June 13, 2025 • 8 mins
Told to take digestive enzymes to help with your IBS, or combat meals you think might trigger your gut symptoms? Let’s dive into another listener question in this week’s episode! We discuss what digestive enzymes are, which ones are helpful for various intolerances (FODMAPs, lactose, etc.) and which you might want to consider (and skip!).
⏱️ Chapters:
- (0:00) Welcome to the GutFit Nutrition Podcast
- (0:47) Intro to Listener Q&A Episode
- (1:12) Listener Question: Should I Take Digestive Enzymes?
- (1:28) What Are Digestive Enzymes?
- (1:49) When Are Digestive Enzymes Needed?
- (2:12) IBS & FODMAP Intolerances Explained
- (2:49) Lactase Enzymes for Lactose Intolerance
- (3:13) FODZYME: Enzyme Blend for FODMAPs
- (4:20) General Digestive Enzymes: Are They Worth It?
- (4:55) EPI: Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency Overview
- (6:00) Diagnosing EPI & When to See a Doctor
- (6:22) Prescription Enzymes vs Over-the-Counter
- (7:12) Summary: When Enzymes Are Helpful
- (7:25) Final Thoughts
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Welcome to the gut. Fit Nutrition Podcast the show
where we dive deep into the world of gut health, nutrition
and fitness to help you unlock your best self from the inside
out. I'm your host Lee Morado, a
registered dietitian, gut healthexpert, long distance runner and
movement enthusiast on a missionto.
Empower you with. Science backed whole body
strategies to fuel your body, heal your gut, and thrive in
(00:22):
your active life. Whether you're here to finally
break free from IBS and digestive symptoms, optimize
your fitness performance, or learn how to support your gut
health with natural strategies, you're in the right.
Place each. Week we'll explore topics like
conquering digestive symptoms, building a gut friendly
lifestyle, enhancing endurance and strength performance, and
more. So grab a cup of your favorite
(00:43):
gut friendly tea and settle in because we're about to get gut
fit. Together.
Welcome back to another listenerQ&A episode.
These episodes are where I take the questions that you send me
and quite simply answer them on the podcast.
Be sure to send me your questions either as a comment on
this episode, whether you're tuning in from YouTube, Spotify,
(01:03):
or Apple Podcast. Or you can also send me Adm over
on Instagram at Lee Morado underScore.
Rd. Today's question was sent in by
Nora from Ontario, Canada. Nora asks.
I've never tried digestive enzymes to reduce bloating
before having a meal I know may cause.
Symptoms should. I be doing this and if so,
(01:24):
which? Ones so great question.
So to break this down, let's talk about what enzymes are.
So digestive enzymes are actually proteins that regulate
the chemical reactions that the body, our body uses to digest
our food. So these proteins assist our
bodies to bring down and absorb macronutrients like fats,
proteins, and the carbohydrates we consume, and they are
(01:46):
essential for digestion. So why might you need digestive
enzymes? So typically our glands produce
enough of the enzymes that we need to digest our food.
However, when that these glands are functioning or not
functioning properly or damaged AKA not producing enough of the
enzyme, then we might need enzyme supplements to help us
out. So if you do potentially have
(02:08):
any food intolerances like potentially in the case of IBS,
FODMAP intolerances are common like lactose, GOS, fructin,
manitol and sorbitol. These are considered food
intolerances. So this means that, you know,
body has a hard time digesting acertain food or food component,
which can be due to a lack of anenzyme.
(02:30):
And so consuming the food can then lead to bloating, gas,
Constipation or diarrhea just because we don't have enough of
those proteins to help us break it down.
So all that to say, there are some enzymes that can be helpful
in IBS, more specifically in therealm of helping with breakdown
of Fodmaps because FODMAP intolerances are common.
So one common one is actually lactase enzymes.
(02:51):
So these can be helpful if you have trouble digesting the sugar
lactose, which is also considered a FODMAP.
So if you have, you know, potentially occasions when
you're not able to control the lactose or the dairy presence in
your food, then maybe using something like a lactase enzyme
could be helpful in that situation.
