Living Wellness Medical Center

Empowering Wellness Naturally

Call 480-588-6856 to schedule a FREE brief meet and greet with a naturopathic doctor.

Patient Portal
MENU
  • HOME
    • Contact Us
    • Living Wellness Philosophy
    • Naturopathic Medicine
    • Scope of Practice for NDs
    • In the Press
    • Testimonials
    • Free Naturopathic Resources
    • Living Wellness Blog
    • Close
  • PHYSICIANS
    • Living Wellness Team
    • Dr. Leila Turner
    • Dr. Sarv Varta Khalsa
    • Dr. Lauri Brouwer
    • Dr. Olivia Watkins
    • Dr. Marianne Marchese
    • Contact Us
    • Close
  • CONDITIONS TREATED
    • Women's wellness options, such as annual well woman exams, help you take charge of your health.WOMEN’S WELLNESS
      • Women’s Health Care
      • Menopause
      • Low Libido
      • Gynecology Conditions
      • Fertility
      • Abnormal Pap Smear/HPV
    • Live well naturally with services such as a naturopathic evaluation to help you age gracefully.INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE
      • Thyroid Conditions
      • Digestive Disorders
      • Cardiovascular Health
      • Cancer Care
      • Allergies/Asthma
      • Auto-Immune Conditions
    • Men's wellness treatment options, such as prostate exams, can help you keep on top of your health care needs.MEN’S WELLNESS
      • Men’s Health Care
      • Andropause
      • Erectile Dysfunction
      • Prostate Problems
      • Low Libido
      • Urinary Health
    • Preventative medicine for wellness can help you prevent conditions with naturopathic methods.GENERAL MEDICINE
      • Fatigue
      • Hypertension/High Cholesterol
      • Asthma/Lung Conditions
      • Colds, Flus, and Chronic Infections
      • Pediatrics
      • Preventative Medicine
    • Close
  • LAB TESTING
    • Laboratory Testing
    • Specialty Lab Testing
    • Close
  • NEW PATIENTS
    • Getting Started
    • Tour Living Wellness
    • FAQ
    • Testimonials
    • HIPAA – NOTICE OF PRIVACY PRACTICES
    • Contact Us
    • Free Naturopathic Resources
    • Living Wellness Blog
      • Adrenal Function
      • Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy
      • Digestion
      • Herbs
      • Hormones
      • Healthy Recipes
      • Menopause
      • Naturopathic Therapies
      • Naturopathic Wellness
      • Supplements
      • Thyroid
      • Close
    • Close
  • SERVICES & THERAPIES
    • Naturopathic therapies allow you to feel healthy and revitalized with herbal medicine, homeopathy, and more.NATUROPATHIC THERAPIES
      • Naturopathic Evaluation
      • Homeopathy
      • Acupuncture/Cupping
      • Bioidentical Hormones
      • Herbal Medicine
      • Natural Pain Relief
    • Specialty therapies can help with specific conditions, and include: bio-identical hormones, custom compounding, and more.SPECIALTY THERAPIES
      • Detoxification & Chelation
      • Hormone Pellet Therapy
      • Custom Compounding
      • Natural Aesthetics
      • Prolotherapy
      • Microcurrent
    • Nutrient therapies such as IV therapy and dietary counseling programs keep you feeling good, naturally.DIET & NUTRITIVE THERAPIES
      • Nutrient IV Therapies
      • Nutrient Injections
      • Dietary Counseling
      • Fasting Mimicking Diet
      • Weight Loss
      • Supplements
    • Specialty labs for specific conditions.SPECIALTY LABS
      • Adrenal Stress Panel
      • Toxic Metal Tests
      • Food Allergy Panel
      • Digestive Function & Dysbiosis
      • Micronutrient Panel
      • SIBO Test
    • Close
  • CURRENT PATIENTS
    • Patient Portal
    • Patient Portal Video Introduction
    • Patient Portal User Guide
    • Online Medicinary
    • Contact Us
    • Free Naturopathic Resources
    • Living Wellness Blog
      • Adrenal Function
      • Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy
      • Digestion
      • Healthy Recipes
      • Herbs
      • Hormones
      • Menopause
      • Naturopathic Therapies
      • Naturopathic Wellness
      • Supplements
      • Thyroid
      • Close
    • Close

