The Importance of Digestive Enzymes to Your Digestive Health

Learn the best way to supplement with digestive enzymes to improve digestion

In order to break down food efficiently and effectively, your body needs a sufficient supply of digestive enzymes. Some of these digestive enzymes come from the pancreas, others are produced in the stomach, while still others are secreted by the salivary glands and glands in the small intestines. Raw foods also contain natural enzymes that make their own digestion easier, but the more foods are refined, the more digestive enzymes your body must produce on its own to assimilate them properly.

As we age, however, our digestive system becomes less efficient and we begin to produce fewer digestive enzymes. As a result, our digestive tract gradually becomes more alkaline and it becomes more difficult for our bodies to completely break down the proteins, fats, and carbohydrates in the foods we eat. This process can lead to a whole host of digestive health problems ranging from excessive gas and bloating to food allergies and food intolerances.

The solution is to re-acidify your intestinal tract and improve your overall digestive capabilities by supplementing with digestive enzymes. Here's how:

• Try taking two tablets of digestive enzymes about 30 minutes before meals and two more about 10 to 15 minutes following a meal.
• When shopping for digestive enzymes, look for a product that contains enzymes to help you digest the three main types of nutrients: proteases (for proteins), lipases (for fats), and amylases (for carbohydrates).

More Dr. Williams Advice on Digestive Health

• The symptoms of bacterial imbalance and an easy test to see if you have an imbalance
• How friendly bacteria improve digestive health
• Natural solutions for increasing the beneficial bacteria in your digestive system