Choosing the Right Digestive Products

Support your digestion with this handy guide and our Foundational Digestive Products Collection.

As anyone that has experienced them knows, digestion problems are uncomfortable. Some can be downright painful. If you’re one of the many who experience symptoms from common digestive issues on a regular basis, you don’t have to suffer alone. Our digestive line of supplements can help.

Choosing what product you want to use to support your particular digestive issue can be difficult because of the shear number of choices with overlapping ingredients and shear number of product choices. We love digestion, and it is the backbone of our practice. This guide was written to help you understand our Foundational Digestion Collection and provide you with an overview of how we look at digestion.

Most digestive issues start with undigested food that enters the digestive tract resulting in painful gas and bloating, pain, burping, etc. Let's review some common-sense places to start, when it comes to determining the cause of your digestive issues. 

If you need additional help, you can book an appointment with us, and a member of our team of qualified practitioners will be happy to review your information over the phone.

Untreated Digestive Issues Can Negatively Impact Health

It's important to address any recurring digestive issues right away, before they become more serious. Left untreated, these seemingly common digestive issues can result in chronic systemic inflammation, damaged internal organs, or even more severe autoimmune symptoms. 

When gut health declines, it can contribute to more serious health issues, including obesity, poor blood sugar regulation, or increase cholesterol levels. This is why good gut health is crucial for overall well being. If you're experiencing any common digestive issues, below are some common causes. 

Start with the Stomach (and Protein Digestion)

Digestion starts when chewed up food enters the stomach and is digested by stomach acid. Stomach acid is so important because it kills pathogens, activates enzymes, and stimulates peristalsis (intestinal mobility).

Low stomach acid is very common. Prolonged low stomach acid causes many downstream digestive issues such as constipation, pain after eating protein heavy foods, heartburn, parasites, and diarrhea.

Low stomach acid can be caused from B-vitamin deficiencies caused from prolonged stress, medications, OTC remedies, a diet low in betaine containing foods, diets low in bitter compounds and low mineral containing diets.

For general stomach issues, our practice starts with pancreatin (pancreatic enzymes that digest carbohydrates, protein, and fats), pepsin (a strong enzyme that breaks down protein), and betaine hydrochloride (this is hydrochloric acid) to facilitate healthy digestion. These enzymes play a key role in breaking down the food that you eat, and turning food nutrients into something that can be properly absorbed. 

Signs You May Have Trouble Digesting Proteins

If you have any of the below symptoms on a regular basis, your gut may be ill-equipped to handle protein-heavy foods.

• ❏ Bad Breath after heavy protein meals
• ❏ Constipation after eating a heavy protein meal
• ❏ Intestinal gas that smells really bad (silent but deadly)
• ❏ Heartburn or acid reflux occasionally with low severity
• ❏ Decreasing muscle tone
• ❏ Starting to get small amounts of cellulite
• ❏ Signs of hypothyroidism
• ❏ Stop craving protein heavy foods
• ❏ Experiencing occasional brain fog
• ❏ Upper intestinal bloating after eating a heavy protein meal

Having Indigestion After Meals?

Low enzymes and low stomach acid could be your problem. Support your digestion starting in the stomach. Learn more about support for enzyme deficiencies and high pH with this handout.

Download the Handout

Carbohydrates and Pancreatic Enzymes

As food empties from the stomach to the small intestine, carbohydrates meet pancreatic enzymes, and are broken into simple sugars that are used for energy.

If the carbohydrates are not fully digested, then they start to ferment and produce a ton of carbon dioxide gas... Think loud and clear (smelling) gas!

We recommend products with a more comprehensive blend of enzymes (that break-down carbohydrates), glutamine (that supports intestinal tight junctions), and whole food ingredients (like beets) designed to support healthy digestion and maximize nutrient absorption.

Signs You May Have Trouble Digesting Carbohydrates

Experiencing the below symptoms may indicate that you have an issue processing carbohydrates.

• ❏ Experience adult onset lactose intolerance
• ❏ Falling asleep after eating a carbohydrate heavy meal
• ❏ Excessive use of toilet paper
• ❏ Sugar and caffeine addiction
• ❏ Excessive abdominal gas (voluminous and non-smelly) and bloating 
• ❏ Yeast infections
• ❏ Small Intestine Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO)
• ❏ Leaky gut issues
• ❏ Vitamin B and E deficiencies
• ❏ Itchy anus

Feeling Bloated From Carbs?

Low enzymes could be your problem. Support your digestion with a gluten-free and vegetarian source of enzymes in a base of beet powder.

Download the Handout

What Impacts Fatty Food Digestion?

Fats are found in nuts, seeds, dairy, meat, fish, eggs, and cooking oils. They are broken down into fatty acids by bile manufactured in the liver and stored in the gallbladder, and lipase enzymes manufactured by your parotids, stomach, and pancreas. If you are unable to breakdown the fats into smaller particles, then you risk rancidity in your body, creating symptoms, inflammation, and disease.

Fats help in the creation of all cell membranes, provide a source of energy, regulate immunity, increase metabolism, moisturize skin, and provide anti-inflammatory effects. Your body should be able to synthesize most of the fats it needs from the diet. However, two essential fatty acids (EFAs), linoleic (omega-6 fatty acid) and alpha-linolenic (omega-3 fatty acid), cannot be made in the body and must be obtained from food.

A dysfunctional liver and pancreas can result in compromised fat digestion and essential fatty acid deficiency. The liver creates bile, concentrated and stored in the gallbladder ready to emulsify the fats. The pancreas creates pancreatic lipase enzymes that further break down the fats into smaller droplets.

Fat droplets are deposited into the lymphatic and cardiovascular systems. If fats are poorly broken down, they may be too large to enter these systems, and they can go rancid and deposit on the walls of the colon. This will be seen by your symptoms and laboratory fecal (stool) testing. 

Signs You Have Problems Digesting Fatty Foods

The following symptoms are indicative of trouble processing fatty foods in your diet.

• ❏ Excessive and embarrassing burping
• ❏ Greasy stool with “Oil Slick” on toilet water (floating fatty poop particles and liquid)
• ❏ Gallbladder attacks with right shoulder referring pain
• ❏ Unresolved painful inflammation
• ❏ Dry, scaly, flaky, and/or lackluster skin
• ❏ Large Round Belly (not pregnant)
• ❏ Gallstones or gallbladder pain (especially at midnight to 3am) 
• ❏ Hemorrhoids with hypertension
• ❏ Pancreatic Enzyme Insufficiency 
• ❏ Fatty liver with elevated liver enzymes

Problems with Fatty Foods?

Low bile production and poor flow may be your issue. Support your ability to digest dietary fats and maintain healthy cholesterol levels with healthy gallbladder and liver support. 

Download the Handout

Learn about our Functional Digestion Protocols

Checkout our brochure to better understand which digestion protocol to choose from. Need help? Schedule a 30-minute consult to learn more. Share this brochure with friends and family to open their eyes to effective functional medicine approaches.

Download the Brochure