Enzyme supplements are good for gut

Gut woes affect people of all ages. To improve digestion — which is essential to overall health — an increasing number of Americans are turning to enzyme supplements containing proteins, Newsmax Health reports.

According to market-research analysts, enzyme supplements are soaring in popularity as more people discover that they relieve discomfort and boost overall health.

“You should be completely unaware of your gut,” says Steven Lamm, M.D., clinical assistant professor at New York University School of Medicine. “You should be unaware of your digestion and bowel movements. It should be effortless, seamless, and natural. You shouldn’t get bloated, gaseous, or have trouble with constipation.”

But the reality is that almost no one has a so-called “healthy gut,” Dr. Lamm tells Newsmax Health. According to Dr. Lamm, the two top reasons are:

Modern cooked diets, which destroy the natural enzymes found in raw foods — especially fruits and vegetables — that aid in digestion.

An age-related decline in body’s natural ability to produce its own digestive enzymes.

Other factors that can deplete our supply of natural enzymes include stress, poor sleep, illness, antibiotic use, smoking, alcohol abuse, and a diet rich in hard-to-digest processed, refined, and fatty foods.

“We’re seeing a large number of Americans who accept being bloated and gaseous and having irregular bowel movements,” Dr. Lamm says. “They’re not bleeding, vomiting, or losing weight, so they don’t fulfill the criteria of a disease like inflammatory bowel disease. But they’re clearly very uncomfortable.”

The first enzyme supplement — lactase, an enzyme that digests milk sugar – became available in the 1980s. It was a game-changer for people who didn’t produce the enzyme naturally and previously needed to meticulously avoid dairy products.

In the early 1990s another enzyme supplement was introduced, alpha-galactosidase, which helps people digest the complex starches in beans, cabbage, and broccoli. It prevents gas and bloating. The best-known such supplement is Beano.

The latest generation of enzyme supplements has broader applications. They often contain a full-spectrum blend that may include four key enzymes:

                    Protease, which digests protein

                    Amylase, which digests carbohydrates

                    Lipase, which digests fats

                    Cellulase, which digests fiber

“A growing number of people have gluten problems,” Dr. Lamm says. “They need to reduce their gluten load and take some of the enzymes that help with gluten digestion.”

Dr. Lamm says he is gluten intolerant himself. He takes an enzyme supplement before indulging in two of his favorite guilty pleasures: pasta and bread. “It really does reduce the discomfort,” he says.

He also routinely takes enzymes, especially when dining out — when he doesn’t have strict control over the ingredients in his food. 

Dr. Lamm’s advice to patients with digestive woes is simple: Change your diet to include more whole and raw foods, eat more slowly, and do a little detective work to determine if you’re having certain food intolerances.

Follow NEWS.am Medicine on Facebook and Twitter