What Digestive Enzymes Do (and Why It Matters in Midlife)
If you’re eating well but still feeling bloated, sluggish, or like your food just sits in your stomach, it might be time to look upstream, at your digestive enzymes.
These little powerhouses play a crucial role in your gut health and your body’s ability to absorb nutrients. And for many midlife women dealing with chronic gut symptoms, they can be a missing piece of the puzzle.
Let’s break it down.
What Are Digestive Enzymes?
Digestive enzymes are proteins your body makes to help break down food into smaller, absorbable parts so your body can actually use the nutrients you're working hard to eat.
Here’s where they do their job:
Mouth: Salivary enzymes start breaking down carbohydrates.
Stomach: Enzymes like pepsin work on proteins.
Pancreas (main site): Produces enzymes that break down fats, proteins, and carbs in the small intestine.
Without enough digestive enzymes, your body can’t fully break down your meals, which means you’re likely not absorbing everything you need for energy, hormone balance, and repair.
Signs You Might Be Low in Digestive Enzymes
You don’t need a diagnosis to know when something feels off.
Here are common symptoms of low digestive enzyme production:
Bloating or fullness that lingers after meals
Gas or cramping, especially after eating rich or fatty foods
Constipation or diarrhea
Floating or greasy stools
Feeling tired after eating
Nutrient deficiencies (even with a nutrient-dense diet)
At Nurture & Flow Nutrition, I see these symptoms come up often in women navigating gut issues in midlife. They’re not random, they're your body’s way of saying it needs support.
Why Enzyme Support Matters in Midlife
As we age, enzyme production can naturally decline. Add in stress, inflammation, food sensitivities, or a history of restrictive dieting, and the digestive process can start to struggle.
This matters because:
Without proper breakdown, nutrients can’t be absorbed.
Poorly digested food can ferment in the gut, driving bloating and dysbiosis.
It can contribute to fatigue, mood swings, and hormone imbalances over time.
In functional nutrition, we always look at digestion as a north-to-south process. If you don’t address what’s happening at the top, like enzyme production, then what’s happening downstream (gut inflammation, microbiome imbalance, poor elimination) won’t fully resolve.
How I Assess Digestive Function with My Clients
This is where the functional lens makes a big difference.
Rather than guessing, I use functional lab testing to assess digestive enzyme output and related markers like fat malabsorption, gut inflammation, and overall microbiome health.
When we can see what's actually happening in your digestive tract, we can create a targeted plan to:
Improve how your body breaks down food
Reduce bloating and digestive discomfort
Support better energy, mood, and hormone balance
No more trial and error. Just a clear path forward.
How to Support Digestive Enzymes Naturally
If you're wondering where to start, here are a few simple and effective ways I help clients support their enzyme production:
1. Eat in a relaxed state
Digestion starts in the brain. Slow down, take a few deep breaths, and give your body a chance to get into “rest and digest” mode.
2. Add bitter foods to meals
Leafy greens like arugula, dandelion, and radicchio can naturally stimulate digestive juices.
3. Favor warm, cooked meals
These are easier to break down, especially when digestion feels sluggish.
4. Consider a targeted enzyme supplement
In some cases, especially when lab results suggest low output, a high-quality digestive enzyme can offer short-term support while we address deeper root causes.
Final Thoughts: You Deserve to Feel Good After You Eat
Your meals should leave you feeling energized and satisfied, not bloated or feeling heavy.
If you’re eating “all the right things” but still not feeling your best, it might not be about the food, it might be about what your body’s doing with the food.
You don’t have to figure this out on your own.
Book your complimentary consult and let’s talk about what your gut is trying to tell you, and what real, personalized support could look like.