Let’s break down the differences between enzymes vs. probiotics to improve digestion. The two are often used to improve bloating, gas, and indigestion, so knowing what is best and when to use either one is important. 

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Are you considering supporting your gut health and wondering when you should use digestive enzymes vs. probiotics to improve digestion? If so, you’re in the right place! The two are often used to improve bloating, gas, and indigestion, so knowing what is best and when to use either one can be confusing. 

Let’s break down the differences between enzymes vs. probiotics to improve digestion. 

WHAT ARE DIGESTIVE ENZYMES?

Digestive enzymes are proteins that break down food into absorbable, digestible components. Our body needs digestive enzymes to digest and absorb nutrients from food. They serve as an instrumental part of the digestive system. 

Digestive enzymes are secreted by the pancreas into the small intestines with each meal and degraded during digestion. Many digestive enzymes help us break down food. Enzymes include lactase, amylase, proteases, lipases, and more. 

Let’s use lactase as an example. Lactase is a digestive enzyme that specifically helps break down lactose (a sugar found in milk products). 

People who don’t have enough lactase in their gut are considered to be “lactose intolerant” because they can’t digest and absorb lactose. So, it is clear that digestive enzymes play a primary role in the health of our digestive system, and we will talk about their benefits in more detail below.

WHAT ARE PROBIOTICS? 

Probiotics are live microorganisms crucial for gut homeostasis. Probiotics actively improve gut health by increasing the number of beneficial bacteria and crowding out the pathogenic bacteria. As a result, a healthy ratio and ecosystem of bacteria can thrive in the gut! 

In addition to balancing the microbiome, probiotics offer many health benefits. The gut is connected to many processes and functions throughout the body, so when we support the gut, we support our health as a whole! 

Probiotics are known to: 

• Support the immune system
• Promote healthy bowel movement
• Support vaginal health in women 
• Promote healthy weight maintenance
• Improve nutrient absorption
• Support skin health
• Help heal GI infections (such as H.Pylori)

Probiotics can be taken as a supplement or consumed through diet. Many food sources naturally contain probiotics. 

When working with clients to heal leaky gut and reverse autoimmunity, I always test the gut using a GI map stool test to identify low and high bacteria ratios. Testing first allows us to determine whether a probiotic would be beneficial based on the person’s unique chemistry and microbiome. It can also help to identify which strain(s) of bacteria is best for the individual. 

DIGESTIVE ENZYMES VS. PROBIOTICS FOR BETTER DIGESTION

When discussing digestion, enzymes will be the key player over probiotics once a gut infection or dysbiosis is ruled out and addressed. Enzymes’ primary purpose is to restore stomach acid and improve how the gut breaks down our food. Therefore, replacing enzymes can produce a better ecosystem where probiotics can naturally populate and thrive! 

Probiotics can be most helpful in the following circumstances:

• After a round of antibiotics
• During times of high stress
• After consuming a high-sugar, refined diet
• When dysbiosis is present
• During bouts of constipation and/or diarrhea
• During chronic skin troubles
• When the immune function is low
• During recurring vaginal infections

Enzymes can be most helpful in the following circumstances:

• After a gut infection is removed
• Low stomach acid due to stress, medication, or infections such as H.Pylori
• Small Intestinal Bacteria Overgrowth (SIBO)
• Esophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)
• Chronic pain and inflammation
• Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) 
• Candida overgrowth
• Supporting fat malabsorption (steatorrhea) 
• Improving symptoms such as gas, stomach pain, bloating, flatulence, and belching

WHY UTILIZE DIGESTIVE ENZYMES FOR GUT HEALTH

Understanding how the digestive system works is essential when considering enzymes to improve digestion and overall gut health. Digestion is a North-to-South process, beginning with the brain and working down to the gut. 

Here’s How It Works: 

Step 1: As you smell, see, taste, and chew food, the brain signals the digestive system to begin its processes.

Step 2: Saliva begins physically breaking down food in the mouth. 

Step 3: As food travels to the stomach, stomach acid and hydrochloric acid (HCL) break down proteins.

