a living super-food that gives the body the raw materials to make its own antioxidant enzymes, Superoxide Dismutase, Catalase, Glutathione Peroxidase. The work it does is the body's own. We just feed the system that does it.

Read the clinical study → How it works
Veterinary clinical study
387 dogs. Six veterinarians.
One enzyme-rich whole-food formula.
Independent veterinary
evaluation · clinical settings
88%
showed objective improvement in mobility, range of motion, pain, and swelling
8 days
average response time across the 340 improved cases
387
dogs supplemented ages 6 months to 18 years · 10 to 125 lbs
30 days
study length 63 slower responders improved by week four
Why this study still matters

Inflammation in dogs is a free‑radical problem.
Whole-food antioxidants give the body what it needs to fight back.

Six veterinarians in private practice ran a structured evaluation across 387 dogs with non-infectious musculoskeletal inflammation, injury, stress, developmental, and age-related. Same formula. Same protocol. Reported in objective clinical measures, not testimonials. The results have shaped how we think about whole-food supplementation ever since.

The study, in full

What was measured, and what they found.

A summary of veterinary clinical research into musculoskeletal inflammation in dogs and the effects of oral enzyme supplementation.

Background

Musculoskeletal inflammation is one of the leading causes of discomfort in older dogs. The link between excess free-radical activity and inflammation is well established in the veterinary literature (Segal, 1984; McCord, 1983), and degradation of synovial fluid in the joint cavity has been tied directly to free-radical reactions (McCord, 1974).

Injectable Superoxide Dismutase had shown clear anti-inflammatory effect in clinical use, but cost and logistics kept it out of everyday practice. That gap is what made an oral, food-based source worth investigating.

Method

387 dogs, ranging from 10 to 125 pounds and 6 months to 18 years, were evaluated by six contributing veterinarians. All cases were non-infectious, the result of injury, stress, developmental conditions, or aging. Most patients presented with osteoarthritis, loss of mobility and range of motion, pain, and in some cases edema and swelling.

Diagnosis followed standard veterinary technique: radiographic evaluation, pinprick test, palpation, and owner-reported function. In nearly all cases the patient had received no prior treatment. Each dog received the dried-and-ground sprouted soy protein formula found in Nzymes as the primary therapy, roughly 400 mg per day for every 60 lb of body weight, for the first two weeks.

  • Six independent contributing veterinarians
  • Standardized clinical evaluation across all sites
  • Maintenance dose: half the initial amount once response was established
Findings

Of the 387 dogs in the study, 340 (88%) demonstrated measurable increases in mobility, function, and range of motion, along with decreased pain and swelling in affected areas. The average response time across the improved cohort was just 8 days. 63 of those cases were slower responders and didn't show significant improvement until the fourth week, but they did improve.

All 340 responders continued to gain mobility as treatment extended past the initial response point. Maintenance dosing at half the initial amount was sufficient to sustain the gains.

Response rate
Showed objective improvement
88%
050100
340 of 387 dogs. Mobility, range of motion, pain, swelling, all measurably better.
Speed of response
Average time to noticeable change
8 days
day 0day 14day 30
Most responders moved within the first 8 days. Slower cases caught up by week four.
Secondary observations

Beyond the inflammation outcomes, the contributing vets noted a recurring pattern of broader changes across the responding dogs. These weren't the primary endpoint, but they showed up consistently enough to be worth recording.

Increased energy
Owners reported dogs returning to play and routine.
Sharper alertness
Brighter, more engaged demeanor in clinical observation.
Better stamina
Tolerated longer activity without fatigue or stiffness.
Return of appetite
Many dogs began eating with renewed interest.
Faster healing
Notable in cases involving recent surgery or trauma.
"All the veterinarians supplementing with the enzyme-rich antioxidant formula reported objective evidence of improvement in inflammatory conditions in 340 of 387 dogs."
, Study conclusion
How it works

Whole-food in. Antioxidant enzymes out.

