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Probiotics and digestive enzymes are an integral part of any digestive repair which is central to our overall wellbeing and optimum bodily function. There are many probiotics on the market which will help you achieve fantastic health, their application however can be a bit of minefield.

As a general rule probiotics supply our large bowel with the necessary bacteria to process foods, absorb nutrients and regulate immune function.

Products like Inner Health by Ethical nutrients contain two of the main bacteria that populate our bowel (when I say main I mean two of the larger colonies in a huge number of colonies). I often suggest this product as a starting point for probiotic supplementation.

Other strains and combinations can be utilised as symptoms suggest eg; Lactobacillus rhamnosus is utilised when there is evidence of immune underfunction and Lactobacillus plantarum when there are Irritable Bowel type symptoms. If you are using probiotics for extended periods of time it is often beneficial to cycle through several different products to gain exposure to a complement of bacterial strains.

Digestive enzymes aid in the breakdown of foods and the utilisation of macronutrients eg; Carbohydrates, fats and proteins. Digestive enzymes can also decrease inflammation and decrease healing times in injury. If you are starting on a digestive enzyme there are several brands which carry a variety of enzymes that will digest all of the macronutrients - one of these brands is Genuine Nzymes. There are also several practitioner only brands which your Naturopath can prescribe to you.

As with the probiotics, digestive enzymes can be prescribed based on specific symptoms. Some brands such as Nature’s Sunshine will have individual enzymes like Betaine Hydrochloride which aids in the digestion of proteins. Amylase aids the digestion of carbohydrates. You can also obtain enzymes that are solely from a plant source, while some pancreatin enzymes are animal byproducts.

If you are trying to lose weight and including healthier food options into your diet it is interesting that you can gain digestive enzymes from some common fruits. Pineapple provides Bromelain and paw paw provides papain both good for aiding in a healthier digestion.

In a weight loss regime enzymes are utilised to gain the maximum amount of nutrients out of food. This increase in nutrition will often have the side effect of decreasing cravings caused by the body as it signals its need for basic nutrients. A healthy digestive function is one step closer to a healthy body and mind.

The information presented on this page has been prepared by a fully qualified naturopath and is for educational purposes only. It does not take into consideration your specific circumstances and is not intended to replace the services of a health practitioner. Any application of the material in this text is at the reader’s discretion and sole responsibility. If you have a persistent health condition or your symptoms are severe please consult a qualified healthcare provider.