Digestive Enzymes Versus Probiotics

A healthy digestive tract requires both digestive enzymes and probiotics. Both of these things do different things to help the digestion process and keep things from getting out of whack in the intestines, but they do it well. These two advantages are critical to preserving digestive health, which in turn affects physical wellbeing. In truth, the good bacteria in our guts help with a wide variety of vital bodily functions, such as eating, absorbing nutrients, fighting infection, and making important brain chemicals called neurotransmitters.

The connection between probiotics and digestive enzymes is as complicated as the state of one's digestive tract. Taking both may seem like a good idea to some, while others may wonder if they'll be more effective if taken separately. In this post, we'll take a close look at digestive enzymes, their function, how it stacks up against probiotics, and how the two can work together to promote healthy digestion1.

What's the Difference Between Probiotics and Digestive Enzymes2?

Probiotics and digestive enzymes may both help digestion, but they have different purposes. Probiotics are beneficial microorganisms that dwell in the human gut and have a good effect on the body and its physiological functions, whereas digestive enzymes are chemicals that aid in the digestion of the meals we ingest. Since digestive enzymes and probiotics both contribute to digestive health and serve similar purposes, they are sometimes combined into a single dose.

While our bodies contain hundreds of enzymes, trillions of microorganisms call our bodies home. Surprisingly, their numbers exceed those of our own bodily cells. Researchers have established that some bacteria and yeasts can have beneficial effects on their host, therefore these microorganisms are now commonly referred to as probiotics (from the Latin word for "for life"). Often referred to as "good bacteria," probiotics are beneficial microorganisms that can be found in a variety of food sources and are used to restore a healthy bacterial balance in the gastrointestinal tract, urinary tract, and other areas of the body.

Probiotic populations are susceptible to changes brought on by stress, medicine, nutrition, and age, just as those of digestive enzymes. Because they can produce or influence and encourage the development of various enzymes, probiotics help with the digestion of specific foods by facilitating the production of digestive enzymes. Some probiotic bacteria, such Lactobacillus casei1, actually create enzymes like lactase, which can aid in the digestion of lactose found in dairy products.

Given that probiotics and digestive enzymes are two separate compounds with distinct functions, taking them simultaneously is fine.

Do Probiotics Help Digestion More Than Digestive Enzymes3?

It is important to listen to your body and your goals when deciding whether to take probiotics, digestive enzymes, or both.

Since your body can't produce probiotics on its own, taking a supplement may be helpful for digestion in people of all ages. Although probiotics can help those who are already struggling with digestive difficulties, many people take them as a preventative measure.

Consider a deficiency of digestive enzymes as a possible cause of food allergies and other signs of malabsorption. Your digestion could use a supplement to really enhance.

Reference:

  1. What You Should Know About Digestive Enzymes vs. Probiotics. Learn more (2021).
  2. Probiotics vs. Digestive Enzymes | Probiotics Learning Lab. Learn more.
  3. Digestive Enzymes vs. Probiotics: Which Supplement Is Best? Learn more (2020).