Are Digestive Enzymes Addictive?

No matter how much you love digestive enzymes for saving you from embarrassing gas or tummy discomfort, digestive enzymes could magnify the real root of your belly problems. The truth is that gas, pain, and bloating are important indicators that your stomach does not like what you are putting in it. Digestive enzymes let poor food choices slide by silencing your belly's warning signs. Suddenly, with the aid of enzymes, you can digest a late night pizza binge, ice cream and other foods one shouldn't otherwise eat. Since food becomes blood, the suppression of digestive disorders often leads to a blood disorder like high cholesterol and blood pressure.

Digestive enzymes become addictive because they replace the function of your stomach. The process is much the same way our muscles atrophy when we stop exercising them. By relying on digestive enzymes, slowly your stomach loses its ability to produce enzymes on its own. Without a change in diet, this will increase your need for digestive help, furthering your dependence on those not-so-innocent supplements.

Although they sound the same, digestives and digestive enzymes work in very different ways. Digestives promote and strengthen stomach function instead of replacing it. Examples of digestives include spices like black pepper and ginger as well as herbal formulas like hingvastak churna or trikatu. These spices and formulas improve circulation to the stomach, break up mucus, and stimulate good muscle tone, which all help to keep your stomach strong.