The Role of Digestive Enzymes and IBS

Could digestive enzymes be playing a role in your IBS symptoms such as constipation, diarrhea, heartburn, and indigestion?

This is something I look at really closely with my clients who are a part of my signature program Gut Rehab.

The Importance of Digestive Enzymes

If digestive enzymes aren’t working properly, it sets everything else up for struggle as food makes its way down your GI tract. If you aren’t digesting your food properly, you…

• Aren’t able to fully use the nutrients from food
  Foods that get absorbed aren’t necessarily recognized as food by your immune system. They may look like danger and get flagged as such, causing an immune reaction
  • Hello, inflammation
  • Welcome in, autoimmune diseases
• Aren’t supporting your helpful tummy bugs (probiotics) by feeding them because the food isn’t in the right format for them either.

If digestive enzymes aren’t working properly, it sets everything else up for struggle…

 

 

What Are Digestive Enzymes?

Digestive enzymes are in your:

• Mouth
• Stomach, and
• Small intestine

…And involve all of those organs, plus your:

• Liver
• Gallbladder, and
• Pancreas

All of these different organs and locations are triggered by changes in the environment – the presence of food, pH changes, and even other digestive enzymes.

What’s more, each of these different locations make different types of digestive enzymes… and each type of enzyme helps to digest a different type of food – carbohydrates, proteins, and fats.

What Does This Mean For My IBS Symptoms?

If one part of your body isn’t working the way it should, and is unable to make the digestive enzymes it was designed to make, it means that your food won’t be able to be broken down into small enough parts to be properly absorbed.

Secondly, because digestive enzymes all work together like an orchestra, if one isn’t working properly, it could throw off the function of others.

A lot of times, certain foods tend to be blamed over and over again for digestive issues. However, the reality is that any food can cause trouble if you’re struggling to break it down. This explains why sometimes you might feel better on a certain restrictive diet for a while, and then get worse again. If you aren’t treating the root cause, it’s just acting like a BandAid covering up the problem.

So What’s Your Next Step?

Struggling with IBS symptoms and think that digestive enzymes could be playing a role? Check out my FREE training and get The Dish on Digestive Enzymes right here! Plus, get a handy symptom tracker and reflections page so you can take a look at your symptoms just as I look at my clients’ symptoms when establishing the cause of their symptoms.

If you have any questions, feel free to email me at katie@nourishthrivewellness.com.