Digestive Enzyme Supplements
(22 posts) (13 voices)-
kjake55
MemberDoes anyone take a digestive enzyme supplement such as HN-Zyme Prime or Digest Gold? I'm thinking of adding one to my current supplements after a lot of checking into it but I was wondering if anyone has had experience with or thoughts about this subject. All comments are always appreciated! :-)
Posted 4 months ago # -
SerialSinner
Memberkjake, in theory, normal healthy people should be already properly equipped to digest the foods we evolved to eat (I am of course assuming thats the way you also eat).
On the other hand, it seems that some people transitioning from long-term vegetarianism into carnivorism do experience some trouble re-adapting to digesting meat. In this case, digestive enzyme supplementation could be useful.
Posted 4 months ago # -
Mr B
MemberI've taken different ones off and on over the years.
Recently started taking NOW Super Enzyme (fairly inexpensive and seems to have a lot of positive reviews)
I've read conflicting reports over the actual effective of enzymes, so though I can't say one way or the other, over the last week or so (how long I've been taking NSE) I don't seem to be quite as uncomfortable after eating as usual.
Are the NSE pills reponsible? I dunno. Only been a week. But...it's possible.
Posted 4 months ago # -
kjake, are you have digestive issues? I mean unless you have a previous or current condition theres no need to really take them consistently. I know some health gurus who take them occasionally at meals where they think they might need it such as thanksgiving or christmas meal.
Posted 4 months ago # -
kjake55
MemberI don't want to get overly graphic here but suffice to say that all the veggies I eat (and some fruit) leave me very bloated and uncomfortable. Meats tend to run through me pretty quickly...sory for that. I eat as cleanly as possible with some modest excurions into the 20% and the occasional slip-up but by-and-large I try to eat the PB way.
I don't touch processed food or sugar at all but the meat I buy is grain fed since I can't afford grass-fed/grass-finished. I buy as lean as possible and cut out whatever fat remains. I was just thinking that maybe I'm not digesting properly and therefore not bringing as many nutrients into my system and the build up causes the bloats or since the meat doesn't stay with me long I'm never sure that I'm actually gaining any health benefits from it.
I've also never had any body changes at all since I adopted this eating/lifestyle in June. Not in weight, measurements, anything. As I said, I eat pretty cleanly and I crossfit 4x's per week so I thought I might see some changes. I will say that I've maintained my weight without effort so maybe in that respect something did change but I sometimes wonder if I didn't have any weight loss (or gain) because my body doesn't process as efficiently as possible.
Look forward to hearing more opinions. Thanks all!
Posted 4 months ago # -
OnTheBayou
MemberI'm guessing that enzymes won't make it through the stomach acid. And then if they did, what? Help break down whatever it is that they are supposed to break down while in the small intestine? Your liver makes all the enzymes you need except for meat tenderizer and laundry aid!
Self-monitoring for a specific food component introduction is quite impossible unless something really, radical happens quickly. And then you can repeat it. While many scientific experiments have a fatal flaw, they are at least trying to be objective......most of the time.
Posted 4 months ago # -
Kjake you might want to have your gut health checked out, your saying food is passing through quickly..sounds like gut hyperpermeability or leaky gut... regardless your on the right track to getting rid of the problem by eat a minimal inflammation diet. Your going to want to avoid gluten and most grains, dairy, avoid coffee and caffeine, water during meals...
One way to test gut health is to just ask yourself how you feel hormonally. Often poor gut health leads to poor serotonin and melatonin production as 80 percent of production comes from the gut. Are you feeling a little sad, sluggish memory, sleep trouble, anxiety, apetite issues...
Neurotransmitters are responsible for many many things in our body so if you think something is going wrong there, specifically with serotonin or melatonin-serotonin is precursor-then that could be a sign of gut trouble.
Supplementing with digestive enzymes and HCL might help, but those would just be helping symptoms, you wanna treat the root cause.
Posted 4 months ago # -
If you're having trouble with meats... maybe try some papaya enzyme? The main enzyme is called papain, and its a protease, which means it digests proteins. Its been used by people before who have enzyme issues, and since your main issue is meat... I would think it would help you out. Papain is also the main ingredient in meat tenderizer.
You could just buy papaya and eat it (I love it), green papaya is best for enzyme activity. Green papaya doesn't have much taste, so you could add it to numerous foods unnoticed. Ive also seen papaya reductions in the health food store as a digestive aid (think in packets like go-gurt, only smaller). They also sell enzyme caplets that are just purified papain.
