How to better digest and lose weight thanks to digestive enzymes?

Digestion is an essential process for the proper functioning of the body. But it also holds great importance when following a diet, as poor digestion is often synonymous with intestinal disorders, bloated stomach, and weight gain.

To quickly eliminate small unsightly rolls and maintain a flat stomach, good digestion is fundamental. 

In this article, we share 100% natural tips that you absolutely need to know!

Also read: how to boost your metabolism?

Digestion allows the food swallowed to be transformed into small molecules absorbable by the cells of the digestive tract. By passing into the blood, these molecules can be used by the body and will serve the proper functioning of the cells of the different organs.

Digestion itself is the combination of two processes:

• Mechanical digestion takes place in the mouth and stomach. It breaks down food into a mush. The teeth grind the food into small pieces, and in the stomach, churning and contractions continue this fragmentation process.

• Chemical digestion takes place throughout the digestive tract thanks to enzymes and digestive juices secreted by the stomach or the liver. Chemical digestion dissolves nutrients and breaks them down into absorbable elements.

Digestion is comparable to an industrial disassembly line. It consists of a succession of organs, each having a specific role, from the fragmentation of food to the assimilation of nutrients. 

The digestive system includes the mouth, stomach, small intestine, colon, as well as the gallbladder, pancreas, and liver.

From the first bite, salivary enzymes immediately begin the work of digesting carbohydrates in the mouth, then the breakdown of food continues in the stomach thanks to digestive enzymes, and then in the intestine. 

Thus, nutrients are absorbed throughout the digestion process, up to the colon. 

In the colon, certain fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals are absorbed or produced under the influence of the bacterial flora.

After their absorption, the nutrients pass into the blood which carries them to the liver, whose role is to filter the contents of the food bolus to extract toxins and eliminate them. 

Once filtered, the nutrients are then distributed and used by the rest of the body or, when the body's energy needs are met, stored to form reserves.

Thus, digestion is a complex system that involves several organs, enzymes, and bacteria that must work in a coordinated and synergistic manner. The slightest failure can affect the entire digestion process and reduce the absorption of certain nutrients.

Digestive enzymes participate in the digestion of food. They are molecules responsible for breaking down food into smaller fractions to allow the body to absorb the nutrients it needs.

They act as soon as food is present in our stomach like "scissors" that cut the food into smaller molecules and transform it from a solid state to a liquid state for the most perfect possible predigestion.

The nutrients absorbed into the blood then serve as fuel for the functioning of our muscles, our heart, or our brain.

Digestive enzymes are therefore the little specialist workers responsible for our proper digestion. They are very important because they prevent undigested food particles from descending into our digestive system. Without them, large molecules could then remain, stagnate, rot, and transform into toxins.

A sufficient amount of digestive enzymes is essential for good digestion and proper nutrient absorption. There are tens of thousands of enzymes, each adapted to a particular chemical reaction:

At 20, hearty meals are not a problem... But over time, it's no longer the same: some meals are hard to get down, you have to be careful with certain foods, and after meals you feel noticeably less energetic...

From around 30 years old, the levels of digestive enzymes naturally secreted in the body decrease and make digestion difficult.

Thus, poorly degraded foods end up in the colon, where they ferment and can trigger disorders that may affect the entire upper digestive system, in addition to reducing the absorption of essential amino acids, vitamins, and minerals.

A deficiency in digestive enzymes leads to incomplete breakdown of food, resulting in malabsorption of nutrients responsible for digestive discomforts: bloating, gas, abdominal pain, diarrhea, presence of fats in the stool…

On the other hand, poor eating habits can worsen digestive disorders. For example, it has been observed that the level of salivary amylase in Westerners decreases by about 30 times between the ages of 30 and 80.

This decrease in enzymes would be linked to our modern diet because it is not found in populations that largely eat raw foods.

According to scientists, the consumption of processed foods, overcooked and rich in saturated fats would lead to a saturation of the enzymatic system. Our organs become exhausted producing more enzymes, especially our pancreas.

There are many foods that naturally contain digestive enzymes:

• Raw fruits and vegetables are good sources of enzymes, particularly: ginger, mango, kiwi, fig, aloe vera... Pineapple and papaya are rich in proteolytic enzymes and thus facilitate protein digestion. Sprouted seeds also provide many enzymes.

• Fermented foods are also full of enzymes and promote digestion.

Add, for example, olives, pickles, capers, or apple cider vinegar to your preparations.

To preserve the digestive enzymes naturally present in food and in your body:

• Prefer very gentle cooking (below 50°) and long cooking times because they help preserve the enzymes naturally present in foods.

• Avoid as much as possible fatty or spicy foods, carbonated drinks.

• Drink plenty of water and eat while seated, at regular times, chewing your food well.

To supply your body with digestive enzymes and thus facilitate digestion, you can turn to nutritional supplements.

At D-LAB, we have specially developed the Enzymatic Slimming Complex, a formula rich in digestive enzymes 100% of natural and plant origin. This innovative complex combines papain, bromelain, and a Kola extract, standardized in caffeine.

Its active ingredients improve the digestion of fats, carbohydrates, and proteins, and promote fat burning and weight loss.

• The lipase is the enzyme responsible for the breakdown of lipids. It breaks down triglycerides into simpler molecules, which can be absorbed by the body and used as a source of energy.

• Papain is a powerful and natural enzyme derived from papaya. Papain positively affects the waistline by targeting the localized fat dimples. It helps to drain, reduce infiltration, and eliminate excess fat deposits.

• Bromelain is an enzyme extracted from pineapple. It has benefits similar to those of papain. This plant enzyme helps eliminate fats and reduce water retention. These two combined actions provide valuable assistance in fighting cellulite.

• The white bean extract contains specific proteins that reduce the absorption of sugars in the intestine. They thus help to lower blood sugar levels, and consequently triglyceride levels.

• The kola extract helps control the sensation of hunger. It also acts as a true metabolism booster by accelerating calorie expenditure and activating fat burning. Its high content of caffeine (10%), theobromine, and tannins makes it an excellent stimulant for weight loss.

Also read: top 5 diets for summer well-being and weight loss