Here's Why.

Find out when you should take digestive enzymes and which ones are best for your digestive problems.

"They changed my life." That's what patients often tell Ellen Cutler, DC, after incorporating digestive enzymes into their daily nutritional routine. Why such dramatic results? "Enzymes are essential to life," says Cutler, author of MicroMiracles: Discover the Healing Power of Enzymes and a health professional, who has been using enzymes to treat many types of conditions for more than 25 years.

"Even if you eat good food every day," she says, "if you don't digest it properly, undigested food can actually seep from the small intestine into the bloodstream, and the immune system reacts." Lack of energy and digestive discomfort are among the first symptoms, but there are many others.

Symptoms of Undigested Food in the Small Intestine

• craving certain foods
• weight gain
• thyroid problems
• bloating, heartburn, gas, indigestion or burping after meals
• constipation or diarrhea
• hair that is dull, thinning, or falling out
• lackluster skin
• weak or cracked nails
• trouble getting up in the morning
• sleep problems 
• arthritis or joint pain
• feeling too tired to exercise
• depression 
• mood swings
• headaches or migraines
• ADHD
• rashes
• hives
• hot flashes
• PMS
• and, sometimes, fertility problems

Poor digestion also speeds up the aging process.

What Are Enzymes?

Enzymes are, by definition, catalysts that enable molecules to be changed from one form into another. Digestive enzymes enable food to be broken down into nutrients in our bodies to produce energy, and repair and maintain our physical structure and function.

In nature, raw fruits and vegetables contain enzymes necessary for their digestion. For example, a raw apple theoretically contains the enzymes necessary for our bodies to utilize its nutrients; however, if the apple is grown in nutrient-depleted soil, its enzyme content will be below par. And if the fruit becomes apple pie, sauce, or pasteurized juice, its enzymes are completely destroyed by heat.

Our bodies also produce digestive enzymes. However, says Cutler, "If we don't eat a predominantly raw food diet and don't chew well, we don't get enzymes from food, and our bodies can't produce enough." Given that most of the food Americans consume is not raw fruits and vegetables grown in nutrient-rich soils, most people could benefit from enzyme supplements.