Digestive Enzymes for the Holidays

While maintaining healthy digestive function year-round is important, the holidays often pose a special challenge in this regard. Social engagements offer up a wealth of options for over-indulgence. We also tend to be a bit more daring with the foods we try at social gatherings, many of which aren’t the healthiest to begin with. All of this can lead to a troublesome tummy.

One of the easiest and most effective ways to support healthy digestive function during the holidays is to supplement with digestive enzymes.* Produced by your body, digestive enzymes break down the foods you eat into nutrients and waste products, and promote the complete absorption of nutrients. They work together with food-based enzymes, which are obtained from raw foods, to digest the foods we eat.

While your body normally produces the enzymes you need, various factors can adversely affect their production, including environmental factors, illness, age, and more. Supplementing your diet with digestive enzymes is a great way to maintain healthy digestive functions, especially under less-than-ideal circumstances.*

Read on to learn more about the most effective digestive enzymes to keep on your radar as we head into the holidays, and some NOW^® products that include these important enzymes.

Along with salt and sugar, you’re certain to find a fair amount of fat at any holiday smorgasbord. Lipase is an enzyme that processes various types of fats, oils and triglycerides.* Since fats aren’t water soluble, they require special digestive processing before they can be absorbed and utilized by your body. As a bonus, lipase aids in the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins and nutrients, including vitamins A, D, E and K, as well as carotenoids such as lutein and astaxanthin, and healthy plant components such as curcumin.*

NOW^® Super Enzymes

Our top-selling enzyme supplement, Super Enzymes (capsules) combines a variety of digestive and food-based enzymes in one convenient formula. Along with essentials including protease, lipase, amylase and cellulase, Super Enzymes (tablets) also includes food-based enzymes bromelain from pineapple, papain from papaya, and ox bile extract (a natural source of cholic acids), which helps to break down fats.*

Proteases, also referred to as proteinases and proteolytic enzymes, are required for your digestive system to break down protein.* They’re secreted by glands in the stomach and pancreas, and they’re produced to work at different pH levels throughout the digestive tract, helping to optimize the amount of nutrients obtained from the breakdown of various foods.*

NOW^® Bromelain

Bromelain is an enzyme found in pineapple stems that’s really good at digesting protein.* In enzyme terms it’s called a proteolytic (protein-digesting) enzyme.* When taken with food, bromelain can help to support healthy digestion.* But unlike many other enzymes, when taken between meals, studies show that bromelain can help to support joint comfort, and may help to relieve temporary soreness that is associated with muscle overuse.*

Much of the food we eat today is loaded with carbohydrates, and breaking them down is what amylase does. This important digestive enzyme is a component of our saliva, and it goes to work as soon as we start chewing our first bite.* Amylase breaks carbohydrates down into simple sugars, which are used by the body for energy, so you’re not only helping to optimize digestion, but energy production from food as well.*

NOW^® Betaine HCl

NOW^® Betaine HCl is formulated to support proper digestive conditions in the stomach.* Hydrochloric (HCl) acid is normally produced in the stomach, where it assists protein digestion, helps to maintain a healthy balance of gut flora, and stimulates the release of intestinal enzymes.* Your body’s production of hydrochloric acid tends to decline with age, so supplementing with NOW^® Betaine HCl and pepsin may help to maintain normal digestive function.*

Lactose is a sugar found in milk and other dairy products that’s difficult for certain individuals to digest. Millions of Americans suffer from lactose, or dairy, intolerance, and for many the culprit is a deficiency in lactase, the enzyme that breaks down dairy during digestion.* Even if you don’t drink milk, dairy products are very prevalent in many of today’s foods, especially desserts and baked foods.

NOW^® Pancreatin

Pancreatin is a combination of three digestive enzymes naturally produced by the pancreas (and covered earlier in this presentation) – amylase (digests carbohydrates), lipase (digests fat) and protease (digests protein).* Like our Super Enzymes, NOW^® Pancreatin is a great way to support normal, healthy digestion.*

Cellulase is actually a group of several similar enzymes, all of which break down cellulose, one of the main components in many plants.* Cellulose is notoriously difficult to digest because your body doesn’t make cellulase enzymes; it helps to obtain them from the diet or through supplementation. Cellulase in the diet helps you obtain the greatest nutritional benefit from the fruits and vegetables you eat.*

NOW^® Plant Enzymes

NOW^® Plant Enzymes is a comprehensive blend of enzymes that’s specifically formulated to support proper digestion, especially for vegetarian diets.* The combination of enzymes in this dynamic supplement include protease, amylase, lipase, cellulose, lactase, papain and bromelain. Together these enzymes assist in the breakdown of fats, carbohydrates, protein and fiber, thus optimizing the availability of nutrients in the foods you eat.*