The other option are specifically FODMAP enzymes.
(03:15):
So there is a patented FODMAP enzyme blend known as Fodzyme.
And this helps specifically withbreaking down the three FODMAP
groups. Lactose, which is in like our
dairy products, G OS or galacto oligosaccharides, which is in
things like green peas, oat milk, beans and chickpeas.
And then the wide spectrum of fructins, which is in foods like
(03:36):
wheat products and garlic and onions.
So Fodzyme is an enzyme blend that can help with the breakdown
of these specific Fodmaps. So in both the case of lactase
and also using Fodzyme, it is important to know if these
Fodmaps are actually intolerances for you.
So I do find that it's best if people go through the FODMAP
(03:58):
process and they do the reintroduction phase to really
truly nail down whether these are the Fodmaps or the sugars
that they are intolerant to. So in this situation, if you do
have an intolerance to lactose, G OS or fructin, either fodzyme
or lactase may be beneficial foryou in those instances.
(04:19):
So there are also general digestive enzymes.
So if you've heard of products like Digest Cold and these are
general digestive enzymes, so they don't work specifically on
the Fodmaps, but they can help with the breakdown of like
carbs, fats, proteins in your meal.
So I find that they're really not necessary for most people.
There's really little evidence to suggest you know they're used
(04:39):
for SIBO, IBS and General. Gut Health.
I have had a very, very, very small amount of clients who do
have some more maybe more sensitive system and sometimes
when traveling these enzymes canbe helpful, but they're not
something that I. Tend to.
Really recommend very frequently.
That said, there is a condition known as exocrine pancreatic
insufficiency or EPI, which is where essentially your pancreas
(05:03):
is not producing enough of the the enzymes that can help
breakdown your carbs, fats and proteins.
So this is a true medical condition.
It doesn't tend to occur just randomly on its own, so it
usually comes sort of. Secondary to.
Another condition or as a resultof pancreatic damage, whether
it's pancreatitis, alcohol abuse, type 1 diabetes,
(05:23):
sometimes even SIBO, Crohn's disease, celiac disease can
contribute to this. And really the common symptoms
can overlap with IBS. So you get oily diarrhea, a lot
of fat in the stool. So when you, you know, flush
your bowel movements, there's trace left behind.
It sticks to the toilet bowl. It's usually a sign of excess
fat, bloating, gas, fatigue, cramps, pain even in the center
(05:45):
of your stomach that radiates tothe back and sometimes even loss
of muscle, too. So this is a, this is a medical
condition that's diagnosed through a stool test, through a
fecal elastase test, which measures the amount of elastase
in your stool. And low levels of fecal elastase
or this enzyme can be indicativeof EPI or pancreatic exocrine
insufficiency, as elastase actually helps breakdown fats,
(06:08):
proteins and carbohydrates afteryou eat.
So this is a true medical condition that you can get
diagnosed through a doctor againthrough doing a stool test if
you do have any of those symptoms that I mentioned.
But even in this case, then taking over the counter enzymes
like digest gold are actually not strong enough to help manage
this condition. So you'd actually need
specifically prescribed enzymes,they're known and most common
(06:31):
ones known as crayon, they're very high dose digestive
enzymes. So for example, 2 crayons which
is recommended like per per mealcontains 25,000 lipase units
versus digest gold which is yourover the counter supplement has
only 4000 lipase units per capsule.
So even in the case of, you know, your pancreas not making
(06:52):
enough of the digestive enzymes or elastase to breakdown carbs,
proteins and fats, then those over the counter digestive
enzymes, general digestive enzymes might not even help with
your condition. So very, very rarely do I
recommend just general digestiveenzymes.
But in the case of specific FODMAP intolerances and then I
do recommend either fodzyme if you find you struggle with G OS
(07:15):
and fructin and lactase intolerance or if you just have
a lactose intolerance, then using lactase can be a helpful
enzyme. Product that's a wrap for
today's episode. Thank you so much for listening
and being a part of our community here.