Nzymes is a "living food." It doesn't supply finished antioxidant enzymes directly, it supplies the cofactors and bioavailable building blocks the body uses to manufacture them. The mechanism is upstream of the reaction.

Free radicals damage tissue.
Antioxidant enzymes neutralize them.

Heat-processing pet food destroys the natural enzymes and cofactors a dog's body would otherwise use to support its own antioxidant defense. Sprouted soy protein, dried, ground, kept living, restores that input.

01
Input
Sprouted soy + RiceX rice bran
Non-GMO sprouted soy protein and stabilized rice bran deliver complete protein, chelated bioavailable minerals, and live enzyme activity with cofactors.
02
Activation
Body manufactures its own enzymes
The formula raises blood levels of Superoxide Dismutase and Catalase (Rothschild et al., 1988) and supports production of glutathione peroxidase and methionine reductase.
03
Action
Free radicals are scavenged
SOD dismutates superoxide. Catalase breaks down hydrogen peroxide. Together they intercept the reactive oxygen species that drive inflammatory tissue damage.
04
Outcome
Mobility, range of motion, comfort
With less free-radical pressure on synovial fluid and connective tissue, the body's own repair processes can do their work. The 387-dog study measured the result in 8 days.
SOD
Superoxide Dismutase
Converts superoxide radicals to hydrogen peroxide. The first line of antioxidant defense.
CAT
Catalase
Activator partner to SOD. Breaks down hydrogen peroxide into water and oxygen.
GPx
Glutathione Peroxidase
Selenium-dependent. Reduces lipid hydroperoxides, protects cell membranes.
Founder voice

What Stan tells customers when they call.

Excerpts from a Q&A with Stan Stansbury, co-founder and V.P. of Nzymes, on what the formula is, what it isn't, and how to think about it.

Is Nzymes a digestive enzyme? I see the name and assume that's what it is.
That's the most common misread. Because of the trademark, people assume digestive enzyme. It isn't. It's primarily a whole super-food supplement, living with natural food enzymes. It does help the body produce its own digestive enzymes, amylase, lipase, protease, but the headline is the antioxidant side: SOD, Catalase, Glutathione Peroxidase, even Coenzyme Q10. All of it built from sprouted soy protein and rice bran.
What exactly is in the formula?
A pet's body uses our blend of Non-GMO sprouted soy protein and RiceX stabilized rice bran to manufacture a series of metabolic and antioxidant enzymes. We add the food-based antioxidant vitamins A, C and E, plus the antioxidant mineral selenium. Lastly, desiccated liver: its iron is highly bioavailable, so the body absorbs it quickly. The combination helps scavenge toxins and free radicals from the body.
Customers talk about it like a cure. How do you describe what it actually does?
Nzymes is not a cure. It's the pet's body that does the repair work. What we provide is the nutritional input, the right tools, so the body can do what nature already designed it to do. The body will always try to repair itself, provided it gets the right tools. That's the whole philosophy. Results aren't us doing something to the dog, they're the dog's own systems doing their job once the deficiencies are addressed.
Your site mentions Dr. Pottenger's study. What did it show, and what does it have to do with Nzymes?
Dr. Pottenger's multi-generation study showed the chronic diseases that develop on a diet of processed food, and that those degenerative problems increased generation after generation in the animals that kept eating it. That is why we feel every pet should at least get a quality whole super-food supplement daily.
Is this for senior dogs only? Or should younger dogs be on it too?
Every pet, young or old. Modern processed diets damage enzyme content from day one, heat above 118° destroys live enzymes, so the deficiency doesn't wait for old age to show up. We were fortunate to work for years with the best pet nutritionists, like Linda Arndt, who used this formula in her breeding program for over fifteen years: puppies started at five weeks of age, then a maintenance dose for life. Senior dogs are where the most dramatic success stories happen, but prevention is the bigger story.
Is there a time to give more than the usual amount?
Yes. We think it's crucial to double the usage when young animals are vaccinated or spayed, to help with recovery and to help cleanse toxins from the organs involved in those procedures.
Do we need a prescription? Can it go alongside other drugs or herbal medications?
Because Nzymes is a whole food, it does not conflict with medications or herbal remedies. That is another benefit. It enhances the body's ability to recover by giving the system the nutritional protein elements it needs to make repairs.
How fast should owners expect to see something?
We tell people to expect noticeable change within 30 days. Many customers tell us they see it in 4 to 10, which lines up with the 8-day average from the veterinary study. Nutritional solutions take time. They're not quick fixes. We're addressing degenerative problems caused by generations of poor-quality processed food. If a customer doesn't see a difference, we offer a 120-day money-back guarantee: make a return request and send back the unused portion for a refund.
What forms does it come in? Is it easy to get into a pet?
Three: Antioxidant Treats, Antioxidant Tiny Treats, and the raw formula, Sprouted Granules. The treats are small chewable tablets, liver and beef flavored; most dogs and cats love them, and your pet will let you know when it's Nzymes time. Feed the treats, or add the Granules to the daily meal.
Is it affordable to keep a pet on for life?
Our goal is to help animals, and we know many people have limited budgets, so we priced a bottle of treats as low as we could; for most pets 10 to 60 lbs, one bottle is about a two-month supply. There are discounts on multi-bottle packs, and the Sprouted Granules come in two pouch sizes, a real saving for large pets and multi-pet homes.
Stan Stansbury Co-founder and V.P., Nzymes
Real numbers.
Real veterinarians.
Real outcomes.
387
Dogs evaluated
across six clinics
88%
Improved in
an average of 8 days
120
Day worry-free
money-back guarantee

