There are only two ways to address a health problem – either handle the symptoms or fix the cause. If there is no option but to alleviate the symptoms, then, of course, that’s the approach to take. But in the long run, correcting the cause is a much more effective way to manage symptoms. (Unfortunately, too many health care practitioners will go the former route.)

When it comes to health issues, it’s essential to look at the overall big picture and determine why you have specific symptoms instead of just trying to relieve them.

Let’s say you were diagnosed with arthritis and were prescribed Celebrex to “treat” it. Your symptoms may improve, but you haven’t discovered why you developed arthritis in the first place. In the process of doing so, you might observe that you also have dry skin, cramping, bloating, fatigue, or some other symptoms that may be related to a chronic lack of digestive enzymes. Clearly, treating the primary symptom, in this case, does not address the underlying cause.

Lack Of Digestive Enzymes Is Often A Contributing Factor To Poor Health

Your body is a collection of interwoven systems that rely on each part to make the whole run smoothly. Every process and every organ influences each other. The digestive system and the enzymes that it produces are good examples. 

Your body uses various enzyme types to perform specific tasks such as digesting food, removing toxins from your body, and building muscles. Their primary function is to turn food into the molecules your body uses as energy.

The primary digestive enzymes are:

Amylase: breaks down carbs and starch

Protease: helps break down protein

Lipase: which breaks down oils and fats

Lactase: breaks down lactose or milk sugar

The digestive system becomes less efficient as we age; as a result, we naturally produce fewer enzymes. When that happens, it becomes harder to break down carbohydrates, fats, and proteins in our food. 

Without enough digestive enzymes, your body can’t digest your food thoroughly, which leads to food intolerances that often feel like cramps, bloating, gas, or worse.

Over time, this particular health situation can result in the body absorbing less essential fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals. The symptoms and health problems we experience from a lack of digestive enzymes can vary depending on the specific deficiency. 

Here are just a few health concerns that may indicate that you are low on digestive enzymes.

Bloating & Gas

A certain degree of bloating and gas is normal, but those feelings should not happen regularly.

Gas formation commonly results when undigested food particles ferment in the GI tract. Sufficient levels of specific digestive enzymes would completely break down the foods you eat and help move them through your digestive system before they have the chance to ferment.

Skin Issues

You’ve probably heard that your skin is your largest organ. Healthy skin depends on proper digestion and absorption of vitamins and nutrients. An imbalance in the digestive system often explains skin conditions like acne, eczema, and rosacea. 

Acid Reflux

Enzymes help empty your stomach and help deactivate some of the pepsin, a stomach enzyme that helps with digestion. Pepsin also contributes to the upward surge of contents into the esophagus that results in acid reflux.

How to Boost Your Digestive Enzymes

Certain raw foods help your body create digestive enzymes. They include papaya, bananas, mangos, pineapples, avocado, honey, and ginger.

Just as healthy raw foods can boost your digestive enzyme production, some things we consume can hinder the balance of digestive enzymes. If you regularly drink alcohol or take prescription medications such as antibiotics, you may lack digestive enzymes.

To ensure your body has the correct level and type of digestive enzymes, consider taking an enzyme supplement. Stonehenge Health’s Incredible Digestive Enzymes contain enzymes to help digest the three main types of nutrients: lipases (for fats), and amylases (for carbohydrates), and proteases (for proteins).

Incredible Digestive Enzymes is a complete range of enzymes able to break down the most troublesome foods like dairy and gluten.

Sources:

1. Digestive enzyme supplements for heartburn? – Harvard Health – health.harvard.edu/blog/will-digestive-enzyme-supplements-help-your-heartburn-2018041313643

2. Digestive Enzymes: What Are They, Do They Work, and More -healthline.com/health/exocrine-pancreatic-insufficiency/the-role-of-digestive-enzymes-in-gi-disorders

3. GERD/Acid Reflux | Digestive Center for Wellness – digestivecenterforwellness.com/featured_item/reflux-gerd/