Food Intolerances and Digestive Enzymes: What to Know

Food intolerances impact your body’s ability to digest or break down certain foods or ingredients. Digestive enzymes can also offer support for the food(s) that give you trouble.*

A food intolerance can be caused by a number of issues, such as enzyme deficiencies or problems with GI transit (or issues with the physical side of digestion).

Common food intolerances include complex carbohydrates, milk sugar (lactose), milk protein (casein), gluten, phenols and FODMAPS (fermentable oligo-, di-, mono-saccharides and polyols).

Lactose: the sugar found in dairy — broken down by lactose 

Casein: the proteins found in dairy — broken down by protease enzymes

Gluten: a protein found in wheat and other grains like barley and rye — broken down by the enzyme DPP-IV

Phenols: a group of organic compounds found in plants — broken down by various enzymes in Digest Spectrum®.

Explore all of our digestive enzymes for food intolerances.*

While everyone is different, signs of a food intolerance include: 

  • occasional gas
  • bloating
  • cramps
  • occasional heartburn
  • diarrhea (after eating a certain food)
  • indigestion
  • other digestive issues

The severity of food intolerances ranges from disrupting everyday life to relegating foods to special occasions. It’s common to experience more than one intolerance.

Tip: A food intolerance is a gastrointestinal response to food(s), while an allergy is an immune response. (They are not the same!) 

Digestive enzymes give your body the support it needs to break down foods when it’s short on the one(s) it needs for optimal digestion.*