Digestive enzymes

MKknits

If those are something that helps - do you need to take them forever or does your body eventually get better at making more of them?

Also I wish I had discovered these years earlier - so many foods triggered IBS for me and I'm finding the digestive enzymes to help so much in reducing the number of times it happens.

KnitOrMiss

If it is related to stomach acid levels and/or gut inflammation or foods that you're sensitive to - it absolutely can improve.

Stomach acid is "ordered" by the thyroid, so if your thyroid isn't fully functional, you won't make enough, etc.

If you have leaky gut, dropping aspartame, gluten, and other things could heal that up, improving digestion.

If you're sensitive to dairy or histamine foods or need an autoimmune protocol, getting rid of trigger foods can improve all things.

I was having to add digestive enzymes with every meal, plus apple cider vinegar. I am finding now that sometimes I can skip it or accidentally forget it - and others, I can't... So obviously something in my system is improving, which is fabulous since i do not have a gallbladder to help out!

MKknits

@KnitOrMiss is there a particular brand you like?

Cyndi146

as a side.... I started taking the Super Enzymes that @KnitOrMiss suggested (thank you, btw) on top of the ACV pills I was already taking to combat heartburn & reflux. ACV on it's own was not helping.

When I started taking them together I was getting terrible bloating and cramps and was worried I wasn't reacting well to the enzymes. I stopped the ACV and just continued with the enzymes and it seems all has worked itself out.

I'm taking one enzyme with my first meal, usually around 12:00 or 1:00 and one with evening meal, usually around 5:00ish. Don't know if it's just coincidence or if my body couldn't handle both at same time.

KnitOrMiss

MKknits wrote: »

@KnitOrMiss is there a particular brand you like?

@MKknits - As @Cyndi146 mentioned, I use a combination of ACV (in pill form now - Nature's Way brand I think, started with liquid Braggs cut with water) and NOW brand Super Enzymes. I originally used the Betaine HCL formula alone (also NOW brand), but I couldn't find a good level. 1 pill was too little, 2 was okay on a really fatty meal, but 3 was too much, more than 4 a day was too much, and all that.

So I'm doing 1 pill ACV and 1 NOW Super Enzyme pill with eat meal.


@Cyndi146 - I have found that to work well for many folks, too... It's all about figuring out what works best for you and when, etc. I'm glad you found some balance!

mandycat223

I went LC some 15 years after being diagnosed with Crohn's disease, a variant of IBS. Medication kept it pretty much under control; taking first probiotics and later ACV never seemed to make much difference one way or another. Some four months after cutting out all grains, my Crohn's symptoms very much improved, a completely unexpected bonus. If you're still incorporating grains in any fashion and to any extent, go cold turkey and see what happens.

Unfortunately, for most of us suffering from digestive issues our digestive tracts don't get better in the sense of healing themselves. We merely find out what's okay and what's poison on a plate.

MKknits

mandycat223 wrote: »

I went LC some 15 years after being diagnosed with Crohn's disease, a variant of IBS. Medication kept it pretty much under control; taking first probiotics and later ACV never seemed to make much difference one way or another. Some four months after cutting out all grains, my Crohn's symptoms very much improved, a completely unexpected bonus. If you're still incorporating grains in any fashion and to any extent, go cold turkey and see what happens.

Unfortunately, for most of us suffering from digestive issues our digestive tracts don't get better in the sense of healing themselves. We merely find out what's okay and what's poison on a plate.

@mandycat223 I have cut grains out entirely, my carbs are currently coming from veg and a few other random things that have carbs. I am pretty sure the grains are what are bothering my digestive track so much.