Digestive Enzymes

[Veg4Life]

Hi..me again. Thanks in advance for reading all my posts. I love this site. I have several forums I read, but always seem to come back here for the advice that feels the best for my family. :)

My son, age 5, has been having a lot of health trouble (I won't reiterate here since I've posted it already) and the other thing the nutrionist suggested was to give him a digestive enzyme with every meal. He said that his digestive tract was porous and was causing undigested food to slip into the bloodstream which causes anitgens to be formed against that type of food- thus, his allergy situation. He gave me a bottle to take home and it has lactose in it. I made it very clear we were vegan and he assured me it was a minimal amount, just for binding purposes, and that it would be fine. Errrr.

Anyone use or know of a good digestive enzyme that I could try on him for awhile? Thanks much!

[Dimond]

Top 3 most powerful, high quality organic digestive enzymes:
Enzymedica Digest Gold (or Theramedix DGX)
Garden Of Life Omegazyme
Sunfood Beauty

Sunfood doesn't seem to be carrying them right now. All 3 have almost the same ingredients/quantity and usually you don't need much like you would with less potent formulas.

[shine72]

Alissa carries both a digestive enzyme, and therapeutic enzymes. For the gut issues your son is experiencing, I personally would go with the therapeutic enzymes. :) HTH! :D

[Veg4Life]

thank you both- I will check these out asap!!

[TaupeRawMan]

Doctor's Best has a nice systemic enzyme called Proteolytic Enzymes. I have tried it and like it. Here is some more info on them...Doctor's Best enzymes (http://www.drbvitamins.com/nutritionalproducts_details.asp?id=121) I tried them because they were pure and affordable.

[RawSar]

Sunfood Beauty enzymes
Hippocrates HHI-Zyme

those are the 2 that we use. I perfer the Sunfood beauty ones.

[Veganforlife]

Alissa carries both a digestive enzyme, and therapeutic enzymes. For the gut issues your son is experiencing, I personally would go with the therapeutic enzymes. :) HTH! :D

I agree!!!!!

[adiebabe]

He gave me a bottle to take home and it has lactose in it. I made it very clear we were vegan and he assured me it was a minimal amount, just for binding purposes, and that it would be fine. Errrr.


Interesting...if your son has 'Leaky gut Syndrome' which is what it sounds like you are describing, any dairy is advised against.

An excellent, informational book (with vegan recipes to boot!) which contains a lot of information on Leaky Gut Syndrome is called 'Is your child's brain starving?' by Dr. Michael R. Lyon, MD (researcher and expert in allopathic and natural medicine) and Dr. G. Christine Laurell, PhD (environmental health researcher and also does studies in herbology and wholistic nutrition). In the book they discuss probiotics, nutrients and more to help the situation.

ISBN:09685168-6-6

Hope you find some information that helps your little one. It causes sooooo many issues :(

[Veg4Life]

Thanks again for all the responses. I am meeting with the nutritionist again next week. We did all the bloodwork and I'm going to get the results of those.

I was wondering how many of you take digestive enzymes and give them to your kids? I guess I just thought if we were eating high raw that we wouldn't need enzymes because the live food would contain enough enzymes to help break down the food...isn't that one of the perks to eating raw??

For those of us still transitioning or for people with digestive troubles like my son, I can see the need, but would this be short term or do you guys advocate taking these enzymes as part of your daily/weekly diet?

[Veg4Life]

Wow- these are expensive! Man, I'm feeling really discouraged with all the things I supposed to get to help my son get well. Just according to his nutritionist and my research, I'm supposed to be giving him probiotics, enzymes, B12, Vit D, and a multi, plus a lot of raw, organic food...we can't afford all that right now! I want to get him the best, but how do those of us on restricted budgets do all this??

[Veganforlife]

Wow- these are expensive! Man, I'm feeling really discouraged with all the things I supposed to get to help my son get well. Just according to his nutritionist and my research, I'm supposed to be giving him probiotics, enzymes, B12, Vit D, and a multi, plus a lot of raw, organic food...we can't afford all that right now! I want to get him the best, but how do those of us on restricted budgets do all this??

It tough I know. But, you have to weigh out the price of one's health. Me personally? I got a second job to afford it.

[Veg4Life]

Top 3 most powerful, high quality organic digestive enzymes:
Enzymedica Digest Gold (or Theramedix DGX)
Garden Of Life Omegazyme
Sunfood Beauty

Sunfood doesn't seem to be carrying them right now. All 3 have almost the same ingredients/quantity and usually you don't need much like you would with less potent formulas.

HI Dimond,

I found the enzymedica online for $21.00 for 45 capsules...is that a good deal? I'm wondering how many I would give my son (and the rest of the family that eats cooked food) daily? Just trying to get a ballpark of what we would be spending monthly.