Step 4: At the same time, the pancreas releases pancreatic juice in the small intestine, which contains several digestive enzymes, including amylase (which breaks down starches), lipase (which breaks down fats), and protease (which breaks down proteins).

Step 5: Digestive enzymes break down food into absorbable components. 

Additional enzymes near the small intestine’s lining are called “brush border enzymes.” These enzymes play a crucial role in the final stages of digestion by breaking down complex nutrients into their absorbable forms before they are absorbed into the bloodstream.

LOW ENZYMES & DIGESTIVE DYSFUNCTION

Problems with digestion can result in low enzyme count. The most common dysfunctions of digestion include: 

• Nutrient deficiencies or malabsorption
• Leaky gut: Undigested particles leak through your gut lining, causing immune reactions and inflammation.
• Indigestion: The microbes in your gut feed on the food, ferment it, and multiply
• Low stomach acid: With low stomach acid, the gut isn’t acidic enough to properly digest
• Inflammation: Food sensitivities and various toxins increase inflammation and decrease enzyme production.

Many factors contribute to low digestive enzymes. The key is to identify and understand the root cause. 

CAUSES OF LOW DIGESTIVE ENZYMES 

Unfortunately, many individuals unknowingly have low amounts of digestive enzymes in their gut, resulting in the inability to digest food properly. Low enzyme production can have lasting effects on overall health. 

There are many causes of low digestive enzymes, including:

• H pylori infection 
• Chronic stress and nervous system dysregulation
• Toxin accumulation
• Food sensitivities
• Medications 
• Inflammation
• Genetics (such as MTHFR) 
• Aging
• Alcohol

The world of conventional medicine also recognizes the following as causes of low digestive enzymes: 

• Acute or chronic pancreatitis
• Cystic fibrosis
• Cancer of the pancreas
• Gallbladder removal
• Diseases of the small intestine affecting the brush border, such as Crohn’s or Celiac disease

SYMPTOMS OF LOW DIGESTIVE ENZYMES

Low levels of digestive enzymes can contribute to various gut issues, including Dysbiosis and Leaky Gut. When food is not being digested and absorbed properly, the undigested food travels through the gut and feeds “bad” bacteria. 

This encourages the harmful bacteria to overgrow and crowd out the good bacteria, leading to Dysbiosis. 

In addition, if the gut lining is inflamed or leaky gut is present, the body won’t produce enough brush border enzymes essential to digestion. This is a vicious cycle, often resulting in the most common and noticeable symptoms of low digestive enzymes, such as:

• Bloating after meals 
• Hard rock-like stomach
• Undigested food in stool
• Gas 
• Abdominal cramping or pain
• Diarrhea and/or constipation
• Acid reflux
• Indigestion

If you regularly experience one or more of these symptoms, it’s essential to consider digestive enzymes’ role in your gut health.

THE BENEFITS OF DIGESTIVE ENZYMES FOR GUT HEALTH

As we know, digestive enzymes are integral to a healthy digestive system – specifically, in breaking down food and absorbing nutrients. That said, the benefits of digestive enzymes for gut health include:

Initiation of Digestion

Digestive enzymes are secreted at various points along the digestive tract, including in the mouth (salivary glands), stomach, pancreas, and small intestine.

Nutrient Hydrolysis

Enzymes initiate the hydrolysis reactions, which break down complex nutrients into simpler forms the body can absorb. For instance, amylase breaks down starch into maltose and eventually into glucose.

Nutrient Absorption 

Once broken down into simpler forms, such as monosaccharides, amino acids, and fatty acids, nutrients can be readily absorbed by the cells in the digestive tract and transported into the bloodstream.

Digestive Efficiency

Digestive enzymes help the body efficiently utilize essential nutrients from food, reducing the risk of malabsorption, nutrient deficiencies, and digestive discomfort such as bloating, gas, and diarrhea.

As a result, digestive health benefits can significantly improve your gut and overall wellness. When adequate digestive enzymes are present, you should experience:

• Regular bowel movements
• Limited/no acid reflux or indigestion
• Adequate nutrient stores
• Reduced bloating and gas

TESTING FOR LOW ENZYMES

Understanding if you have low enzyme levels is essential in reclaiming your health. Comprehensive testing is a surefire way to identify precisely where your levels are and how they may contribute to imbalanced gut bacteria, which can cause various chronic symptoms (aka dysbiosis). 

