{"id":170,"date":"2020-12-07T16:23:05","date_gmt":"2020-12-07T16:23:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.consumershealthreport.com\/?page_id=170"},"modified":"2020-12-07T22:23:47","modified_gmt":"2020-12-07T22:23:47","slug":"digestive-enzyme-supplements","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.consumershealthreport.com\/digestive-enzyme-supplements\/","title":{"rendered":"Digestive Enzyme Supplements"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Digestive enzyme supplements have become more and more popular in recent years. But does that mean you should be taking a digestive enzyme supplement?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The research says that digestive enzyme supplements may be beneficial for some people but they\u2019re not necessarily for everyone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What Are Digestive Enzymes?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Digestive enzymes are proteins that play an important role in breaking down the food that you eat. Digestive enzymes take nutrients and turn them into substances that can more easily be absorbed by your body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Common Nutrients That Don\u2019t Get Digested Properly<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Here are some of the most common nutrients that the body has difficulty digesting:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fat<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When fat is broken down and digested in the body, the majority of it is done by the digestive enzyme lipase. However, this digestive enzyme is produced in the pancreas, and some peoples\u2019 pancreas doesn\u2019t produce enough of it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If your body doesn\u2019t digest fat properly, it can lead to symptoms such as bloating, diarrhea, oily stool, and bad gas. If your body doesn\u2019t produce enough lipase, you could potentially benefit from taking a digestive enzyme supplement, but it\u2019s also a possibility that any over the counter digestive enzyme supplement wouldn\u2019t have anywhere near the lipase you\u2019d need. If you suspect that your body underproduces lipase, you should get tested by your doctor because that\u2019s the only way you can know definitively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fructose<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Fructose is a type of sugar. It\u2019s found naturally in fruits but also can be found in sweeteners and any food or drink containing sweeteners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fructose is broken down by receptors in the small intestine and if your body doesn\u2019t produce enough of these, it can lead to malabsorption of fructose, in which case you may experience symptoms such as gas, bloating, and diarrhea after you consume food or drink containing fructose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Galacto-Oligosaccharides<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Galacto-oligosaccharides are found in certain plant foods. Some examples include beans, beets, brussels sprouts, cashews, chickpeas, and peas. The galacto-oligosaccharides are what make these foods<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lactose<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Lactose is the natural sugar found in milk and other dairy products.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lactose is broken down in the body by the digestive enzyme lactase. Lactase is produced in the body but some people\u2019s bodies don’t produce enough of it, which results in the body not absorbing lactose properly, and can lead to side effects such as gas, bloating, and diarrhea. This is referred to as lactose intolerance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Taking a supplement with lactase enzyme may help improve lactose intolerance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sucrose<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Sucrose is sugar that is found naturally in plants. For some people, their body doesn\u2019t produce enough sacrosidase, which is the digestive enzyme that breaks it down. However, sacrosidase deficiency is rare, and it can only be treated with a prescription, so an over-the-counter digestive enzyme supplement won\u2019t help with this deficiency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Who Can Benefit from Digestive Enzyme Supplements<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Here are some of the people who may benefit from taking a digestive enzyme supplement:<\/p>\n\n\n\n