What Are Digestive Enzymes and Do You Need Them?

October 17, 2022

What are digestive enzymes and do you need them?

If you do need digestive enzymes and you don’t know it, you could be missing out on an almost miracle supplement that can drastically increase your digestive health!

Did you know that almost 70 million Americans suffer from digestive diseases?

If you struggle with things like bloating, gassiness, and abdominal discomfort on a daily basis, you may be one of them!

It’s common to assume that this is just your lot in life and that you need to get used to it as you get older.

Well, then I’ve got good news for you. You don’t have to keep suffering through unpleasant digestive issues.

Digestive enzyme supplementation could give you your energy, health, and life back.

Here’s everything you need to know about them to make the most informed choice!

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What Are Digestive Enzymes?

Digestive enzymes are proteins produced in the body that help you to digest food.

You may know them by a variety of names: lactase, amylase, sucrase, protease, and lipase.

(Hint: if it ends in “ase”, chances are it’s a digestive enzyme.)

You also get digestive enzyme supplements, which are all-natural, medically-reviewed formulations put together into a capsule or tablet.

These are the supplemental pancreatic enzymes that you can take if your body isn’t producing its own properly!

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How Do They Work?

Digestive enzymes work by breaking down food into its macronutrients—that is, into carbohydrates, proteins, and fats.

This makes it far easier for your body to absorb nutrients from the food, which can be used throughout the body in a variety of different tasks.

Here’s a quick overview of which digestive enzymes do what:

Lactases break down the sugars in dairy products.
Proteases break down proteins into amino acids.
Amylases break down carbohydrates into sugar.
Lipases break down the fats into fatty acids.

As you can tell, digestive enzymes don’t just break down food into nutrients and waste products.

They carefully break down each nutrient into the most easy-to-absorb form so it can be used in the body.

How Do You Know If You Need Digestive Enzyme Supplements?

It can be tempting to start taking a digestive enzyme supplement “just in case”, or to get ahead of potential problems before they begin.

However, this can backfire. If you take pancreatic enzymes when you don’t need them, you can end up damaging your own digestive system and causing the symptoms you’re trying to avoid!

Consider digestive enzyme supplementation if you…

1. Have a Digestive Disease or Disorder

If you’ve been diagnosed with a disorder of the digestive tract or stomach, digestive enzymes can help.

Of course, I highly recommend discussing it with your doctor if they haven’t already prescribed you a digestive enzyme supplement.

People with the following health conditions may benefit from the addition of a digestive enzyme supplement in their diet:

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) (1)
Celiac disease (2)
Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI)
Diabetes
Cystic fibrosis (3)
Pancreatitis
Low stomach acid
Cancers of the digestive system

Again, discuss your specific situation with your doctor.

2. Suffer From Food Intolerances

Being lactose intolerant—that is, being sensitive to dairy products—could be a sign of an enzyme deficiency!

Being sensitive to gluten could be another sign of an enzyme issue.

It’s a good idea to keep a food journal for a few weeks and take note of when you experience digestive upset.

If it coincides with particular foods, you may have a sensitivity, intolerance, or allergy.

3. Have Unexplained Digestive Symptoms

Do you have annoying, uncomfortable, or painful digestive symptoms that arrive often and lower your quality of life?

It could be a sign of an enzyme disorder.

These symptoms could include:

Nausea
Vomiting
Cramps
Diarrhea
Constipation
Bloating
Excess gassiness
Oily stools

The key here is to note how often you have these symptoms.

If you have one or two of them here and there, then you’re most likely not in need of digestive enzymes.

However, if these symptoms show up persistently, in groups, and are bad enough to make your life miserable, then supplementing with a probiotic enzyme could be the best decision you ever make.

I Think I Need Digestive Enzymes: What Now?

If you’ve been reading this thinking, “That sounds like me”, then it’s a great idea to start looking into digestive enzymes more seriously.

I recommend starting with your doctor.

While you can get over-the-counter digestive enzyme supplements, your doctor will be able to give you advice. Diagnosis or treatment could differ from person to person, and your doctor knows your health best.

Before grabbing the first supplement you see, ask your healthcare provider which one they suggest based on you and your health.

Are There Any Side Effects?

Digestive enzymes are natural, so there aren’t any drastic side effects to be wary of. But that doesn’t mean they’re perfectly safe.

The first thing to know is that, as we mentioned above, taking digestive enzymes when you don’t have an enzyme deficiency can actually cause unpleasant symptoms, like abdominal pain and gastric upset.

In very rare cases, some people may have an allergic reaction to digestive enzyme supplements.

However, this is unlikely, but it’s a good idea to double-check all the ingredients and check with your doctor before starting them.

Lastly, although digestive enzymes are natural, they can cause interactions with certain medications.

Once again, this is something your doctor will be able to advise you about!

Conclusion

So, what are digestive enzymes? Well, they may be a thing your body makes that you don’t think much about at all (if you’re lucky!).

But considering you’re reading this article, I’ll hazard a guess that for you, they could be something that transforms your digestive health and improves your quality of life.

If you’re ready to say goodbye to unpleasant digestive symptoms, pain, discomfort, and embarrassment, I highly recommend asking your doctor about going on a digestive enzyme supplement.

Keep in mind that it could take up to 4 months before you really begin to see the difference.

Don’t lose patience! Good things take time, and you’ll be glad you stuck with it when your gut health begins to transform.