The GI map test is the most comprehensive stool analysis used to detect dysbiosis, infections, and low elastase (stomach acid). 

I recommend working with a qualified IFM board-certified functional medicine practitioner to help identify low enzymes and walk you through comprehensive testing. This will allow a customized approach based on your results to curate the best, most targeted treatment plan to restore your body and gut balance.

HOW TO TAKE DIGESTIVE ENZYMES

My program, The Microbiome Makeover, is a seven-step process that heals and restores the gut. The second step is called the “replace” stage. We focus on replacing the necessary digestive enzymes during this stage to ensure healthy digestive function. This is an essential step in healing the gut and reversing autoimmunity. 

There are several ways to increase digestive enzymes in your gut– through supplementation, food, and lifestyle adjustments.

Supplementation

Supplementing with digestive enzymes is a quick, convenient, and effective way to increase the enzymes in your gut. My favorite enzyme products are Ortho-Molecular Digestzyme-V and Ortho Digestzyme. Below are the dosing recommendations for each. 

As always, checking with your healthcare professional before introducing new supplements is essential.

Recommended Enzyme Supplements & Dosing:

• Doctor’s Supplement Store Dispensary
• VerVita Gastro Digest II (DSS dispensary): 1 capsule 15 minutes before meals. 
• Fullscript Supplement Store Dispensary
• Designs for Health Digestzymes: 1 capsule 15 minutes before meals. 
• Ortho Digestzyme: 1 capsule 15 mins before meals 12+ months.
• Thorne Advanced Digestive Enzymes: 1-2 capsules 15 minutes before meals. 

Important note: Some enzymes should not be taken with proton pump inhibitors and H2 blockers. 

Diet

Consuming enzyme-rich food is a delicious, effective, and affordable way to increase enzyme count. The best enzyme-rich foods that help break down food include:

• Raw and unheated foods: melon, avocado, grapes, dates, raw onions, sprouts, mushrooms
• Fermented/cultured foods: kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi
• Microgreens
• Superfood powders: beetroot, spirulina, acai
• Pineapple
• Papaya
• Mango
• Avocado 
• Ginger
• Kiwi
• Garlic
• Apple Cider Vinegar
• Onion
• Fennel
• Raw honey
• Raw dairy (milk, cheese, yogurt, etc.) 

Lifestyle Adjustments

A few simple tweaks to our lifestyle can have incredible ripple effects on our digestive enzymes. These tips are great ways to help your body naturally break down your food and support the absorption of the nutrients you are ingesting. 

• Chew your food thoroughly to increase your saliva production
• Reduce your stress through practices like deep breathing, journaling, reading, or prayer
• Stay hydrated to keep those enzymes producing!
• Exercise! This is a great way to support enzyme production and keep your digestive tract healthy! 
• Limit processed foods that can contain enzyme inhibitors 
• Eat smaller meals more frequently to give your digestive system time to work without getting overwhelmed

WRAPPING IT ALL UP

Knowing the difference between digestive enzymes vs. probiotics and when to use each is crucial in the gut healing process. By now, you should understand the significance of digestive enzymes and how they can be a missing piece in your gut healing puzzle. 

Digestive enzymes have many benefits for gut health. Despite being such a simple fix, enzymes’ role in the gut is tremendous. Digestive enzymes are essential for the breakdown, absorption, and utilization of nutrients. They are fundamental to overall health and well-being, as all health starts in the gut. 

Dysfunction in the gut, such as low digestive enzymes, can lead to a domino effect throughout the body. Luckily, increasing the digestive enzymes in your gut is an easy fix! By increasing enzyme-rich foods, incorporating a bit of supplementation, and making a few tweaks to your lifestyle, your enzyme levels can be improved in no time!

To further look into your enzyme levels, or even if you have chronic symptoms of low enzymes and want to talk to a professional, reach out today! I’m here to help!

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