If the Gut Fit Nutrition podcastis giving you value, helped your
digestion and fitness, made you rethink how you approach your
(07:37):
gut health, consider leaving a review on Apple, Spotify, or
wherever you're getting your podcasts.
If you have questions for my listener Q&A episodes, you can
submit them as a comment on thisepisode or send me an e-mail at
lee@leemorado.com for more digestible IBS gut health and
fitness. Tips.
Be sure. To follow me on Instagram at Lee
(07:57):
Morado under score Rd. and to apply for coaching, shop the
Resource suite or grab a freebie, visit
gutfitnutrition.com. Thanks for tuning in.
We'll be in touch soon.
Welcome to the gut. Fit Nutrition Podcast the show
where we dive deep into the world of gut health, nutrition
and fitness to help you unlock your best self from the inside
out. I'm your host Lee Morado, a
registered dietitian, gut healthexpert, long distance runner and
movement enthusiast on a missionto.
Empower you with. Science backed whole body
strategies to fuel your body, heal your gut, and thrive in
(00:22):
your active life. Whether you're here to finally
break free from IBS and digestive symptoms, optimize
your fitness performance, or learn how to support your gut
health with natural strategies, you're in the right.
Place each. Week we'll explore topics like
conquering digestive symptoms, building a gut friendly
lifestyle, enhancing endurance and strength performance, and
more. So grab a cup of your favorite
(00:43):
gut friendly tea and settle in because we're about to get gut
fit. Together.
Welcome back to another listenerQ&A episode.
These episodes are where I take the questions that you send me
and quite simply answer them on the podcast.
Be sure to send me your questions either as a comment on
this episode, whether you're tuning in from YouTube, Spotify,
(01:03):
or Apple Podcast. Or you can also send me Adm over
on Instagram at Lee Morado underScore.
Rd. Today's question was sent in by
Nora from Ontario, Canada. Nora asks.
I've never tried digestive enzymes to reduce bloating
before having a meal I know may cause.
Symptoms should. I be doing this and if so,
(01:24):
which? Ones so great question.
So to break this down, let's talk about what enzymes are.
So digestive enzymes are actually proteins that regulate
the chemical reactions that the body, our body uses to digest
our food. So these proteins assist our
bodies to bring down and absorb macronutrients like fats,
proteins, and the carbohydrates we consume, and they are
(01:46):
essential for digestion. So why might you need digestive
enzymes? So typically our glands produce
enough of the enzymes that we need to digest our food.
However, when that these glands are functioning or not
functioning properly or damaged AKA not producing enough of the
enzyme, then we might need enzyme supplements to help us
out. So if you do potentially have
(02:08):
any food intolerances like potentially in the case of IBS,
FODMAP intolerances are common like lactose, GOS, fructin,
manitol and sorbitol. These are considered food
intolerances. So this means that, you know,
body has a hard time digesting acertain food or food component,
which can be due to a lack of anenzyme.
(02:30):
And so consuming the food can then lead to bloating, gas,
Constipation or diarrhea just because we don't have enough of
those proteins to help us break it down.
So all that to say, there are some enzymes that can be helpful
in IBS, more specifically in therealm of helping with breakdown
of Fodmaps because FODMAP intolerances are common.
So one common one is actually lactase enzymes.
(02:51):
So these can be helpful if you have trouble digesting the sugar
lactose, which is also considered a FODMAP.
So if you have, you know, potentially occasions when
you're not able to control the lactose or the dairy presence in
your food, then maybe using something like a lactase enzyme
could be helpful in that situation.
The other option are specifically FODMAP enzymes.
(03:15):
So there is a patented FODMAP enzyme blend known as Fodzyme.
And this helps specifically withbreaking down the three FODMAP
groups. Lactose, which is in like our
dairy products, G OS or galacto oligosaccharides, which is in
things like green peas, oat milk, beans and chickpeas.
And then the wide spectrum of fructins, which is in foods like
(03:36):
wheat products and garlic and onions.
So Fodzyme is an enzyme blend that can help with the breakdown
of these specific Fodmaps. So in both the case of lactase
and also using Fodzyme, it is important to know if these
Fodmaps are actually intolerances for you.
