Reasons to Take Digestive Enzymes (Video)
Indigestion is one good reason to take digestive enzymes but reducing inflammation is another.
Digestive System Works Pretty Well
The digestive system is pretty amazing but isn't 100% efficient and become less efficient with every passing year. If it could break down all proteins with perfect efficiency, anything you take in a pill form wouldn't work. You would have to have injections for all your supplements and meds. Also, nobody would have food sensitivities or allergies.
Digestive Enzymes Help Especially with Advancing Age
To help it work better, you can take digestive enzymes that are the same or very similar to what your stomach and pancreas produces or should produce. This is important because researchers tell us that about 60-70% of our immune systems are related to the gut. Taking steps to improve digestion will take some of the stress off that sometimes-overworked immune response.
IgA Antibodies
The first line of defense in taking care of things that don't get broken down effectively is a mucosal layer that is coated with IgA secretory antibodies. If proteins or antigens get through this layer, they could get intercepted by macrophages. If they get through the macrophages they are then dealt with in the blood or liver. The point is that if you have even a slight deficiency of digestive enzyme response, more microorganisms and proteins will have to be dealt with in the blood and liver. If you are having trouble producing enough digestive enzymes, you might also be having some liver compromise so some of the proteins will not get taken care of, and the result will be increased inflammation.
Clues in Blood Work About Inflammation
We can often find evidence of digestion inefficiencies in the blood work. We look for elevated inflammation markers and low blood proteins or skewed ratios. Our recommendation? If you have any chronic condition or are over 40, it is time to consider adding digestive enzymes into your routine. EnzymeGenix and NuMedica Pan-V are two products from BetterGenix that should help. EnzymeGenix is more of a broad-spectrum digestive supplement with enzymes for helping breakdown proteins, carbohydrates and fats. Pan-V is formulated to target protein digestion. We recommend taking one or two tablets of EnzymeGenix with each meal. If you have more than an ounce or two of protein, you can add one Pan-V capsule as well. Also keep in mind that taking supplements like EnzymeGenix apart from food will help at reducing inflammation due to the bromelain and papain.
