Who Needs Digestive Enzymes

In this health video you will learn who needs digestive enzymes.

Raena Morgan: Hi, I’m Raena Morgan with iHealthTube, visiting with Nena Dockery; she’s our enzyme expert, and the pressing question that we need to ask you—our viewers would like to know—who should be taking digestive enzymes? Nena Dockery: In this day and age, probably everybody. As we have discussed, we have, we have a history of bad habits and we have different food than we were accustomed—that our ancestors ate. They ate mostly raw, unprocessed foods and those provided a lot of nutrients to us, that for many of us, we simply don’t get anymore. You know, for so many people, their main nutrient comes from the lycopene in the ketchup on their French fries. That’s, you know, that’s a depressing though— Raena Morgan: It is, it’s very depressing. Nena Dockery: It really is. So, we need to get more from our food. We’re not probably going to change our eating habits, we’re not going to slow down our lifestyles, we’re not going to quit going to the all-you-can-eat food bars; but what we can do is get the best use of the food that we do eat. That is by taking an enzyme supplement that will at least allow the digestive process to occur appropriately, even if our habits are not appropriate for digestion. We can at least take a supplement that will enable use to at least get the nutrients from our food. We’re not going to eat an all raw food diet that has [is just filled] with nutrients. We are not going to quit buying Hamburger Helper, probably; but we can help to get the nutrients from our food that we do eat, with the use of digestive enzymes. Raena Morgan: And to have them pass through our digestive system and our intestines— Nena Dockery: Yes. Right, [we can improve our digestion] without causing the problems that by inadequately chewing, by eating too much, more—by overwhelming our system with the quantity of food that we eat. We can at least alleviate some of those problems, and the problems that we have caused by damaging our intestinal tract through our own habits—though overuse of antibiotics and other medications that have damaged some of our own endogenous enzyme production and availability. We can at least help support our own digestive processes through that. Raena Morgan: So anyone who’s ever taken medications might profit from taking digestive enzymes—would certainly profit from them, benefit as it were. Nena Dockery: Right. Raena Morgan: Anyone who has heartburn, acid indigestion, all of the maladies of our modern diet. Nena Dockery: Yes. Raena Morgan: They say that people’s digestion slows down as they age, so older people can benefit. Nena Dockery: Right. I mean, it’s just a common problem that is associated with aging and we are an aging population. Particularly with protein digestion that the factors—probably some of the intestinal enzymes that are so crucial to protein digestion have over the years—because of habits, because of illness, because of different conditions have become ineffective. Our pancreas may not be as effective as in producing and secreting enzymes; particularly proteases. That, that can—that we can support that through the use of supplemental enzymes; especially as we age. Raena Morgan: Okay, but what about children. Should they be taking digestive enzymes? Nena Dockery: Well, you know, as we are seeing the results of our own eating habits, we are seeing those portrayed even in our children—obesity and digestive problems; gallbladder disease in children— Raena Morgan: In children. Nena Dockery: In children, is increasing. So we know that the same bad habits that are plaguing we as adults, also affect our children, because we pass them onto our children. So because of this, our children may need a digestive enzyme as well—and need to be taking a supplement as well. That should be again—because children are what we call a vulnerable population—that should be used, they should be used under the guidance of a physician. But at the same time, there are children—many children now, probably the majority of children now—that might benefit, at least school-age, that are eating the school lunches, or not eating the school lunches, that could benefit from the use of an enzyme product. Raena Morgan: So virtually everyone. Nena Dockery: Virtually everyone. Raena Morgan: Okay, thank you for that explanation, Nena. Nena Dockery: Thank you.