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people eat the food they likesometimes those treats don’t like them and cause digestive discomfort that prompts them to seek treatment.
They sometimes come in the form of digestive enzyme supplements, but whether people should take them and how effective they are depends on how they obtain the products. your health condition more.
Dr. Caroline Tuck, dietician and senior lecturer in nutrition at Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne, Australia, says that naturally occurring digestive enzymes in the body “help our bodies absorb the nutrients they need to function. It breaks down food.” on mail.
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Experts say whether you should take a digestive enzyme supplement depends on several factors.
According to , digestive enzymes are produced in the pancreas, small intestine, and stomach. johns hopkins medicine. The main enzyme produced by the pancreas is amylase, which breaks down complex carbohydrates. Lipase digests fat. and protease, which breaks down fat. The enzymes lactase and sucrase, produced in the small intestine, break down lactose and sugar, respectively. Pepsin, which is produced in the stomach, Main enzyme Involved in protein digestion.
Meanwhile, Dr. Deborah Cohen, associate professor in the Department of Clinical and Preventive Nutrition Sciences at Rutgers University in New Jersey, said in an email that most of the digestive enzymes produced come from pig pancreas.
But Cohen added that there are some plant-based alternatives, such as bromelain from pineapple, papain from papaya, and enzymes extracted from various microorganisms and yeasts.
Despite the body’s ability to produce digestive enzymes, research shows that the market for these products is rapidly growing. 700 million dollars Dr. Akash Goel, a clinical assistant professor at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City, said in 2021 that it is expected to reach $1.6 billion by 2031.
Here’s what you need to know to decide if these supplements are worth it.
The main difference between prescription and over-the-counter digestive enzymes is that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulates digestive enzymes as drugs, “so they undergo rigorous testing that includes extensive testing with safety and efficacy data.” A detailed approval process will be followed,” Goel said in an email.
This rigorous process ensures that the products are pharmaceutical or prescription grade and that the dose of the active ingredient is therapeutically effective enough to treat the patient’s symptoms, Cohen said. Ta.
Goel says studies have shown the effectiveness of prescribed pancreatic enzyme supplements.
But commercially available supplements are regulated as food, so there is “much less standardization of ingredients and quality control,” Goel said.
As a result, the focus will be on the source and dosage of the active ingredient, or whether the product actually contains it in the first place, Cohen said. Supplements also tend to have fewer active ingredients than prescriptions.
“That’s the problem with supplements and digestive enzymes,” she added. “(Brands) can say whatever they want on TV ads, magazine ads, on (social media)…and it’s completely legal. But whether it’s true or not is a whole different story. ”
Experts say supplements aren’t FDA-approved, so it’s safer if they’ve been tested by a third-party lab.These may be Including NSF It states that the United States Pharmacopoeia or ConsumerLab.com holds the only national standard establishing requirements for dietary supplements and dietary supplement ingredients.
It is also important whether commercially available enzymes have a so-called enteric coating.
“The enteric coating prevents the enzymes, which are proteins found in the stomach, from being digested by the acids secreted by the stomach, allowing them to safely reach the small intestine where they do their main work,” says Cohen. says Dr.
Several commonly used commercial enzymes have long been known to be effective. These include “Lactaid” and “Beano,” which are used by people who are lactose intolerant or who experience gas or bloating after eating legumes, respectively. “Veno contains alpha-galactosidase, an enzyme that our bodies don’t produce,” Tuck says.
Whether you’re taking prescription drugs or over-the-counter digestive enzymes, professional counseling is important when it comes to timing and dosage, Cohen said.
Goel said the body must produce sufficient levels of digestive enzymes on its own to absorb nutrients. However, if a doctor’s stool test proves a deficiency, and if this is not the case, then prescribed digestive enzymes are the main treatment.
“Prescription enzymes are primarily used by people diagnosed with cystic fibrosis and exocrine pancreatic insufficiency,” Cohen said.cystic fibrosis I am sick Damages the lungs, digestive tract, and other organs pancreatic exocrine insufficiency A problem with pancreatic enzymes causes the small intestine to be unable to fully digest food.
Experts say signs of digestive enzyme deficiency include diarrhea, abdominal pain, bloating, unexplained weight loss, and floating fat or oily poop.
According to Cohen, people with these diagnoses are the only people who actually have a clinical or legitimate need for digestive enzyme products — especially those that are prescribed and, again, do not receive the required dosage. This is because it is more likely to be ingested accurately.
“Digestive enzyme supplements are not necessary unless there is a medical problem or established food intolerance,” Tuck says.
Some healthy people take digestive enzyme supplements after eating a heavy meal because they think they are having trouble digesting the food. However, the body can fully digest heavy meals, Cohen says. However, she added that not overdosing is a better choice than taking supplements, as the contents can slow the process and cause bloating and gas.
If you take them anyway, most of the risks could be a waste of money, she added.
But if you’re taking them for digestive issues you’re experiencing on a regular basis, they may be masking your symptoms and delaying a diagnosis that requires supervised treatment. Experts say you should see a doctor or physician.
If you have an enzyme deficiency, there’s nothing you can do to improve your enzyme levels naturally, says Cohen. Therefore, the only options are to take prescribed digestive enzymes or avoid foods that are deficient and cannot be digested.
However, if you are a healthy person, you can improve your overall digestive health, such as by not eating foods that put a lot of stress on your body.
“As registered dietitians, we often hear people say that they have difficulty digesting food or that their digestion is slow, when in fact they are constipated,” says Cohen. “Digestive enzymes have no effect on constipation.”
What helps, Goel said, is avoiding processed and highly refined foods, eating a diet rich in whole plant-based foods, and consuming fish and red meat in moderation.
An encounter that Goel also recommends national exercise guidelines And that Guidelines for dietary fiber intake It’s also important to get regular restful sleep, be exposed to nature, and spend time with loved ones.
“stress management “It is important to engage in various practices, including meditation, as well as recreational activities that bring joy,” he added.
