Digestive enzymes play a critical role in breaking down food into the building components that power your body. The greatest digestive enzymes are those produced naturally by your body during normal digestion. However, these enzymes can go out of balance in some cases.
If you're experiencing digestive troubles such as bloating, indigestion, or difficulty adapting to a new diet, digestive enzyme supplements may be beneficial.
But, with so many brands available, it's difficult to know where to begin—and if you really need them. Continue reading for a primer on digestive enzymes: what they are, when they can help, and what to look for.
WHAT ARE DIGESTIVE ENZYMES?
Enzymes are proteins produced by your body to trigger particular chemical processes. Enzymes are released by your pancreas, stomach, salivary glands, and the brush border of your small intestine to help break down food into nutrients that your body can absorb. Enzymes also help to protect your stomach by breaking down inflammatory molecules like lectins, which can cause leaky gut.
Different enzymes are responsible for the digestion of various components in your food, such as amino acids and carbohydrates. Lactase, for example, is required for the digestion of lactose carbohydrates. Many people cannot digest dairy and suffer from lactose intolerance since most adults no longer make lactase.
Lactaid and Beano are typical digestive enzymes that individuals take after eating meals that are difficult to digest, such as dairy products and some complex carbohydrates. Extra enzymes can assist your digestive system break down food in certain instances, minimising damage and gastrointestinal pain.
However, if a certain dish upsets you, consult with your doctor or a nutritionist and discuss how you're feeling. If your stomach says "no" when you try to digest anything prepared with milk or wheat, you might wish to try a dairy-free or gluten-free diet.
If you don't feel your best after eating certain foods, it's frequently advisable to avoid them totally rather than rely on over-the-counter enzymes to help you handle them. Stay hydrated, increase your consumption of fibre-rich foods and gut health supplements, and even manage your stress as part of a regular gut health routine (more on that below).
WHICH FACTORS IMPACT ENZYME PRODUCTION?
All the nutritious food in the world won't help you if your body lacks the enzymes needed to break it down into smaller nutrients. Pancreatic issues, damage to the intestinal brush barrier, and severe inflammatory digestive diseases like celiac or Crohn's disease can all disrupt proper digestion.
"Anything that causes inflammation in the gut will disrupt the brush barrier and can influence pancreatic function as well," says Dr. John Mick, a Seattle-based naturopathic doctor who specialises in digestive health and autoimmune disorders.
This can include everything from a leaky gut to bacterial overgrowth to minor dietary intolerances. Undigested proteins might travel through your digestive system and produce greater inflammation if you have a low enzyme level. Poor stomach acid is also associated with low enzyme synthesis, and your body creates less enzymes as you age.
However, other people are losing enzymes as a result of a more ubiquitous, yet frequent, hazard, according to Mick.
"The single most important problem that affects digestion is just stress," he explains.
Stress, it turns out, has several effects on gut health. High stress suppresses your digestive system by putting your body into "fight or flight" mode, which causes your body to spend less energy for digestion. If your ancestor was fleeing a predator, digesting their last meal was not a high concern.
SIGNS THAT YOUR ENZYME COUNT IS LOW
Undigested food is frequently seen in the stool.
Seborrhea (undigested fats or oils in stool)
Constipation or diarrhea
bloating or gas
Unexpected weight loss
Symptoms of Malnutrition
Stomach Pain
Let’s Talk About Best Supplements
Regular digestion can be supported by consuming gut health vitamins. (For stress relief, we like Health Veda Organics Melatonin Capsules, and for gut health and immune support, we choose Health Veda Organics Digestive Enzyme Capsules.)
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