Ensure Great Digestion with Stomach Enzymes!

Stomach enzymes, also called digestive enzymes, are absolutely essential for healthy digestion. So if your supply of these enzymes is lagging, you may be feeling a little rotten all over.

Why?

Because if you can't digest your food, it tends to sit in your system and rot, or worse yet, get into your bloodstream without being properly broken down. Both can cause many different health challenges.

You may be thinking...

"So how did I live so many years without them if I need them now?"

The answer to that question varies depending on your diet and lifestyle, but there are two major reasons we eventually need stomach enzymes.

  • As we grow older our bodies function less efficiently so they are unable to produce enough enzymes for complete digestion.
  • We eat far more cooked foods than raw foods. Many raw foods contain the enzymes needed to digest them, but cooking destroys those enzymes.

So, What Are They Anyway?

In short, enzymes are protein molecules that help our bodies function.

Enzymes work with co-factors (frequently minerals), and co-enzymes (frequently vitamins), to help our bodies produce energy, detoxify, protect against outside attacks, and do practically everything else that happens in the body.

Stomach enzymes help us break down our food so that we can use it.

If they are lacking, not only will it cause indigestion, gas, diarrhea, and general digestive difficulties, it may also contribute to Crohn's disease, IBS, and other inflammatory bowel diseases.

In addition it is now suspected that their lack also has an indirect influence over conditions like arthritis, cancer, chronic fatigue, and allergies.

Which Enzymes are Needed?

All foods can be divided into three major groups, carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. In case you don't recognize "carbohydrates", that group is made up of sugars and starches. Starches are broken down in the body into sugars.

For healthy digestion we need enzymes that enable us to break down carbohydrates, fats, and proteins, and we need enough of them to get the job done completely.

Most stomach enzymes come in a multi-enzyme formula. You can buy them separately, but it would be much more expensive.

Find a Multi-Enzyme Formula Containing:

Typical Multi-Enzyme Formula
  • Pancreatin - made from animals, and helps digest proteins, fats and carbohydrates.

  • Amylase -made from plants, animals, or microbes, and it helps digest carbohydrates too.

  • Cellulase -made from microbes, and breaks down fiber, which would be classed as a carbohydrate, although without this enzyme we are unable to digest it at all.

  • Protease, Bromelain, and Papain -made from plants and break down proteins.

  • Pepsin -made from animals and breaks down proteins.

  • Ox Bile -made from animals and breaks down fat.

  • Lipase -made from microbes or animals and breaks down fats.

    Frequently these formulas may contain some minerals that act as co-factors, as well as Betaine Hydrochloride, which is a supplemental acid to be sure that the protein enzymes will work properly.

    When taking a multi-enzyme formula, follow the dosing instructions on the bottle, unless a doctor gives you other directions.

    Note these Side effects and Cautions:

    Generally speaking stomach enzymes are safe and without side effects, however when you first start taking them they could cause gas or bloating due to your digestive system trying to re-balance itself, because getting enough digestive enzymes could enable your body to kill off yeast and other bad bacteria that have been over populating your stomach and intestines.

    If you should have symptoms that don't go away fairly quickly you could be having a reaction to some component of the enzymes themselves. In that case you would need to find a different formula.

    People with ulcers, blood clotting problems, and those about to have surgery should avoid taking protein digesting enzymes unless the doctor knows and approves.

    If you are allergic to pork or beef, don't take enzymes derived from these animals.

    However, if you have a problem with yeast overgrowth, taking enzymes made from microbes should not be a problem according to Dr. Stengler, who wrote The Natural Physician's Healing Therapies.

    Availability

    Multi-Enzymatic formulas are available in many different places. When I don't have time to get them from the internet, I've been able to pick them up at Wal-Mart.

    However I like to order them, when I have time, from Vitamin World. You can do the same by clicking on the image to the left.

    Another place that you can get quality digestive enzymes is Life Extension Foundation. You can find them by clicking their ad below. I know they both offer quality products.

    Life Extension - Health And Medical Findings.

    Amazon also has several formulas available. I know that the Garden of Life Omega-Zyme Digestive Enzyme Blend, Caplets, 180-Count Bottle is a quality formula as well.

    These are just my favorites of the multiple enzyme formulas available.

    Conclusions

    If you're having trouble with your digestion, trying stomach enzymes might be one of the easiest ways to resolve the problem.

    As with all health supplements, you frequently get what you pay for. If you get the cheapest you can find, they may not work at all. A quality product is necessary to help. But, they are a fairly easy supplement to find.

    They have been a tremendous boost to my health! Give them a try to see how much they'll help you.

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