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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT DIGESTIVE ENZYMES?

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Have you ever wondered how the macronutrients in food – fats, carbohydrates and proteins – get where they need to be in your body?

 

Have you ever wondered how fats, carbohydrates and proteins get where they need to be in your body? Here's what you need to know about digestive enzymes. | KalenaSpire

 

This is where digestive enzymes come into play: they move macronutrients, vitamins and minerals out of the digestive tract and into the bloodstream where they participate in functions such as growth and repair. If the body is deficient in these enzymes (due to genetics, illness, or food allergy), food cannot be properly digested.

 

MAJOR DIGESTIVE ENZYMES

  • Proteases break down protein into amino acids and peptides.
  • Lipases break down fat into three types of fatty acids.
  • Amylases break down carbohydrates into simple sugars.

 

Other enzymes target specific sugars:

  • Lactase breaks down the sugar in milk.
  • Maltase moves maltose, which is produced from starch, and converts it into glucose that the body uses for quick energy.
  • Sucrase works on sucrose and converts it into other sugar molecules.

 

WHEN THERE’S A DEFICIENCY OF ENZYMES

Deficiencies in digestive enzymes often result in gastrointestinal distress after eating food that contains a starch, fat, or protein the body cannot break down. For example, if you’re deficient in lactase, you’ll feel ill (bloating, cramps, gas) after eating dairy products.

 

FOOD-BASED SOURCES OF ENZYMES

Digestive enzymes are naturally present in many foods. Pineapple and papaya are rich in proteases and can help ease symptoms of IBS. Mango and banana contain enzymes that break down starches. Other excellent sources of digestive enzymes include kefir, sauerkraut, honey and ginger. To reap the benefits, eat these foods at their peak freshness and chew mindfully as saliva activates many enzymes. Eat fruits raw as heating destroys the enzymes.

 

SUPPLEMENTING WITH ENZYMES

When treating digestive dysfunction, food allergy or sensitivity, a holistic physician may recommend dietary changes along with enzymes in pill form. Many factors influence how you should take these enzymes (before, during, or after a meal). Your holistic practitioner can help determine how digestive enzymes can best support your health.

 

 

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE WAY TO ENHANCE DIGESTION? SHARE IN THE COMMENTS BELOW!

 

 

References
  • Rathnavelu, Vidhya et al. “Potential Role of Bromelain in Clinical and Therapeutic Applications.” Biomedical Reports 5.3 (2016): 283–288. PMC. Accessed 12 October 2018: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4998156/
  • Roxas, M. “The Role of Enzyme Supplementation in Digestive Disorders.” Alt Med Rev (2008) 13:4, 307-314. Accessed 10 Oct 2018: http://archive.foundationalmedicinereview.com/publications/13/4/307.pdf
  • Muss, C., Modgoelier, W., Enler, T. “Papaya Preparation in Digestive Disorders.” Nuero Endocrinol Lett. (2013) 34:1, 38-46. PMID: 23524622: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23524622
  • Rama, R. “12 Foods that contain Natural Digestive Enzymes.” Posted 2018, May 15 at Healthline.com. Accessed 10 Oct. 2018: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/natural-digestive-enzymes
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Alexandria Z., M.S.

Christine is my wellness goddess. Her amazing support, extraordinary expertise, and undeniable compassion invited me to a world of freedom from digestive discomfort that I didn’t know was possible. The whirlwind of bloating, constipation, brain fog, and digestive upheaval was consuming my life. Exhaustion and frustration were becoming my very existence. And then I met my health goddess! Christine’s astute listening and meticulously tailored guidance, transformed my thinking and whirlwind of digestive discomfort. She helped me achieve a state of equilibrium. The balance I now experience is the center of my wellness existence—the core of my life with digestive happiness.

 

Christine instilled in me the power to embrace the grace and strength of my very own body! She has taught me to internalize the boundless evidence of my body’s functionality to heal digestively. While working with Christine, my exhaustion, pain, and bloating were overshadowed with energy, digestive comfort, glowing skin, and knowledge. Her coaching raised my awareness of food sensitivities, and promoted better food choices, which led to better sleep, a stronger link to overall wellness, clarity in my thinking, and ultimately, more joy in my life.  Christine’s remarkable spirit of wellness will forever echo in my digestive wellness journey. I bestow upon Christine the well-deserved exceptional title, “my wellness goddess.”
2015-07-27T17:47:59-04:00
Christine is my wellness goddess. Her amazing support, extraordinary expertise, and undeniable compassion invited me to a world of freedom from digestive discomfort that I didn’t know was possible. The whirlwind of bloating, constipation, brain fog, and digestive upheaval was consuming my life. Exhaustion and frustration were becoming my very existence. And then I met my health goddess! Christine’s astute listening and meticulously tailored guidance, transformed my thinking and whirlwind of digestive discomfort. She helped me achieve a state of equilibrium. The balance I now experience is the center of my wellness existence—the core of my life with digestive happiness.   Christine instilled in me the power to embrace the grace and strength of my very own body! She has taught me to internalize the boundless evidence of my body’s functionality to heal digestively. While working with Christine, my exhaustion, pain, and bloating were overshadowed with energy, digestive comfort, glowing skin, and knowledge. Her coaching raised my awareness of food sensitivities, and promoted better food choices, which led to better sleep, a stronger link to overall wellness, clarity in my thinking, and ultimately, more joy in my life.  Christine’s remarkable spirit of wellness will forever echo in my digestive wellness journey. I bestow upon Christine the well-deserved exceptional title, “my wellness goddess.”