We all know the phrase “trust your gut.” But have you ever wished your gut was a little more, well, trustworthy?
Probiotics are an important addition to any wellness routine, and the foundation of a strong digestive health regimen. But did you know there are even more supplements for your gut: Digestive enzymes, fibers, certain herbs, and other special nutrients can provide support in fascinating and powerful ways.
Keep reading to learn the ins and outs of the digestive system, the role of enzymes, the importance of fiber, and how you can help optimize your digestion with Solaray’s new and best-selling gut-support formulas.*
A Quick Guide to Digestion
Let’s talk about something you do everyday. In fact, you’re probably doing it right now. Digestion happens in the background of our days and nights. Knowing how your digestive system works and ways to support it is vital to overall comfort and wellness.
The digestive system is made up of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, liver, pancreas, and gallbladder. The GI tract is a series of hollow organs joined in a long, twisting tube from the mouth to the anus. These hollow organs include the mouth, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, and anus. While the liver, pancreas, and gallbladder are the solid organs of the digestive system.1
Digestion begins in the mouth (more below), and then the stomach does the heavy lifting of breaking down fats, proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals so your body can use them as fuel for energy, growth, and cell repair. Proteins break down into amino acids, fats break down into fatty acids and glycerol, and carbohydrates break down into simple sugars.
In a perfect world, the digestive process would run smoothly on its own, but sometimes we need a little extra help. Knowledge is power when it comes to supporting our bodies, so now that we’ve laid the groundwork with an overview of digestion, let’s learn about an array of supportive supplements.
Digestive Enzymes
Sometimes people confuse enzymes and probiotics. Both affect your digestion, but in very different ways. Probiotics are live organisms, aka the “good” bacteria in your gut. They help keep your digestive tract healthy and support the work your enzymes do. Probiotics do not have the ability to break down or digest food components, unlike enzymes.
Enzymes play a vital role in digestion. Our bodies naturally contain enzymes that help keep our digestive systems moving by breaking down food into smaller molecules that can be absorbed into the bloodstream and used as nutrients. Saliva has an enzyme that begins to break down starches as soon as we ingest them. Glands in the stomach lining make stomach acid and enzymes that further break down what we eat. The pancreas makes a digestive juice that contains enzymes that break down carbohydrates, fats, and proteins.2
Ideally, we'd always produce plenty of digestive enzymes and they'd always be functioning optimally. But sometimes our digestive systems need a boost. When you eat certain foods or otherwise need additional support, you can supplement with digestive enzymes.
Solaray’s new Bean Enzyme features alpha-galactosidase, a digestive enzyme most commonly found in beans. It helps break down complex carbohydrates called oligosaccharides—found in grains, legumes, and cruciferous vegetables—into simple monosaccharides.*
This powerful formula is designed to be taken with a meal, ideally just before eating, to support occasional bloating.*‡ And who wouldn’t like a little help to banish the bloat? Make it part of your meal so you can focus on enjoying your food—and not on how you’ll feel after you eat.
Alpha-galactosidase is far from the only digestive enzyme. Other popular options found in supplements include pancreatin, pepsin, papain (derived from papaya), and bromelain (found in pineapples). We include all four in our best-selling and award-winning Super Digestaway, also available in a vegan formula. This expert enzymatic blend is designed to comfort your digestive system when you need it most.* It’s your mealtime ally that you can take at breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Fiber for Gut Health
Fiber is another important factor in digestion. Generally, it can help regulate bowel movements by increasing the weight and size of stool while softening it. Fiber also helps to solidify stools, as it absorbs water and adds bulk. Getting the proper amount of fiber helps maintain digestive health and encourages a feeling of “fullness” after meals, which is thought to be how it helps support a healthy weight at certain dosages.3
A high-fiber diet is a good start. Add in whole-wheat flour, beans, nuts, and vegetables like green beans and cauliflower to your meals. Supplements can also help take your fiber intake to the next level.
Our new Psyllium Husk Fiber Powder delivers 3,500 mg of whole psyllium husk per serving for powerful digestive as well as cardiovascular support. Psyllium husk is a popular source of soluble fiber traditionally used to help promote regularity and healthy digestion.* The unflavored powder mixes easily into your favorite drink for support with every sip. We also offer convenient psyllium capsules.
More Ways to Support Digestion with Herbs & Special Nutrients
People around the world have relied on herbs to support digestion for thousands of years. It’s no wonder that soothing herbs like ginger and peppermint have remained popular and effective for so long. Keep reading to learn about these herbal favorites plus special digestive nutrients.
Solaray’s advanced ginger formula contains the whole root to ensure you get all of the nutrients contained in the plant, and our Super Digestaway formula combines ginger with the powerful digestive enzymes discussed here.*
Solaray’s activated charcoal supplement is specially formulated for digestive support by binding unwanted materials in the digestive tract.* Rather than sourcing unsustainable activated charcoal from hardwood in Norway, ours comes from upcycled coconut husks from Sri Lanka.
Build Your Best Digestive Routine
Digestion is an essential element of overall wellness that sometimes needs a little help to function at its best. We all try to incorporate fibrous foods in our daily diet, but when food is not enough, Solaray is here to support you.
Taking prebiotics and probiotics is an excellent launching pad for digestive health. After all, probiotic formulas contain select, beneficial microbes to add to the populations already living in your body. When probiotics are taken regularly as supplements, they can help ensure a healthy balance of good bacteria.* And prebiotics act as a source of food for probiotics so the probiotics can flourish.*
But when you’re ready to go beyond pre- and probiotics, Solaray offers additional supplements for gut support you can count on. Digestive enzymes and soluble fiber like Psyllium Husk can help support digestion before and after meals.* As always, all Solaray supplements are triple tested for purity and potency, so you can feel good about what you’re putting in your body; discover our manufacturing promise.
Every bite of food you enjoy goes through an epic journey to provide you with the nutrients you need. Solaray is here to make that journey smoother, so to speak, so you can enjoy comfortable digestion and gut health as you Live Brighter every day.
Resources:
1. “Your Digestive System and How It Works.” National Institute of Health www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/digestive-diseases/digestive-system-how-it-works#
2. “Your Digestive System and How It Works.” National Institute of Health www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/digestive-diseases/digestive-system-how-it-works#
3. “Dietary fiber: Essential for a healthy diet.’ Mayo Clinic. www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/fiber/art-20043983#
‡ As part of a balanced diet and healthy lifestyle