Posted 4 months ago # -
kjake55
MemberASN-I thought about the leeky gut thing to but then thought maybe I was imagining it. I didn't want to go to the doctor and regale him with my self diagnosis just to find out it's a muscle tone issue even though I workout. I also thought that perhaps it was because I was up around 200 lbs at one time. It took me 2 years to lose the weight and as of last month I have kept it off for 1 year (1 year and counting baby! Yay for me!! Sorry, I digress)so maybe it's just extra weight that wasn't lost or muscles that are so stretched out from my previous weight that this is the way it is now. I have always had this problem of bloat belly-it's not completely unsightly or anything but I KNOW my belly isn't as puffy as it always looks. And it does get uncomfortable sometimes. Some people have said to me that women in their 40's, hormones, peri-menopause and yada yada yada but I don't buy any of that. Regardless of my age I think my body should reflect what/how I eat and exercise. Right? Maybe? I should have specified that I also don't eat grains of any kind but I do partake in a little dairy (1 tsp. heavy cream in coffee and a slice of cheese sometimes) and I do drink a lot of coffee. I drink water when I'm thirsty or taking vits but other than that I no longer subscribe to the 8-8 oz glasses per day theory like I use to.
Eva-I cut the fat off the meat because the meat is grain fed and I thought most of the garbage and unhealthy O-3’s would reside mainly in the fat. Am I wrong? I love the taste of animal fat.
OTB-WTF??? I'm sorry but I can't make heads or tails out of what you are trying to say.
Thanks all!
Posted 4 months ago # -
OnTheBayou
MemberO-3's reside in the fat, they are healthy. All the PUFA's are in the fat. The only significant, objecetive difference between grain fed and CAFO meats is the decreased Omega 3's in grain fed cows. A few fish oil capsules takes care of that.
I re-read my post, sorry, it seems clear to me.
Posted 4 months ago # -
If the meat is hormone and antibiotic free then the only downside of the meat is the excess omega-6s, and as OTB said you can take more fish oil. But, if it's not hormone and antibiotic free, then those two things are also in the fat, and it should be avoided.
Kjake so your not consuming the standard inflammatories such as gluten, lectin, lactose, casein, ect... Might want to check out a food sensitivities/intolerances test, because that can be very damaging to the gut. That could definitely lead to leaky gut, and so could previous eating habits, but I would get the food insensitivity test before leaky gut. Hope this isn't too personal, but how are your bowel movements and hows consistency of the poop?
Posted 4 months ago # -
SerialSinner
MemberKjake, given your very primal diet, my take is that there's something wrong with the bacteria in your gut. Eliminating every trace of diary from your diet and taking pre and prrobiotics could also help. The blog Cooling Inflammation also has good articles of how to reduce the inflammatory bacteria from your gut.
Posted 4 months ago # -
I take enzymes occasionally, when I get indigestion. My mom had horrible heartburn. It went away once I got her taking enzymes. :)
Posted 4 months ago # -
MariaNYC
MemberExcellent post on the science of enzymes
http://www.begin2dig.com/2009/11/raw-and-cooked-of-enzyme.html
Posted 4 months ago # -
CJ4400
MemberInteresting post. I was wondering if anyone might be able to give me suggestions as well.
I eat 90% primal with plenty o' fat. One thing to note is that I don't eat much vegetables and eat one piece of fruit a day. The veggies are mostly due to the fact that I am never home and don't have time to cook often.
With that all being said, it's been difficult for me to be "regular" and I've resorted to laxatives in desperate times.
Does the probiotics work? I take fiber pills but those don't help much... Suggestions?
Posted 3 months ago # -
nina_70
MemberSometimes the body needs help....
It can be useful to supplement digestive enzymes for people who need 'em (e.g. not able to digest properly, or coming from vegetarian diet into a protein-based diet, or recovering from Candida, or recovering from IBS etc.). I've definitely seen them be useful to help transition and get the body back on track to making it's own enzymes, often in combo w/ prebiotics/probiotics too.
But...I'd probably go to a doc first and get checked out. The doc can test for gut issues &/or food sensitivities (you could be sensitive to a given protein for example). If needed, they can supplement the enzymes too.
Posted 3 months ago # -
CJ4400
MemberThanks for the heads up. I am wondering if it is the imbalance of omega ratios from not eating grass fed beef? Because I am eating plenty of fats.
Tried going to the doc but all that was said was the same CW advice - eat more whole grains, fiber, etc. It's just such a pain to have to go from one referral to another just to get an answer. ;) Wanted to try what experience others have had in this community first.
Posted 3 months ago # -
Minxxa
MemberKjake... I had a huge bloating problem (for almost three years, almost all of the time) and went through a long process to try to figure it out. Finally changed doctors, tried a lot of stuff-- finally my nutritionist and I decided to do an elimination diet. Within three days of being on the diet, the bloating was gone. (And I mean bloating-- like 8 months pregnant bloating...)
I eliminated all dairy (even yogurt), all soy (I don't eat that much, but anyway), caffeine and alcohol, among other things.
I'm still working on getting my gut health back-- you can tell things aren't digesting quite as they should-- but it's getting better the more I stay away from dairy, caffeine, soy and alcohol. I'm supplementing with probiotics and just taking the time to let my gut heal.
I would suggest trying an elimination diet for a few weeks (you should go a month before you add stuff back in). It can't hurt, and you may learn a LOT about how your body reacts to certain foods.
Just a suggestion!!
Posted 3 months ago #
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