Digestive Enzymes: What they are – What they do – Why you might care

July 3, 2019

Enzymes act as catalysts—molecules that make reactions happen faster. While there are enzymes that help build things up, in this article I’ll focus on enzymes that help break things down, a.k.a. digestive enzymes.

digestive tract

How Digestive Enzymes Work

Digestive enzymes are an incredibly important part of our gastrointestinal system. They help break chemical bonds in foods, transforming large molecules into smaller molecules that we can easily absorb. That’s what digestion means—breaking food down into smaller parts.

Each enzyme in our bodies is made to fit like a lock and key with its particular substrate; the “substrate” is the enzyme that reacts with and transforms.

digestive enzymes at work

In the above picture, you can imagine that the yellow substrate (labeled “reactant molecule”) is the complex carbohydrate molecule sucrose, in which case the green enzyme would be called sucrase. The blue and red products at the end of this particular reaction would be glucose** and fructose molecules because those are the two simpler sugar molecules that sucrose is made from. The enzyme sucrase helped to break the bond that held them together.

**Note: All enzymes end with the suffix “-ase.” For instance, the enzyme that helps break down lactose is called lactase. For peptides, it’s peptidase. For lipids, it’s lipase, etc.

We have hydrochloric acid in our stomachs to help start the digestion of large proteins, but that just gets the ball rolling. Enzymes are required to break proteins down fully into amino acids, which happens lower in the small intestine. The breakdown of fats and carbohydrates also occurs there. Although we have some enzymes in our saliva to help kickstart the digestion of carbohydrates, the vast majority of digestive enzymes are released into the small intestine by the pancreas or created within the small intestine itself.

Remember, I said enzymes are catalysts that make reactions happen faster. It’s so crucial that digestion works efficiently and rapidly to make sure you’re able to absorb all the nutrients out of your food in the 6-8 hours it will be in the stomach and small intestine before it enters the colon where nutrients are no longer absorbed.

So what does it look like when digestive enzymes are deficient or inefficient? We can each experience this differently, but often it results in undigested food remaining in passed stools, or symptoms like indigestion, reflux, abdominal bloating, gas, and belching.

Want to Learn About the Types of Fibers that can Help with Digestion? Check Out Our Free For the Love of Fiber Guide

Click here to subscribe

How to Help and Hurt Digestive Enzymes

There are dietary and lifestyle factors that impact enzyme production and action that you’ll want to be aware of.

First, consider what hurts enzyme production. Factors include chronic stress (inhibits enzyme production), deficiency of vitamin and mineral cofactors (lowers enzyme production and activity), pancreatic disease (inhibits enzyme production), and small intestinal disorders such as Celiac disease, IBS, or dysbiosis (inhibit enzyme production).

Next, consider what helps enzyme production: chewing food thoroughly (to expose more surface area to the action of enzymes), reducing overall stress and only eating when calm (to allow the body to move into “Rest and Digest” mode – the opposite of Fight or Flight), taking a good quality multivitamin and mineral supplement and keeping the gut free from inflammation.

You may benefit from taking a digestive enzyme supplement with meals to help aid the absorption of nutrients and prevent indigestion symptoms, especially when you can’t avoid eating foods that you know don’t agree with you.

“Oh, do you mean probiotics?” This is a question I get quite often when talking about digestive enzymes. It’s a great question!

