Here’s the deal: Everything you eat, whether it’s a cheeseburger or salad, takes your body a certain amount of energy to digest. Since we’re all eating three (or more!) times daily, one of the easiest things you can do to kick up your digestive system and massively take the burden off your body’s energy resources is to incorporate more digestive enzymes into your life. As for that variety, there are three main types of digestive enzymes. They include: When we don’t have enough digestive enzymes? That salad you’re eating won’t be giving you nearly as many benefits as you think—and it’s likely putting some wear and tear on your system to boot. “People with more bloating and gas, particularly if over the age of 50, are more likely to be low in stomach acid and be at risk for low production of enzymes,” notes Terry Wahls, M.D. “Having food that is incompletely digested in the stool or having loose stool, also suggests a problem exists.” Adding in enzymes will promote the breakdown of food, to increase nutrient availability and absorption, and support gut health and energy levels.* If you are concerned, ask your doctor to order a test called fecal pancreatic elastase to see if your pancreas is producing enough digestive enzymes. In general, if you’re looking for a well-rounded digestive enzyme supplement, look for an “enzyme blend” on the label. This may include any number of digestive enzymes, like the main three (protease, amylase, lipase) plus other more targeted enzymes (like glucoamylase, invertase, and diastase). Take them with meals, as that’s when your body needs the enzyme to break down the food.
