Digestive enzymes are the proteins that break down your food into absorbable nutrients. When production declines — due to age, stress, or gut conditions — the result is…
| What it is | Supplemental proteins (proteases, lipases, amylases) that catalyze the breakdown of food into absorbable nutrients |
| Primary use | Reduce bloating, gas, and digestive discomfort while improving nutrient absorption from food |
| Evidence level | Moderate — well-studied for pancreatic insufficiency and specific conditions; growing evidence for general digestive support |
| Safety profile | Very Safe — naturally occurring proteins with minimal side effects when used appropriately |
| Best for | Adults 40+, high-protein dieters, those with IBS/IBD, chronic bloating, or low stomach acid |
Key Facts at a Glance
You can eat a perfectly optimized diet and still feel sluggish, bloated, and undernourished — if your digestive system isn't breaking that food down properly. Nutrient absorption isn't just about what you eat. It's about what you actually digest. And digestion depends heavily on enzymes.
Digestive enzymes are proteins produced by your salivary glands, stomach, pancreas, and small intestine that catalyze the breakdown of food into absorbable components. Without them, even the highest-quality food stays locked in forms your cells can't use.
The major enzyme classes:
The body has a remarkable capacity for digestion, but there are clear signals it's struggling:
Digestive enzyme output isn't fixed. Multiple factors reduce it:
Age: Pancreatic enzyme output decreases significantly with age, starting as early as your 40s. This is one reason many older adults have more digestive complaints despite eating the same foods they always have.
Chronic stress: The gut is deeply connected to the nervous system. Chronic stress activates the sympathetic ("fight or flight") response, which suppresses digestive function — including enzyme secretion. Eating under stress means eating with compromised digestion.
Gut conditions: IBD, IBS, celiac disease, and other conditions damage intestinal tissue and impair enzyme production and secretion.
Low stomach acid (hypochlorhydria): Stomach acid is needed to activate pepsin (a protease) and trigger the release of pancreatic enzymes into the small intestine. When stomach acid is low — due to age, medications like PPIs, or stress — the enzyme cascade downstream is also compromised.
High-protein diets: Significantly increased protein intake increases proteolytic demand. People eating 150g+ of protein per day may outpace their natural enzyme production.
Improved nutrient absorption. The primary goal — getting more of the nutrients from the food you're eating into circulation. This matters for protein, fat, fat-soluble vitamins, and micronutrients.
Reduced bloating and gas. When food is properly broken down in the small intestine, less arrives undigested in the colon where bacteria ferment it (producing gas). This is often the fastest and most noticeable benefit.
Reduced post-meal fatigue. Improperly digested food creates an inflammatory burden. Better digestion means your body spends less energy managing that burden.
Support for gut healing. By reducing the load of undigested food reaching the lower gut, enzymes can reduce irritation and allow inflamed tissue to recover.
Timing is critical: Digestive enzymes must be taken with meals — ideally at the start of eating. Taking them on an empty stomach means they have nothing to work on and may be inactivated before food arrives.
Full-spectrum formulas covering proteases, lipases, amylases, and additional enzymes like lactase and cellulase provide the broadest support. Look for products that specify enzyme activity levels in standardized units (FCC units), not just milligrams.
Advanced Digestive Enzyme formulas from reputable brands like Thorne include a comprehensive enzyme blend — protease, amylase, lipase, cellulase, and lactase — selected for activity levels, stability across the pH range of digestion, and manufacturing quality.
Digestive enzymes are safe, non-habit-forming, and well-tolerated by most people. They're one of the more immediately noticeable supplements — most people who need them feel a meaningful difference within the first week of consistent use.
Your food is only as good as your ability to absorb it. Digestive enzymes bridge that gap.
Opinions below are paraphrased from each expert's public work, interviews, and podcasts — not direct quotes.
Paul Saladino has a nuanced stance on digestive enzymes, noting that carnivore-aligned eating (eliminating plant toxins and fiber that disrupt gut function) often resolves digestive issues without supplemental enzymes. He views chronically poor digestion as a signal to address diet rather than supplement around the problem.
Dave Asprey has discussed digestive enzymes within the Bulletproof framework, recommending them for those with impaired digestion, HCl insufficiency, or when consuming foods outside of one's usual pattern. He views optimizing digestion as upstream of nutrient absorption — the best diet is only as good as one's ability to absorb it.
Put this into practice
Don’t just read about better habits. Build them into your day.
HabitForge turns ideas like this into a daily system with check-ins, reflection, and recovery cues that help you keep going when life gets messy.
Next step
Want to make this easier to do every day?
HabitForge turns these ideas into a calm daily system with check-ins, reflection, and recovery cues that help you keep momentum when life gets noisy.
See the appKeep reading
Uridine isn't a nootropics buzzword, it's a core brain building block. It may support learning, mood, and recovery through membrane repair and dopamine signaling pathways.
Myo-inositol has accumulated an unusually strong evidence base for PCOS, insulin resistance, and egg quality — enough that several reproductive endocrinology guidelines now…
Choline is essential for brain development, liver function, and cellular membrane integrity — yet most people are chronically deficient. Here's what the science says and how to…
