We go about our days breathing without thinking much about it, and for most people, the same thing goes with digestion. We know a lot is going on ‘under the hood’, but unless something feels or appears out of the ordinary, we don’t tend to pay much mind to it. It’s a bit of a ‘no news is good news’ situation. However, it’s becoming more and more common that people are noticing disruption to this long misunderstood, unsung hero of a process due to an unprecedented amount of toxic burden from the air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we consume and the products we use on our skin and home. Many people’s first thought is to pop an antacid or take an over the counter tablet to ease the discomfort. And I get it - stomach issues can be highly disruptive to our daily life, and downright embarrassing sometimes. However, I implore you to consider ‘teach a man to fish’ so to speak - reminding your body and reinforcing what it’s naturally attempting to do.
Enter: enzymes! Enzymes are simply biological catalysts or regulators of the chemical reactions in our bodies, including - you guessed it - digestion! Enzymes are critical to allowing our body to break down food into smaller molecules that can be used for various purposes. While we naturally produce enzymes in our stomach, small intestine and pancreas, it’s not uncommon to fall short in some or all of them especially as we age. How do you identify an enzyme? They typically (but not all) end in ‘-ase’ - amylase, lipase, lactase, sucrase and protease are the primary enzymes related to digestion. Amylase can be associated with the breakdown of carbohydrates, lipase (think lipids) break down fats, lactase breaks down lactose, sucrase breaks down sucrose (sugar) and protease breaks down proteins. Let’s take a look at some specific situations where enzymes can be really powerful:
For anyone out there without your gallbladder - lipases are a must. As the gallbladder helps move bile, which is a key fluid to helping to break down fats, without it you need some extra support in that process. Lipase will assist that and in overall immune and heart performance. Taking 1,000-2,000 USP daily could do the trick when you know you are going to eat a particularly rich, high fat meal.
Ever notice when you look down into the toilet that your stool still has a little undigested food in it? What about feeling really bloated or nauseous within a couple hours of eating a meal? If this occurs regularly, this is a big indicator that your pancreas needs a little extra support to break food down, especially raw ones. The pancreas is the primary enzyme producer in the body. Amylase can be particularly helpful in pancreatic insufficiency, 20-35,000 USP may be indicated to help get back on track.
I scream, you scream, we all scream when we try to digest ice cream! Many people have difficulty processing dairy, particularly the lactose in dairy. Taking lactase before consuming dairy could prevent some of the uncomfortable side effects.
You can find digestive enzymes naturally occurring in some very common foods you likely already eat, especially fruits - things like avocados (lipase - fat), pineapple (bromelain - protein), papaya (papain - protein) and banana (amylase - carbs). Fermented foods like sauerkraut and kimchi have beneficial bacteria that produce enzymes that aid digestion as well.
In some studies, consuming digestive enzymes were demonstrated to assist in balancing blood sugar when taken with meals. It also showed a decrease in LDL cholesterol (low density, more potentially troublesome of the cholesterols). This could be particularly helpful for those with diabetes or pre-diabetes.
So maybe I’ve convinced you to give digestive enzymes a go, you may now wonder - when is the best time to take them? The best time to take them is 5 minutes before your meal, or within 5 minutes of starting to eat. If you forget, don’t fret! Just try to take them within 30 minutes of finishing your meal. By taking them with food, you are tricking (in a nice way!) your body into thinking they are coming from the food you eat and to treat them as such. In a more acute situation, you may ramp this up to 1-2 servings before your meal and 1-2 after your meal to really bookend the food consumed.
Even though enzymes are fairly low risk overall, as always, ensure you are working with a professional that you trust for expert guidance. You should be especially considerate if you have any pre-existing conditions like stomach ulcers or if you’re fighting an active bacterial infection in the stomach. For most people with common digestive symptoms though, these enzymes can come in extremely handy to support your body’s natural inclinations and avoid all the extra junk found in many over the counter bandaid solutions.
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