9 foods that contain natural digestive enzymes!

Digestive enzymes are essential for the digestive process. Whether due to age or disease, their levels drop in the body. Gut woes emerge and people go for avoidance of certain foods and over the counter enzyme supplements for relief. But there are certain foods that are rich in digestive enzymes and can avoid the need of medicines or food avoidance therapy. Which are these foods that have natural digestive enzymes in them?

Digestive enzymes and their role

Digestion requires adequate and proper secretion of the digestive enzymes. These enzymes break down the carbs, proteins, and fats of foods into monosaccharides, amino acids and fatty acids respectively that the gut mucosa absorbs easily.

The secretion of these enzymes decreases with age. Moreover certain diseases can also cause the levels to decline. When this happens, digestion remains incomplete. People get various gut symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, loose motions, bloating etc. A 2018 study in the journal, The American Journal of Gastroenterology revealed that nearly two thirds of the people surveyed complained of some gastrointestinal woes in the past week.

The gut issues due to enzyme lack are very common. And people resort to avoiding the culprit food or taking some over the counter enzyme preparations for it. Instead opt for natural digestive enzymes present in certain foods. Which are these foods high in these enzymes?

Foods with natural digestive enzymes

Pineapple

The first food that comes to mind that is rich in these enzymes are pineapples. Alyssa Lavy, dietitian from Connecticut, the USA states:

“Pineapples contain bromelain, a mixture of enzymes that help to digest protein,”

Heat destroys this enzyme. Therefore, eat pineapple raw. You can add them to your smoothies or salads. Juice it or use it as a meat tenderizer.

Papaya

Other fruit rich in enzymes is papaya. It has papain enzyme which also acts on protein. Consume the fruit raw as cooking kills the enzyme action. Have them at breakfast, add them to cereals, or salads or into smoothies.

Mangoes

These have amylase to break down starches into smaller carbs. They are good as breakfast or as snack. You can add the cut pieces to green salad.

Bananas

These too contain the enzyme amylase that breaks down complex carbs. Moreover, they are rich in maltase. This breaks down maltose of wheat and other foods into two molecules of glucose. Have them raw or on cereals or in a smoothie. They are good in all ways.

Avocados

These fat rich fruit has lipase that can break down fats. Eat them raw or in smoothies. Or you can add them on toast or in cereals. One can also enjoy them as guacamole.

Raw honey

Honey is healthy. And it has several enzymes such as proteases, invertases, and diastases. They break down protein, sugars and starches respectively. Nutritionist Brittany Berman explains:

“Eating honey in raw form allows your body to yield all of the digestive benefits,”

“If you buy processed honey, it’s often heated during treatment, which can destroy the beneficial enzymes.”

Sauerkraut

It is a fermented product rich in several enzymes for fats, protein and carbs digestion. Naturally fermented sauerkraut in water and salt is better than the pickled sauerkraut in vinegar. The former has the digestive enzymes intact in it. While pH change with vinegar destroys the enzymes.

Kefir

This is fermented milk. Brittany elaborates:

“Kefir is basically fermented milk with added yeast cultures, lactic acid bacteria and acetic acid bacteria,”

The enzymes in it are lipases, proteases and lactase. You can drink it solo or add them to overnight oats or into the smoothies.

Also, read Best foods for calcium oxalate kidney stones!

Ginger

It enhances enzyme production in the gut. And it has zingibain that can digest protein. One can make it into a concoction or add them into other foods or in citrus drinks.