Do you need “help” with your digestion?

Apr 22, 2024 0 comments

When someone consults with me for nutritional coaching, one of the first questions I ask is, “How’s your digestion going along?”

Most times I get the deer in the headlights look, or they just look down at the floor.

That good, huh?

Over the years, it’s been my observation that the average person has at least a slight deficiency in their digestive enzymes—and they have the heartburn, gas, bloating and/or constipation to prove it!

Enzyme deficiencies are common because of our over-reliance on processed foods (which are extremely hard for your system to break down and use up lots of enzymes); the fact that acid reducers are in line to become the fifth food group (they shut down your stomach’s acid production, so your pancreas has to work in overdrive to compensate for what the stomach couldn’t accomplish); and the fact that many of us have gallbladders that have gone on to gallbladder heaven.

But sometimes a shortage of digestive enzymes doesn’t just come out as digestive problems.

There is a slew of health issues that you may be experiencing right now that have their origin in one or more digestive enzyme deficiencies, but that’s probably not something you would hear from your doctor.

Here’s what I mean:

The Band-aid approach

Modern medicine typically takes the Band-aid approach, masking symptoms with drugs.

Chronic pain? Here’s a painkiller for you.
Feeling depressed? Antidepressants will help.
High cholesterol? Statins are your ticket.

And although you may feel (temporary) relief, the underlying cause of your problem remains ignored…and you’ll likely feel worse and worse over time…and need more and more medication!

But when you instead tackle the core underlying cause of your problem, you can start feeling a whole new level of relief, as well as possibly not needing medication any longer!

And one of the very common but little-known underlying issues behind many illnesses is…

Digestive enzyme deficiency!

Let’s look at your primary digestive enzymes and the major health issues deficiencies can cause:

Proteases

Proteases are the enzymes that digest proteins.

Most proteins are acidic, so when you have too few proteases in your system, this can lead to too much alkalinity in your blood, which in turn can cause anxiety and insomnia.

Plus protein is needed to transport calcium in your blood. So without the proteases to break the protein down, the calcium can't get where it needs to go. That means you're encouraging calcium deficient diseases like osteoporosis as well as arthritis.

Protein is also changed into glucose (energy) as needed. So poor protein digestion can lead to hypoglycemia, moodiness and irritability.

Amylases

Amylases digest carbohydrates and dead white blood cells (pus). So when you're low in amylases you are susceptible to abscesses.

Amylases also help fight inflammation, especially where the hormone histamine is involved. So being low in them can worsen skin problems like psoriasis, eczema, hives, reactions to bug bites and herpes.

Asthma and emphysema can also be worsened by an amylase deficiency.

Lipases

Since lipases digest fats, lipase-deficient people have a tendency toward high cholesterol, high triglycerides, difficulty losing weight and diabetes, and all of those are risks for heart disease.

People low in lipases also have decreased cell permeability, so essential nutrients can't get in and wastes can't get out.

Cellulases

Cellulases break down the fiber you eat.

Out of all the enzymes, cellulase deficiency causes the widest variety of health challenges and can especially affect your intestinal and cardiovascular health.

Lacking cellulase can also lead to pancreatic issues as well as gas, cramps and bloating.

So what do you do now?

If you suspect that you are facing enzyme issues, it’s very easy to tell. Help your body along in the enzyme department and if you feel significantly better, well, you’ll have your answer!

And the good news is that no matter how enzyme-challenged you may be, you can help your body along with these two important measures:

1- Eat food sources of enzymes

In order to help ensure your body has the levels of enzymes you need, you must eat foods that are sources of—not depleters of—precious enzymes.

I’m talking about fresh fruits and vegetables. Fresh produce contains its own enzymes, so it requires very little to none of yours in the digestive process.

Here is a good way to start: Eat a tossed salad with your dinner every day (even a simple lettuce salad with dressing counts!), and swap out one carb snack (chips, cookies, etc.) for a piece of fresh fruit each day.

Just those two baby steps alone will be a big help!

2- Supplement with the best digestive enzyme formula money can buy

Digestizol Max digestive enzyme formula is as good as it gets when it comes to tackling enzyme challenges.

Its carefully designed full-spectrum blend of 15 enzymes targets all kinds of foods, including proteins, carbohydrates, sugars, fats and fibers in your diet.

Digestizol Max works along with your body’s own enzymes to help break down ALL your foods completely just as Nature intended. This encourages smoother digestion, less heartburn and more regular BMs, as well as helping your body counteract any enzyme-related health challenges like I mentioned above.

Because the enzymes in Digestizol Max are all plant-based, it is perfect for vegetarians and meat-eaters alike.

Plus Digestizol Max takes a HUGE step beyond other enzyme formulas and includes a bouquet of herbs that can help calm an inflamed, overtaxed digestive tract. These include peppermint leaf, ginger root, coriander seeds and fennel seeds—herbs that have a well-proven history of gut-soothing properties.