What happens when we eat?Even before we eat, our body‘s digestive action begins to take place. Simply smelling food activates our salivary glands ("mouth watering"). As the food enters the stomach, the stomach acid and pepsin – the main digestive enzyme in the stomach – work together to begin breaking the food down into material that the small intestine, where most nutrients are absorbed, can use. Enzymes specific to each of the three nutrient groups (carbohydrates, proteins and fats) are released at this stage, further breaking down the food and contributing to the digestive and absorption processes. These processes continue into the large intestine until the nutrients are extracted by the body.
What are digestive enzymes?
Digestive enzymes help your body break down food, allowing the body to optimize its effort to digest proteins from plant and animal sources as well as break down starch, lactose, fats, and nucleic acids (DNA and RNA). The result is a more complete digestive process, resulting in better nutritional absorption. While most enzymes work inside our cells, digestive enzymes operate outside the cells in the gastrointestinal tract.
What are the different types of digestive enzymes?
There are three basic food enzymes, each specifically targeting the digestion of a different kind of food molecule: Protease, which helps digest proteins, amylase, which helps digest starch, and lipase, which helps digest fats. There are also four specialty enzymes: lactase (helps digest the sugar lactose in dairy products), maltase (helps digest the sugar maltose in foods), sucrase (helps digest table sugar and sugar found in fruits), and cellulase (helps digest cellulose fibers). Each of these enzymes plays a significant part in the body’s overall health by helping to release specific and necessary nutrients into our bodies.
What are probiotics?
Probiotics are beneficial bacteria that are widely believed to provide numerous health benefits, including promoting digestive and immune health. Our bodies all contain both “good” and “bad” bacteria in our digestive system. Probiotics are a heavily researched option for maintaining a healthy balance of bacteria. nutraMetrix Isotonix® Digestive Enzymes with Probiotics contains the probiotic, Bacillus coagulans. B. coagulans produces lactic acid, but is not considered a lactic acid bacteria.
Is this a vegetarian product?
Yes, nutraMetrix Isotonix Digestive Enzymes with Probiotics supplies plant enzymes that are protected from stomach acid. What this means is that the supplemental enzymes mix with, and work in concert with, the ingested food, and begin to work with the body’s own digestive enzymes to support the release of nutrients.