Optimise Your Digestive Function

I recommend digestive enzymes for many patients who come in complaining of bloating, burping (eructations) and will commonly place a patient over the age of 50 on a trial course of digestive enzymes for a few weeks. Many people come back telling me how much better they feel - their bowel function improves, their bloating improves, their flatus improves and their are many other benefits and spin offs such as increased energy and a better quality sleep.

But why?.. Because food is more efficiently broken down, and because many people suffer from hypochlorhydria (a low functioning or poor acid secreting stomach and small intestine. The problem with hypochlorhydria is that the symptoms of over and under acidity are very similar, with the doctor commonly prescribing an "acid blocker" when a patient complains of heartburn or an upper digestive problem. Mylanta or Gavascon are common

Digestive enzymes are complex proteins involved in digestion that stimulate chemical changes in other substances. Digestive enzymes include pancreatic enzymes, plant-derived enzymes, and fungal-derived enzymes. There are three classes of digestive enzymes:

• Proteolytic enzymes to digest protein (meats, eggs, fish, chicken, sea-foods, etc) 
• Lipases to digest fats in your diet (fish and chips!, meats, oils, etc) 
• Amylases to digest carbohydrates (like breads, biscuits, flour products, sweet drinks, confectionary, etc).

Digestive Enzyme Tablets contain enzymes which support the efficient digestion of proteins, fats and carbs and are very useful to support the digestive processes for those with pancreatitis, indigestion, crohn's disease, ulceratice colitis, irritable bowel syndrome, celiac disease, passing lots of wind, burping, fullness after meals, and many other digestive complaints. Also a great product for those on a weight-loss program because you will optimise the digestive system, which will mean that you will utilise foods better, they will be broken down more efficiently and absorbed as well as excreted more efficiently. This leads to better elimination, and as you lose weight you will want to ensure your digestive system is in peak condition to maximise your body's ability to burn fat and metabolise it. Use Lipotropic factors at the same time if this is the case and you are on a weight-loss program.

Hypochlorhydria (poor functioning stomach/upper small intestine): I suspect this frequently in young persons with eczema, asthma, and very common autism. 100% of patients in my clinic presenting with acne rosacea get treated with digestive enzymes. Patients (especially male) complaining of bloating, fullness after meals and those who like red meat and a drink will often be recommended Digestive Enzyme Tablets. Persons with flaky, weak nails and thin lack lustre hair may well benefit.
 

"Eighty percent of our body’s energy is expended by the digestive process. If you are run down, under stress, living in a very hot or very cold climate, pregnant or a frequent traveler, then enormous quantities of extra enzymes are required by your body. Because our entire system functions through enzymatic action, we must supplement our enzymes. Aging deprives us of our ability to produce necessary enzymes. The medical profession tells us that all disease is due to a lack or imbalance of enzymes. Our very lives are dependent upon them" (Dr. Dick Fuller "The Healing Power of Enzymes") 

Dr. Jonathon Wright: on the importance of digestive enzymes: "It is common for your body to conserves protein with hypochlorhydria, i.e., hair loss will occur in pre-menopausal females, or nails chipped/cracked/split easily. You will find out of 100 cases of heartburn, that 97 will be either achlorhydric (little to no digestive capacity of the stomach & small intestine) or hypochlorhydric (very low functioning), and certainly not "over acid" as the medical profession would like us to believe. Multiple sclerosis patients often present in the clinic with hypochlorhydria.  All autism cases need to be treated for hypochlorhydria, and the same in all cases of Rheumatoid arthritis - treat all these cases with digestive enzymes".
 

According to Dr. Wright,  1 glass of milk (250ml) has been shown in studies to require 16 capsules of Betaine HCL in order to fully digest the milk proteins. Most hypochlorhydric patients will therefore require up to 5 or even more tablets per large protein (red meat) meal. I have found that the older the patient, the more hypochlorhydric they tend to be.

One of my teachers from years gone by, Dorothy Hall, the well known Australian naturopath herbalist, told me that "50% of 50 years olds need digestive enzymes, 60% of 60 yr olds, 70% of 70yr olds, etc." Sometimes all a person requires is a few weeks on a digestive enzyme supplement to really pick them up, especially if they have been living on an average supermarket diet or junk diet.
 
Digestive problems at very onset of eating meal – signifies NO or VERY poor HCL (hydrochloric acid) production.
Poor fat, protein & fibre digestion, problems AFTER the meal, i.e., burping/bloating etc – hypochlorhydric (under-acid tummy).
 

Active Ingredients:
Each tablet provides:

• Pancreatin (4X) (equivalent to 520 mg of pancreatin) 130 mg
• Ox Bile Extract 130 mg
• Aspergillus Oryzae Diastase 65 mg
• Betaine HCI 65 mg
• Papain 32 mg
• Pepsin Extract 30 mg (equivalent to 100 mg pepsin),
• Powdered peppermint leaf 25mg.

100 tablets per jar - sugar and starch free

Dosage: Take one tablet with each main meal.

Warnings: Not recommended for children unless under supervision. Take as directed, and see your health-care professional if symptoms persist.