What is the difference between Digestive Enzymes and Probiotics?
Digestive enzymes and probiotics both work to support proper digestive
health but in different ways. Digestive enzymes work directly with the
food a person consumes to break down carbohydrates, fats and protein into small
substrates that can be properly absorbed and nutrients utilized by the
body for energy throughout the day. Enzymes are naturally produced by
the body, however, as a person ages, they can become deficient which can
create inflammation and stress on the body starting in the
gastrointestinal tract. Probiotics are live bacteria that assist with balancing the digestive
tract, vitamin absorption and may help reduce lactose intolerance. Probiotics can take up to a few months to get into your system and for a person to be able to determine whether or not they are working properly. Probiotics do not break down food but rather work to create a state of balance in a person's digestive tract. Since digestive enzymes work directly with the food a person eats, when taken with a meal, they begin to break down right away and many people report feeling a difference after adding enzymes to 1 or 2 meals, especially those who are in tune with their body.