DIGESTIVE ENZYMES

Because you love food, but not how it makes you feel. Even those who consume a healthful diet with plenty of whole foods can still experience digestive upset after a meal, including issues such as upset stomach, bloating, gas or heartburn. It is important to determine the root cause of these concerns to eliminate any underlying issues, but while you are working with your primary care provider, Digestive Enzymes may come in handy. 

Digestive Enzymes help to process the chemical reactions that properly break down food in the digestive tract. While these are naturally present in our body and whole food sources, some people do not produce or consume enough enzymes, making it hard for them to fully break down food, thereby leading to decreased nutrient absorption and digestive upset. There are different enzymes that are responsible for breaking down the different components of food such as proteins, fats, carbohydrates, dairy, plant and vegetable material (cellulose) and sugars, and it’s not always clear which one(s) an individual is lacking. Often times, digestive disturbances happen when an individual consumes a combination of food because their body simply cannot process it all at once. That is why it is important to select a formula that contains a diverse balance of different enzymes that all work together at the body’s native pH for optimal results. 

In the body, Digestive Enzymes start to take action from the moment you take your first bite, and continue to be released at different stages of the gastrointestinal tract. They are produced by the salivary glands and by the secretory cells in the stomach, pancreas and small intestine and break food down into smaller, more absorbable nutrients for your body to use. 

Hydrochloric Acid (HCl) is another important factor when it comes to ensuring proper digestion and nutrient absorption. It’s a little counter intuitive, but heartburn and acid reflux is most often experienced by individuals who do not produce enough stomach acid. So, ensuring your Digestive Enzyme complex contains HCl not only helps to prevent and reduce heartburn after a meal, but it also helps to break down food into its smallest usable components, allowing your body to absorb the maximum amount of nutrients, leaving little food behind for the ”bad” bacteria to survive on. A proper acid balance in the stomach is also critical for ensuring a sterile environment, preventing the proliferation of bacterial overgrowth. When there are too many bacteria present in the system, they produce a lot of gas and volatile fatty acids which can often lead to bloating. A good quality Probiotic Supplement can also help keep bacteria at bay.