Digestive Essentials
Below are 4 key points that separate Digestive Essentials from other enzymes:
- It contains enzymes to help with specific food allergies.
- The enzymes in Digestive Essentials work at a much broader pH than similar enzymes on the market which is important for patients chronically taking PPI’s.
- It has the necessary enzymes to help us break down the tough fiber components of a more veggie based diet everyone is trying to move towards.
- Digestive Essentials has herbs that stimulate digestion.
First, food sensitivities seem to be an increasing concern for clinicians as they can have wide spread effects on patient’s health. Of the major food allergies gluten and dairy sensitivities are two of the most common. Because of this concern, we added DPP-4 (Dipeptidyl peptidase 4) and lactase. DPP-4, a primary component of the Peptidase in our product, cleaves gliadin peptides in the intestines and is very useful for those with gluten intolerance. This will really help patients on gluten-restricted diets or those who must eat out frequently as they may get gluten inadvertently (sauces, dressings, etc.). It can even be useful for that patient that you suspect may CHEAT a little bit. DPP-4 can lower the immune reactivity of these foods and reduce the overall inflammatory load on the body.
Second, the other benefit of Digestive Essentials is the broad pH in which the proteases work. While animal based products work effectively they have a narrow optimum pH in which they must operate. We use proteases, called fungal analogues that have a broad pH range of 2.75 – 8.5 but have the digesting strength of animal based enzymes. This is a real benefit because these enzymes do not need to be activated at a specific pH. The protease blend has been subjected to pH, temperature, and gastric survivability studies to make sure they are effective.
Third, as people change their diet and increase plant intake, many seem to have more digestive difficulties. Therefore we added cellulose, pectinase, xylinase and several others which specialize in the breakdown of tough, plant cell structures. This puts “teeth” in there stomach to help free the nutrients locked up in plant cells.
Lastly, we added gentian, a traditional bitter herb and artichoke to promote digestion. Gentian is incredibly useful because it stimulates our body’s digestive system (increases HCL and Pepsin), helping it get back on-line and Artichoke Leaf Extract to increase bile. After all, the goal of any digestive aid should be to help with digestion but also to strengthen our own digestive process.
Digestive Essentials (New Formulation)
Digestive Essentials is a comprehensive, vegetarian blend of enzymes designed to support digestion and help unlock nutrition from food.
- Supports Healthy Digestion and Maximizes Nutrient Absorption
- Targeted Enzyme Support for Food Sensitivities
- Designed to Enhance the Benefits of a Plant-Rich Diet
- Stimulates the Release and Production of Natural Digestive Enzymes in the Pancreas
- Supports Gastric Acid Balance and Digestive Function
OVERVIEW
Because of our hectic lifestyle, and the way we often consume food that is frequently overcooked, digestion can often be less than optimal. A thorough digestion of foodstuffs with enzymes prevents foods from being fermented in the gut and the proliferation of “bad” bacteria and yeast at the expense of “good” intestinal bacteria. Another benefit of enzymes is that more nutrition can be derived from food. In addition, regular bowel movements result from this better digestion. Digestive Essentials is specifically designed to support digestion and help unlock more nutrition from food.
Digestive Essentials is a comprehensive blend of acid-resistant, plant-based enzymes designed to help maximize the digestion and absorption of nutrients from food. Each capsule includes lipase, amylase, lactase, CereCalase® and protease to aid in the digestion of protein, fat, starches, fiber and other difficult to digest foods known to cause food sensitivities. CereCalase®, a special blend of hemicellulase, beta-glucanase and phytase, is specially formulated to digest the cell walls of plants, providing better nutrition from a plant-based diet. Digestive Essentials also includes Gentian root, a traditional bitter herb, and artichoke, a natural choleretic, added to stimulate the body’s natural production of enzymes and bile.
Suggested Use:
1-2 capsules 15 minutes before a meal or as recommended by your health care professional
Enzyme Blend
Digestive enzymes have a long history of use for those who need digestive enzyme support. In the past, animal enzymes were preferred to vegetable enzymes for their protein digesting strength though they required a narrower pH window of 6.5-7.5 in order to be activated. Digestive Essentials Plus utilizes new, plant- based enzymes which function within a broader pH range of 2.5-8.5, and still offer the digestive strength of animal-based enzymes. This broad pH window of activity makes it especially helpful for individuals with lower gastric acid levels or inconsistent pH’s. Each enzyme has been tested in pH, temperature, and gastric survivability studies to ensure enzyme activity. In addition, Digestive Essentials Plus also includes DPP4, one of the primary components of peptidase, which has been shown to digest and neutralize gluten. This action may help to support gluten-sensitive individuals who ingest it inadvertently. The blend of proteases in Digestive Essentials Plus is also effective in breaking down proteins from soy, whey, and casein from milk products. Lipases for fat breakdown as well as amylases for carbohydrate breakdown are also included for full- spectrum digestive support.
Sustaining a Plant-Rich Diet
Digestive Essentials offers additional support for those who have difficulty digesting plant-based foods. Optimal breakdown of plant cell walls is complex and nutrients contained within the cell walls can be difficult to absorb; for this reason, CereCalase, pectinase, xylanase, cellulose, glucoamylase and alphagalactosidase, plant enzymes not produced in the body, are added to the formula. The addition of CereCalase assists in the breakdown of plant cell walls and helps to release trapped nutrients from plant materials. Alpha-galactosidase is also included for difficult-to-digest foods such as beans, legumes, and cruciferous vegetables, to help people maintain a plant-rich diet. Both animal and human trials indicate that the supplementation of phytase helps release these nutrients and improve the nutrition of the consumer. Furthermore, a large portion of the fibrous components of botanicals are composed of non-starchy polysaccharides (NSPs), the primary ones being hemicelluloses and beta-glucans. These two compounds can alter the transit times of foods, bind digestive enzymes, and trap essential plant constituents. Enzymes which degrade these components have been shown to improve the digestibility and nutrient profiles of plant foods and products. Gentian and artichoke are also added to help stimulate the body’s own digestive processes to help achieve optimal digestive capacity.
Gentian Root and Artichoke
Herbalists have used bitters, including gentian, to stimulate natural digestive enzymes in the mouth and stomach for hundreds of years. Studies have shown that artichoke, categorized as a choleretic, stimulates the body’s natural production of bile, which is responsible for emulsifying fats in our diets. Artichoke also increases the surface area of fats, which allows enzymes to more efficiently break them down. Artichoke and gentian root provide an excellent vegetarian alternative to ox bile, which is traditionally used in digestive supplements to support bile production.
