Energetix | Emily Greene-Hartsfield, ND
Better Together: Probiotics and Digestive Enzymes
Digestive resilience is foundational to overall wellness. The gastrointestinal tract does far more than process food. Through the breakdown and absorption of nutrients, it provides the building blocks that fuel cellular activity, energy production, and overall vitality. It also plays a central role in immune activity, metabolic regulation, and communication across body systems. When digestion functions efficiently, the body is better equipped to extract nourishment, maintain microbial balance, and modulate healthy inflammatory responses.
To help optimize these complex functions, targeted nutritional strategies can play an important role. Probiotics and digestive enzymes each play distinct roles in digestive health. Probiotics help maintain a balanced gut microbiome, while digestive enzymes break down complex nutrients for optimal absorption. Together, they offer complementary support within a comprehensive digestive protocol.
The Role of Probiotics in Digestive Health
Probiotics support the health and function of beneficial gut bacteria. They typically belong to two groups: Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium. These probiotic groups constitute a significant portion of the human microbiome and are found in various sites throughout the body, including the mouth, stomach, and intestines. Their primary job is to promote a balanced, healthy microbial environment.
How Digestive Enzymes Support Digestion
Digestive enzymes work by breaking down complex compounds in food that are too large to pass through the intestinal lining. The body produces digestive enzymes in the stomach, small intestine, and pancreas. Even our salivary glands produce some digestive enzymes. Amylase, for example, is an enzyme that breaks down complex carbohydrates into sugars, while protease breaks down proteins into amino acids.
Short-Term and Long-Term Support
While both probiotics and digestive enzymes support the gastrointestinal tract, probiotics focus on long-term benefits, while digestive enzymes work in the short term. This is a significant difference to keep in mind when assessing how each offers support.
Probiotics are taken daily and work gradually. It takes significant time for the gut microbiome to reach a proper balance, as beneficial bacteria integrate into the terrain, so it may take weeks to reach full effect.
Digestive enzymes, on the other hand, are often taken with food and are designed to break down the specific food they accompany. These enzymes act during digestion, supporting nutrient breakdown at mealtimes.
Common Digestive Enzymes
The gastrointestinal tract produces many digestive enzymes, but the following are the most common and widely known.
- Amylase: Amylase breaks down carbohydrates into sugars to aid the digestion of foods such as grains and starches.
- Lipase: Lipase breaks down fats into fatty acids and glycerol to aid the digestion of foods such as coconut, olive, and avocado oils, as well as various animal fats.
- Protease: Protease breaks down proteins into individual amino acids to help digest food like chicken, beef, and eggs.
- Lactase: Lactase breaks down dairy carbohydrates into glucose and galactose, helping digest foods such as milk, yogurt, and cheese.
Probiotic Strains and Their Benefits
Below are several probiotic strains commonly used to support digestive and gut health, each offering distinct functional benefits.
- Lactobacillus acidophilus: Lactobacillus acidophilus is a naturally occurring strain that helps break down nutrients. This strain also helps create a more acidic internal environment, which promotes a balanced gut microbiome.
- Saccharomyces boulardii: A probiotic yeast, Saccharomyces boulardii, supports digestion and intestinal barrier function while remaining confined to the digestive tract.
- Bifidobacterium infantis: Bifidobacterium infantis is often acquired from a child’s mother during childbirth and early feeding via microbiome transfer. It helps break down complex carbohydrates, which support gut barrier function, aid immune system maturation, and help reduce inflammation.
- Bacillus coagulans: Bacillus coagulans is a spore-form probiotic that produces lactic acid and helps balance the gut microbiome. It supports digestive health through assistance with bloating, constipation, and nutrient absorption. This strain is particularly hardy, able to enter dormancy and withstand harsh conditions, including stomach acid and heat.
Using Digestive Enzymes and Probiotics Together
Probiotics and digestive enzymes both complement each other in the digestive process, making them well-suited for combined use. Efficient digestion creates favorable conditions for beneficial microbes, and certain gut organisms naturally produce enzymes that further support digestive function.
Probiotics support the enzyme-producing microbes, and enzymes support the gut environment for beneficial microbes. Selecting the right combination is simply a matter of matching probiotic strains and enzyme blends to individual needs and goals.
Choosing the Right Probiotic
Finding the proper probiotic means considering the individual’s needs. Energetix offers three types of probiotic supplements, each with unique offerings. All Energetix Flora products are considered synbiotics, meaning they contain both probiotics and prebiotics.
- Flora 12+: Flora 12+ is suitable for patients who require repopulating the GI tract with beneficial bacterial strains. It provides a comprehensive approach to gut health and is often selected during times when the microbiome may be challenged. It features 12 beneficial probiotics, Saccharomyces boulardii, and chicory root inulin.
- Flora Synergy®: Flora Synergy® is a spore-form probiotic designed to help existing immune bacteria flourish by maintaining the GI tract environment. Its probiotic ingredient, Bacillus coagulans, creates an acidic environment that helps maintain a balanced microbiome.
- Flora Chewable: Flora Chewable is a tablet form of Flora Synergy® with Vitamin C and flavorings that may be easier for some patients to consume. This form also provides a higher CFU (colony-forming unit) count than Flora Synergy®, helping balance intestinal microflora and support nutrient absorption.
Choosing the Right Digestive Enzyme
At Energetix, our Catalyst digestive enzymes provide critical support for healthy digestive function. With three products available, it’s easy for patients to find an option that works best for them.
- Catalyst-7: Catalyst-7 offers digestive enzymes with complementary herbs designed to help maintain normal digestive function. In addition to enzymes such as amylase and protease, this formula includes marshmallow root, fennel seed, and ginger root.
- Catalyst-U: Catalyst-U offers digestive enzyme support for patients with occasional digestive sensitivities. This protease-free formula is designed to support digestion while being gentle on sensitive stomachs.
- Catalyst-C: Catalyst-C provides digestive and metabolic enzymes in a formula designed for more comprehensive support. This supplement is ideal for digestive and systemic congestion and offers critical support for patients with excessive protein and/or carbohydrate intake.
Optimizing Digestive Health
Probiotics and digestive enzymes each play a distinct role in supporting digestive health. When used together, they provide complementary support for both the digestive process and the gut environment, helping to promote nutrient breakdown and microbial balance.
Energetix offers a range of targeted probiotic and digestive enzyme formulas designed to support individualized digestive protocols. Take the next step toward comprehensive digestive support with our thoughtfully formulated solutions.