The science is settled. Your dog deserves the difference.

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References
The literature behind the formula.
Joint Pain
Cushing, L.S., Decker, W.E., Santos, F.K., Schulte, F.L., Huber, W. Orgotein Therapy For Inflammation In Horses. Mod. Vet. Pract. 54, 17–20 (1973).
Inflammation
Huber, W., Schulte, T.L., Carson, S., Goldhamar, R.E., Vogin, E. Some Chemical and Pharmacological Properties of a Novel Anti-Inflammatory Protein. Toxic. Appl. Pharmac. 12, 308 (1978).
Canine Hip Dysplasia
Faull, G.L., Baker, B. de B., Walt, H.S., Hofmeyr, C.F.B. Clinical Trials with Orgotein (Palozein). JI. S. Afr. Vet. Assoc. 47, 38–40 (1976).
Synovial Fluid
McCord, J.M. Free Radicals and Inflammation: Protection of Synovial Fluid by Superoxide Dismutase. Science 185, 529–531 (1974).
Free Radicals
McCord, J.M. The Superoxide Free Radical: Its Biochemistry and Pathophysiology. Surgery 94, 404–408 (1983).
Ischemic Injury
Parks, D.A., Bulkley, G.B., Granger, D.N. et al. Ischemic Injury in the Cat Small Intestine: Role of Superoxide Radicals. Gastroenterology 82, 9–15 (1982).
SOD Absorption
Rothschild, P., Ordoñez, L. Absorption Study with Superoxide Dismutase. University Labs Press, Honolulu, HI (1988).
Processed food, generations
Pottenger, F.M. Jr. Pottenger's Cats: A Study in Nutrition. Price-Pottenger Nutrition Foundation, 1983 (reissued 1995). Based on the 1932–1942 feeding studies; see also Pottenger, F.M. Jr., The Effect of Heat-Processed Foods and Metabolized Vitamin D Milk on the Dentofacial Structures of Experimental Animals, Am. J. Orthod. Oral Surg. 32, 467–485 (1946).
Granulomatosis
Segal, A.W. Superoxide Generation, Cytochrome B-245, and Chronic Granulomatosis Disease. Advances in Inflammatory Research, vol. 8, Raven Press (1984).

Veterinary clinical evaluation of the Nzymes sprouted-soy formula in 387 dogs by six contributing veterinarians, compiled and completed April 15, 1989. Unpublished; summarized in full on this page. Findings continue to inform Nzymes formulation today. This information is not intended to replace the advice of a veterinarian.