Digestive enzymes and probiotics are often discussed together because they both play crucial roles in gut health. However, they serve very different functions within the body. Understanding the distinction between these two can help you make informed choices to support your digestive health and overall well-being.
Digestive Enzymes vs. Probiotics: Do You Need Both for Optimal Gut Health?
Digestive Enzymes
Digestive Enzymes are specialized proteins responsible for breaking down the food you eat into smaller, more absorbable components. This process is essential for nutrient absorption and overall digestion, and can also help to reduce the number of unfriendly bacteria in your intestines.
Without sufficient digestive enzymes, your body struggles to extract the nutrients from your food, which can lead to various digestive issues and even nutrient deficiencies.
Types of Digestive Enzymes
Different types of enzymes have their own specific jobs, and go to work breaking down specific types of food.
- Amylase: Breaks down starches into simple sugars.
- Lipase: Breaks down fats into fatty acids and glycerol.
- Protease: Breaks down proteins into amino acids.
Certain foods, especially raw fruits and vegetables, naturally contain digestive enzymes. For example, papaya is rich in papain, and pineapple contains bromelain, both of which aid in protein digestion. However, these enzymes are sensitive to heat and can be destroyed by temperatures as low as 100°, leaving the burden of digestion entirely on your body.
Nutri-Flow is an amazing for digesting proteins! I highly recommend it!
Signs You May Need Digestive Enzymes:
- Bloating and gas after meals
- Persistent heartburn or acid reflux
- Fatigue or sluggishness post-meals
- Difficulty digesting fatty foods
- Skin issues such as acne or eczema
- Abdominal cramping after meals
What Are Probiotics?
Probiotics are are live bacteria and yeasts that are beneficial for your digestive system. Current research tells us our bodies may contain as much as ten times more bacteria and micro-organisms than actual human cells!
Probiotics help maintain a healthy balance of gut flora, support immune function, and contribute to overall gut health.
These beneficial bacteria help to crowd out harmful pathogens, support digestion, and even contribute to the production of certain vitamins and short-chain fatty acids.
The gut's natural levels of good bacteria is disrupted for the following reasons: taking antibiotics, prescription corticosteroids, birth control pills, and NSAIDS such as aspirin, drinking heavily chlorinated water, stress, eating refined sugars and refined grains, and even exposure to BPA.
During pregnancy, there are a handful of nutrients a woman doesn't want to miss out on and probiotics are one of them, along with prenatal supplements, vitamin D, calcium, and the essential fat DHA.
Signs You May Benefit From Probiotics Include:
- Frequent digestive disturbances like gas, bloating, constipation, or diarrhea
- History of antibiotic use, which can disrupt the gut microbiome
- Recurring yeast infections or fungal infections (like athlete's foot)
- Skin disorders and allergies
- Autoimmune conditions
As you can see, the signs of enzyme deficiency and probiotic deficiency can be very similar. Your nutrition professional can guide you into selecting the proper supplements for your specific needs and health profile.
How to Incorporate Digestive Enzymes and Probiotics into Your Diet
DIGESTIVE ENZYMES
To naturally boost your digestive enzyme intake, incorporate enzyme-rich foods into your diet. Here are 12 foods that contain natural digestive enzymes: pineapple, papaya, mango, raw honey, bananas, avocados, kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi, miso, kiwi and ginger.
Additionally, consider adding bitter foods to your diet because they increase digestive enzymes in your gut. Bitter foods activate bitter receptors on the tongue, which in turn activate cells in your stomach to normalize acid production for better digestion. When this happens, bile production and digestive enzyme production are improved as well.
Side note: proper bile production is essential for detoxifying the liver, excretion of heavy metals from your body, hormone balance, and bowel regularity.
Finally, bitter foods also tend to be rich in antioxidants, which supports a healthy inflammatory response. Here's how to add more digestive bitters to your diet.
PROBIOTICS
Fermented foods are an excellent source of probiotics. Try to include sauerkraut, kimchi, or kefir in your daily diet. Here are all my favorite gut nourishers.
If you opt for a probiotic supplement, look for one that contains multiple strains and a high CFU count for the best results. Here are tips for choosing a quality probiotic supplement.
Featured Probiotics in this Article:
Oligo-Supreme: a probiotic plus prebiotic blend.
Nutri-Flow: a potent combination of enzymes that break down protein.
Pro-Bifidus: a probiotic containing 6 different strains of bifidus bacteria and 45 billion BCFUs (bacterial colony forming units) that target colonization sites in the lower gastrointestinal tract.
Cheers to Your Gut Health!
Kelly Harrington, MS, RDN
Registered Dietitian Nutritionist for Healthy Goods