Enzymes and probiotics are entirely different things, but they both play essential roles in making our digestion and absorption work well. Enzyme production relies partly on having a robust population of beneficial gut microbes, including bacteria and yeasts. For this, you may also need to take a medical-grade probiotic supplement and ensure your diet supplies plenty of the fiber that feeds gut microbes to ensure their survival.

If you have any questions or need specific guidance on supplements, call 480-588-6856 for a free brief meet and greet with one of our naturopathic doctors.

By Dr. Lauri Brouwer, ND

Filed Under: Blogs, Digestion, Supplements

  • K S.K S.Yelp

    Dr. Brouwer has been my doctor for two years now. I have never felt better! She is such a great doctor!! She was able to quickly get my hormone levels... Read More

  • Carey MillerCarey MillerPowered by Google

    I began to see Dr. Watkins for some general Women's Health issues and she was incredible to work with. She helped my body become more balanced, pain was relieved naturally, and my body was prepared for a healthy pregnancy. She is kind, knowledgable, and very supportive!

    Read More
  • jay wilcoxjay wilcoxPowered by Google

    I have been working with Dr. Olivia Watkins for over two years now. She is truly a partner in my ongoing health care. Her smart and inquisitive approach means that we get to the root cause of issues sooner with better results. She is open to alternative approaches and has laughed with me every step of the way. I am grateful for a health care provider that cares as much as Dr. Watkins does, I truly believe she has my best interests in mind.

    Read More
  • Erika GrandeErika GrandePowered by Google

    I am so grateful to have met Dr. Watkins! It is not often that you meet a doctor that desires to get to the root of an issue AND genuinely cares. I am a detail-oriented person, and she recognized that and explained how things should function vs how things were functioning for me, all at a level that was easily understood with the right amount of technical information. Dr. Watkins is smart as well as intuitive – rather than throw prescriptions at me for individual ailments, she treats the overall body, connecting my various medical issues and guiding me through the process to healing. She is a breath of fresh air, and she makes it easy to talk to her about anything.

    Read More
  • Shagun M.Shagun M.Yelp

    I see Dr. Marchese at this practice - I followed her from Longevity Medical Health Center and have been seeing her since 2014. She is AMAZING! She is... Read More

  • jennifer williamsjennifer williamsPowered by Google

    I have seen Dr. Watkins for almost a year. She has addressed many issues including digestive, menopause, and hot flashes. Dr. Watkins was attentive to my needs, she also listened. I highly recommend her, she really cares about her patients. I was thankful she could help me, she can help you too.

    Read More
  • Michelle B.Michelle B.Yelp

    I started at Living Wellness Medical Center about a year and a half ago. My biggest regret is that I didn't start sooner! I had been resistant to... Read More

  • Albert SandovalAlbert SandovalPowered by Google

    My wife has seen Dr. Watkins since last year after having stomach issues. After her first visit with Dr. Watkins she had a plan of action. After the first couple of weeks of following her plan, she started noticing a big positive shift in her symptoms and after a few months, many of the issues had gone away. Above all, the support that she received from Dr. Watkins and Living Wellness has made all the difference. This place is truly a life-changing experience and has changed our perspective on healthcare. We love Living Wellness!

    Read More

Medical Disclaimer

All material on this website is for informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for the advice provided by your healthcare professional or physician.

Living Wellness Medical Center

The American Association of Naturopathic Pysicians Arizona Naturopathic Medical Association

Living Wellness Medical Center
4440 North 36th St. #110
Phoenix, AZ 85018
Get Directions

Phone: 480-588-6856
Fax: 480-307-6019
Mon-Thurs (9-5) & Fri (9-2)
Click to Email Us

Phoenix Magazine Top Doctor

Living Wellness Medical Center on Yelp Dr Turner on Google+Living Wellness Medical Center on TwitterLiving Wellness Medical Center on PinterestLiving Wellness Medical Center on Facebook

Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Disclaimer

Copyright © 2021 · Outreach Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

Copyright © 2015 Living Wellness Medical Center