So I do find that it's best if people go through the FODMAP
(03:58):
process and they do the reintroduction phase to really
truly nail down whether these are the Fodmaps or the sugars
that they are intolerant to. So in this situation, if you do
have an intolerance to lactose, G OS or fructin, either fodzyme
or lactase may be beneficial foryou in those instances.
(04:19):
So there are also general digestive enzymes.
So if you've heard of products like Digest Cold and these are
general digestive enzymes, so they don't work specifically on
the Fodmaps, but they can help with the breakdown of like
carbs, fats, proteins in your meal.
So I find that they're really not necessary for most people.
There's really little evidence to suggest you know they're used
(04:39):
for SIBO, IBS and General. Gut Health.
I have had a very, very, very small amount of clients who do
have some more maybe more sensitive system and sometimes
when traveling these enzymes canbe helpful, but they're not
something that I. Tend to.
Really recommend very frequently.
That said, there is a condition known as exocrine pancreatic
insufficiency or EPI, which is where essentially your pancreas
(05:03):
is not producing enough of the the enzymes that can help
breakdown your carbs, fats and proteins.
So this is a true medical condition.
It doesn't tend to occur just randomly on its own, so it
usually comes sort of. Secondary to.
Another condition or as a resultof pancreatic damage, whether
it's pancreatitis, alcohol abuse, type 1 diabetes,
(05:23):
sometimes even SIBO, Crohn's disease, celiac disease can
contribute to this. And really the common symptoms
can overlap with IBS. So you get oily diarrhea, a lot
of fat in the stool. So when you, you know, flush
your bowel movements, there's trace left behind.
It sticks to the toilet bowl. It's usually a sign of excess
fat, bloating, gas, fatigue, cramps, pain even in the center
(05:45):
of your stomach that radiates tothe back and sometimes even loss
of muscle, too. So this is a, this is a medical
condition that's diagnosed through a stool test, through a
fecal elastase test, which measures the amount of elastase
in your stool. And low levels of fecal elastase
or this enzyme can be indicativeof EPI or pancreatic exocrine
insufficiency, as elastase actually helps breakdown fats,
(06:08):
proteins and carbohydrates afteryou eat.
So this is a true medical condition that you can get
diagnosed through a doctor againthrough doing a stool test if
you do have any of those symptoms that I mentioned.
But even in this case, then taking over the counter enzymes
like digest gold are actually not strong enough to help manage
this condition. So you'd actually need
specifically prescribed enzymes,they're known and most common
(06:31):
ones known as crayon, they're very high dose digestive
enzymes. So for example, 2 crayons which
is recommended like per per mealcontains 25,000 lipase units
versus digest gold which is yourover the counter supplement has
only 4000 lipase units per capsule.
So even in the case of, you know, your pancreas not making
(06:52):
enough of the digestive enzymes or elastase to breakdown carbs,
proteins and fats, then those over the counter digestive
enzymes, general digestive enzymes might not even help with
your condition. So very, very rarely do I
recommend just general digestiveenzymes.
But in the case of specific FODMAP intolerances and then I
do recommend either fodzyme if you find you struggle with G OS
(07:15):
and fructin and lactase intolerance or if you just have
a lactose intolerance, then using lactase can be a helpful
enzyme. Product that's a wrap for
today's episode. Thank you so much for listening
and being a part of our community here.
If the Gut Fit Nutrition podcastis giving you value, helped your
digestion and fitness, made you rethink how you approach your
(07:37):
gut health, consider leaving a review on Apple, Spotify, or
wherever you're getting your podcasts.
If you have questions for my listener Q&A episodes, you can
submit them as a comment on thisepisode or send me an e-mail at
lee@leemorado.com for more digestible IBS gut health and
fitness. Tips.
Be sure. To follow me on Instagram at Lee
(07:57):
Morado under score Rd. and to apply for coaching, shop the
Resource suite or grab a freebie, visit
gutfitnutrition.com. Thanks for tuning in.
We'll be in touch soon.
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