Digestive Enzymes For Greater Gut Health
Do you know what digestive enzymes can do for your gut health? Learn how digestive enzymes along with prebiotics and probiotics are the keys to optimal gut health!
For many people, how the digestive system functions is a bit of a mystery. “Eat, eliminate, repeat” is how most people think of this critical body system!
To put it simply, the digestive system has five main functions:
- Breaks down food into usable nutrients
- Absorbs nutrients
- Keeps out invaders and identifies friend from foe
- Regulates the immune system
- Eliminates waste
When you eat food, your teeth physically break it down, increasing the surface area for the rest of your digestive system to act on.
Then, enzymes in your digestive system break down complex molecules into smaller particles for nutrient absorption.
The stomach and intestines then go to work on digestion, and nutrients are broken down into their final form via enzymes embedded at the site of absorption in the small intestinal wall.
When digestion doesn’t go smoothly, we often experience upset stomachs and uncomfortable trips to the bathroom.
Eating junk food, processed and nutritionally poor meals, stress, and aging all make it more challenging for the digestive system to function properly. Bloating, gastrointestinal discomfort, and indigestion often result.
This can be caused by a lack of stomach acid, deficient digestive enzymes, insufficient bile, or an imbalance in gut flora (microbiome).
A plant-based diet of whole foods, adequate hydration, proper sleep, and stress reduction can all help support optimal digestion. When you need extra assistance, consider nutritional supplements such as prebiotics, probiotics, and digestive enzymes.
Sources:
- Special Report: Gut Health - The Key to a Healthy Life by Robert Sheeler, MD
- http://education.seattlepi.com/food-nutrients-bloodstream-osmosis-4574.html
- http://www.acam.org/blogpost/1092863/180732/Digestive-Health--Total-Body-Health
