27 Apr Do You Trust Your Gut? The Untapped Goodness Of Digestive Enzymes

Digestive enzymes are an essential part of helping people who struggling to digest their food, and although there is still a lot of research that needs to be done in this space, the volume of sales and positive reviews that we see on these supplements can only be cause to believe that they really do do the trick for people who struggle with digestion.

The first essential part to improving your digestion is actually easy (in theory) to achieve. Chewing! Far too often I see people guzzling down their food without taking the time to break it down into an easily digestible and absorbable mulch – enzymes can’t access food unless it’s mashed into a smooth goop. The stomach will work overtime to break down big chunks of food and while many people manage to get away with this, with some kind of Hulk-ian digestive capabilities, there are those who find it immensely difficult – leading to issues like diarrhoea, constipation, cramps or bloating.

So what are digestive enzymes, and what exactly do they do?

Digestive enzymes enable your body to break down food more easily, as well as absorb the nutrients thereof without bloating or aches.

Technically: 
Digestive enzymes include proteases, which break down proteins; amylases, which break down starches; and lipases, which break down fats.
– Proteases break the bonds between amino acids, ideally converting long chains of amino acids into single amino acids prior to absorption into the body.
– Amylases break the bonds between glucose molecules in starches, yielding single glucose molecules. 
– Lipases work on fats, freeing fatty acids from the glycerol backbone. This particular enzyme production may become less as we age.

Products like Prime Self Gut Complex assist in helping people with their every-day digestive issues, as one Faithful to Nature customer states; “This has been a game changer for my lactose and gluten sensitivities and awesome knowing I also get in my probiotics at the same time. I’ve been alternating with a similar high-quality product and can honestly say this one works better for me” – Henda. 

And the same can be seen for the Amipro Metagenics Digestizyme; “[This product is] One of the better digestive enzymes available in SA. I used to suffer from major bloating and indigestion, taking these digestive enzymes in the beginning with every meal has given me such a relief. I don’t need to take as much as I did in the beginning. I think it’s really improved my digestion, together with taking good probiotics” – Annelies. 

In addition to their unquestionable body-assisting capabilities, one of the greatest things about these supplements? They’re herbal and natural – so you’re not interfering with any of your body’s natural productive capabilities, as well as helping you on a day-to-day basis. In the words of Drew Barrymore; “Because this way, when you eat, your stomach is saying, ‘Oh, thank you. You’re helping me!'”