Those who are passionate about health and well-being know that we must pay the utmost attention to the quantity and quality of the foods we take. Despite this, many people experience digestive problems and underestimate the fact that optimal digestion of proteins and carbohydrates can make a difference in sports performance and muscle building. In simple terms, results obtained working out could be much better if we only had sufficient levels of digestive enzymes!
Digestive enzymes: what they are and where they are
Fresh fruit, especially papaya, pineapple, melon, strawberries, is rich in digestive enzymes.
Digestive enzymes are naturally produced by the body, they are found in the digestive tract and their function is to ensure the breakdown of foods and the correct absorption of nutrients; necessary actions to ensure muscle repair and glycogen supply. We can help the work of natural digestive enzymes by following a diet rich in raw and fresh foods with high enzymatic content, for example:
- Papaya contains the papain enzyme, which helps improve digestion
- Pineapple. Its enzyme, bromelin, promotes the breakdown of proteins
- Strawberries
- Fresh sprouts
- Fermented foods such as kefir, miso, tamari
All foods that undergo cooking or other "transformations" completely lose their enzyme content.
Why so many digestive difficulties?
Eating healthy helps the work of digestive enzymes only up to a certain point because often, those who have difficulty digesting cannot properly absorb food. Phenomena such as lactose and gluten intolerance, combined with an increasingly poor nutritional quality of the foods we eat and the cooking techniques we use (frying, in the first place), destroy natural digestive enzymes, creating a deficiency.
Although we strive to consume lots of fresh fruit and vegetables, we may not be able to integrate optimally because of the lack of nutritional quality and the optimal amount of nutrients in foods. Furthermore, stomach acids we produce can inactivate the enzymes that these same foods require for proper digestion.
How to chose digestive enzyme supplements
The best way to ensure healthy and abundant enzymes is to take the right digestive enzyme supplements during or just after meals.
There are many supplements on the market, but the best ones to choose are made up of a complete mix of digestive enzymes such as amylase, protease, glucoamylase, lipase, cellulase, lactase and pectinase, bromelin, papain, alpha-galactosidase.
Each of these, in fact, has a specific role, acting on the breakdown of fats, proteins or carbohydrates depending on the case and only the most complete and certified blends guarantee an optimal result on digestion.
