Do Digestive Enzymes Actually Help?

I hear this from patients all the time.

“I’ve tried all sorts of products to support my gut and digestion. This includes probiotics, prebiotics, fermented foods, of course, which you hear a lot about. Why don’t we hear much about digestive enzymes?”

“Do digestive enzymes help digestion?”

The answer is Yes. They can help however there are a few things to think about first.

HOW DIGESTION WORKS

• Digestion should start in the brain with hunger pangs and the senses. Like he smell of your favorite food and the look or the thought (memory) of the food you are about to consume.
•  That then signals the mouth to start to make saliva with amylase to start the process of breaking down food. This is also where we should savor and chew our foods. More on that later.
• The Stomach also gets the signal from the brain to start to produce HCL to breakdown proteins.  The change in PH in the stomach (More Acidic), triggers the Small Intestine to signal the Liver and Gallbladder to make Bile to breakdown fats and the Pancreas to breakdown starches.  The change in PH also provides our body with protection from toxins and bugs.

WHAT CAUSES DIGESTION TO MALFUNCTION?

• Brain Trauma from a Traumatic Injury can affect signaling to the Gut.
• Stress: (I think at this point this is everyone) Stress shuts down the production of HCL because you do not need to digest as you run away from the tiger/virus. HCL also decreases with age.  If HCL is not produced, then it has a downstream effect on other enzymes needed for digestion.
•  Chewing is an essential part of digestion. Enzymes can’t access food unless it’s well mashed and mixed with water into a smooth liquid before it travels into the Small Intestine.  One of my pet peeves is that very few people chew food well. All too often I see people gulping down food in the car or on the run without chewing it thoroughly.
• Chewing thoroughly seems especially worthwhile in the case of protein-containing foods. Some proteins, for example gluten, are particularly hard to digest, and incompletely digested proteins can be irritating to the gut.
• Too much food at once.
• Eat food all day long and never give the digestive track a rest.
• Highly processed food with lots of added chemicals that need to be broken down
• Too much of one kind of food. EG: Fat, Sugar/ Carbs or Protein
• Food Sensitivities. Some of us find certain foods hard to digest. We may anticipate unpleasant consequences such as diarrhea, constipation, bloating, or symptoms elsewhere in the body.

A MORE IN-DEPTH LOOK: BE YOUR OWN INVESTIGATOR

Questions to ask yourself. Do I bloat, or have gas if:

• I eat certain foods?
• I eat too much?
• All the time?
• Just sometimes?
• Keep a Food and Feelings journal and see if there are any patterns that provide clues

NATURAL SUPPORT

Everyone due to the stress of the last 5 years could use my favorite all in one Enzymix Pro 1 tab per meal.

Based on your answers to the questions above, I recommend the following:

Digest Forte (bitter herbs to stimulate digestion 1 before meals and 2 Zypan (HCL and Pepsin) per meal to help break down proteins and stimulate the pancreas and the Gall Bladder to release enzymes.

NOTE: if you are sensitive to Zypan, then healing the stomach lining is needed for a few weeks. TEXT me if you need help with this.

If you struggle digesting starches and fibers then:

Enzycore (a good all around enzyme formula with all the enzymes needed for the breakdown of all types of food and it contains Glutamine to support the intestinal lining.

If you struggle digesting Fat then add: (burp after a meal and have a clay colored stool)

AF Betafood 2/3 per meal will help thin the bile and support fat digestion and phase 3 detoxification

Choline 2/ meal It contains bile salts to help support breakdown of fats.

Cholacol 2 tabs per meal. A must if you have had your Gallbladder removed.

What digestive enzymes do is support healthy digestion is to allow the nutrients from foods to be broken down and absorbed. And they may help promote digestive comfort.

You can order these amazing products at Click Here: 

If you are struggling with Digestive Challenges and GI issues and need help then please reach out.

I am available in person in the Cedar Park/Leander area of TX or Virtual via Zoom. Click Here for an appointment.

It is not normal to have chronic digestive issues.

Best and have a healthy week.

Dr Pia