Digestion and Gut Health
Proper digestion is one of the body’s most important physiological functions in maintaining overall health and wellness. When digestion is incomplete or disordered, food doesn't break down properly – so you can’t get full nutritional value and food that has not been completely digested can contribute to food associated disorders and may also contribute to nutritional deficiency.
If your digestion isn’t working optimally, many other body systems will be affected often making you feel sluggish and sometimes quite unwell. Probiotics are particularly important for maintaining a healthy digestive system and effective immune function.
Furthermore your gut is inhabited by bacteria; some of it good and some bad. Probiotics are the good bacteria that fight the bad and so are included in this category.
Read more about how digestive enzymes aid digestion below the product listing - just scroll down
Digestive Enzymes - how they aid digestion.
Natural digestive enzymes and emulsifying agents are excellent aids to the digestive and absorption processes. Above is a list of the digestive enzyme Health Supplements on this site.
Proper digestion is one of the body’s most important physiological functions in maintaining overall health and wellness. Maintaining normal digestion aids in proper absorption and elimination.
When digestion is incomplete or disordered, food doesn't break down properly – so you can’t get full nutritional value and food that has not been completely digested can contributing to food associated disorders and may also contribute to nutritional deficiency.
Two important digestive enzymes are extracted from tropical fruits. Papain, from papayas, has a mild, soothing effect on the stomach and helps aid in protein digestion. Bromelain, from pineapple, also helps aid protein digestion.
Amylase digests starch and carbohydrates in foods such as potatoes, rice, cereals, beans and all legumes. Amylase is produced by the salivary glands in the mouth, by the pancreas and by the small intestine. Improper or incomplete digestion of carbohydrates may cause a variety of symptoms such as bloatedness, flatulence, low energy levels and other digestive problems. It may also reduce the body’s ability to absorb nutrients from foods containing carbohydrates.
Lactase has been shown to be effective in breaking down milk sugar (lactose).
Lipase helps to break down fats in the diet to a more assimilable form which can be absorbed by the body (i.e. into glycerol and fatty acids). Lipase is secreted by the pancreas and the small intestine. Supplemental lipase may be helpful when the diet is high in fats, placing a burden on the digestion. Fat-soluble vitamins such as A, E, E and K are absorbed more efficiently from the gut along with dietary fats. Carotenoids such as beta carotene and lycopene are absorbed more efficiently with dietary fats.
Sucrase, maltase and lactase break down complex sugars into simple sugars.