There are two top-rated supplements that are often used for digestive and immune health: digestive enzymes and probiotics. They may be quite different in how they work, but they both have beneficial and complementary functions for your digestive system and overall wellness.
Let’s get a closer look at each of these supplements to determine which one will work best for you.
Digestive Enzymes: The Basics
Digestive enzymes are complex proteins that help with digestion. They essentially help your body break down all the food you consume. These enzymes are naturally found in the stomach, saliva, pancreas, and small intestine.
What is neat about digestive enzymes is that there are different types and each has specific purposes.
- Lipase: break down fat in the gut and convert them into fatty acids that have multiple functions for your body.
- Amylase: converts starches and carbohydrates into sugar for energy.
- Proteases and Peptidases: break down proteins into amino acids.
- Lactase: targets lactose and converts them into other sugars.
Digestive Enzyme Deficiency
In some cases, the body cannot produce enough enzymes to properly digest what you eat, which may provoke food intolerances (e.g.: lactose intolerance comes from the lack of lactase enzymes in your digestive system.)
A deficiency of certain enzymes (such as adenosine aminohydrolase or ADA) can compromise your immune system and may stop functioning properly.
Other discomforts you may experience can be indigestion, bloating, and gas because your food doesn’t break down the way it should.
Probiotics In A Nutshell
Now that we are a bit more familiar with digestive enzymes let’s learn about probiotics. Probiotics are living microorganisms in your body, but don’t worry; they provide health benefits. They are the “good bacteria” that can be included in your diet to make your gut happier. They keep the harmful bacteria at bay for a healthy digestive and immune system.
Healthy bacteria promote a healthy body and brain. When the bacteria in your gut are not correctly balanced, you might experience some symptoms that indicate that something is wrong.
Bacterial Imbalance Symptoms include:
- Indigestion
- Upset stomach
- Bad skin
- Weight changes
- Autoimmune conditions
- Inflammation
- Fatigue
What’s The Difference?
Now you can see why some people get confused as to what supplement to take. They both influence gut health, but they are two different things performing different functions.
Digestive enzymes break down the food and enhance your digestive system. At the same time, probiotics regulate the health of your gut, targeting bacteria.
Our Solution: Supplements
Although there are many unique differences, there are some similarities as well. Both digestive enzymes and probiotics can help you absorb nutrients more efficiently.
Help your digestive system with digestive enzyme supplements. Since your body must get the most out of the food you eat, digestive enzyme supplements will target the stubborn macronutrients in your food and help break them down for more efficient absorption.
With 3X the amount of lipase for efficient fat absorption than leading enzyme brands, and formulated with hard-working cellulase and xylanase for extra support to break down fiber, this is the perfect complement to the Beauty Detox diet.
Enzymes are also beneficial for people that often experience food intolerances, reflux, or other symptoms and can be taken at any time of the day, but 30 minutes before a meal is the recommended way.
For overall gut health, probiotic supplementation is recommended. Whether you have any of the symptoms previously mentioned, a leaky gut, or were recently on antibiotics, probiotic supplementation is ideal to restore a healthy balance of “good bacteria”.
Although both enhance your overall gut health, they have both complementary and unique and different functions, which means taking them together will produce even more effective results.