VeganforLife
Alissa's enzymes look great too, but a bit high for our budget right now. Second jobs aren't always options, but I see what you are saying veganforlife. If people really want to be healthy, they will make it happen to afford their needs...now, if only to convince my breadwinning, non-vegan husband that all these things are necessary!

[Dimond]

sent you an email.

[firefaery]

Thanks again for all the responses. I am meeting with the nutritionist again next week. We did all the bloodwork and I'm going to get the results of those.

I was wondering how many of you take digestive enzymes and give them to your kids? I guess I just thought if we were eating high raw that we wouldn't need enzymes because the live food would contain enough enzymes to help break down the food...isn't that one of the perks to eating raw??

For those of us still transitioning or for people with digestive troubles like my son, I can see the need, but would this be short term or do you guys advocate taking these enzymes as part of your daily/weekly diet?

In my opinion it's short term. what you are doing is not only breaking down the proteins to prevent them from leaking into the bloodstream, but also breaking down any pathogens in the gut that are preventing healing. Yeast tends to be an issue with kids who have leaky guts (not saying it is for your sweet one, just that it's common.) Yeast can only exist in the absence of biotin so B vites are necessary. While building the stores a proteolytic enzyme will go to work on the yeast and carry away any dead tissue as well. It's a step to healing, but not a forever thing.

Once his digestion has normalized and his nutrient levels are balanced there will be no need as long as you keep up with an excellent, nutrient rich diet. But you have to get there first. Diet is not generally enough when you are already in a damaged state, as you are with leaky gut. Level the playing field and allow his body to learn to do it's job. Then it's all systems go and you have a healthy kiddo that thrives on nutrients from food sources!

[Veg4Life]

In my opinion it's short term. what you are doing is not only breaking down the proteins to prevent them from leaking into the bloodstream, but also breaking down any pathogens in the gut that are preventing healing. Yeast tends to be an issue with kids who have leaky guts (not saying it is for your sweet one, just that it's common.) Yeast can only exist in the absence of biotin so B vites are necessary. While building the stores a proteolytic enzyme will go to work on the yeast and carry away any dead tissue as well. It's a step to healing, but not a forever thing.

Once his digestion has normalized and his nutrient levels are balanced there will be no need as long as you keep up with an excellent, nutrient rich diet. But you have to get there first. Diet is not generally enough when you are already in a damaged state, as you are with leaky gut. Level the playing field and allow his body to learn to do it's job. Then it's all systems go and you have a healthy kiddo that thrives on nutrients from food sources!

Thanks for the great info. This is all new for me and I appreciate all the education I can get. I am surprised at 5 years old with my diligence in his diet for quite awhile that he is having so many troubles. However, I didn't know about nutrition the first couple years of his life and that is when (so I've been told) the gut is really forming. The nutritionist said that he advocates breastfeeding only for the first year (no solids) to allow the intestines to get to where they need to be to break down food. I started feeding my son at 6 months and the boy always seemed hungry, so we just kept feeding him! And not always super healthy options (Never any sugary stuff or fast food, but I didn't know then what I know now about the effects of dairy, meat etc. etc.). Anyway, I know that I will find a path for healing for him and I feel the love and support of this forum- so thank you all!

That is also interesting what you said about B vitamins and yeast. I have always struggled with candida and since I became vegan I have felt that that has worsened a bit. I'm pretty sure I have a B deficiency, (just ordered some supplements today) and maybe they will help!

[firefaery]

Mama, its not your fault. The groundwork for gut health is set up in the first few days. You feeding him at 6 months didn't cause this, nor did a few poor few choices. There is rarely a *thing* that you can point to...health is a symphony and an unbelievable number of things have to work together to create it. Regardless since we can't change the past all you can do now is move forward.

You are collecting information and the end result will be increased health for your entire family. As hard as it can be to see it, this experience is a gift that will change your lives forever if you let it! He is very lucky to have you.

[Raw Angel Mom]

Oh sweet mommy, i hope you find some ressource for your son. Therapeutic enzyme do apparently fix the cell directly and repair leaky guts. As for the Vitamin "D", go for a walk with your son 15min/day if possible.

Lot of love to you and your son!

[Veg4Life]

Thank you Firefaery and Raw Angel Mom for your kind words of encouragement. It means a lot to me. My son is on his second week of eating his "special" diet with all his new supplements. He seems to be doing better already and I am feeling confident that he will continue to improve.

Love to you all!

[firefaery]

That is WONDERFUL!!! Thanks for the update. That is a very common experience. I am thrilled that you get to experience it!

[Dimond]

Glad it's working. :)

[Raw Angel Mom]

I am so happy to read this new update. I will be waiting for more good news.

Until then, i pray for your son!