Those Of You Who Use Digestive Enzymes....

[jerseyangel]

Could you please tell me what brand you use? My doctor has suggested that I take them and I'm looking for brands that are free of gluten, soy and dairy.

Thanks in advance

[Michelle1234]

Hi Patti,

I use Digest Gold (regular digestive enzyme) and GlutenEase (specifically to help with digesting gluten) whenever I eat out and my glutenings have gone down significantly. They are both by Enzymedica. I have no experience with other brands so don't know how they compare. There is some controversy on the GlutenEase in that people want you to be aware that you shouldn't take it and purposely eat gluten. I never purposely eat gluten but it has helped with my negative reactions when I eat out and I am not so wary of eating out any more.

Best,

Michelle

[Rachel--24]

Hi Patti

I take enzymes....but I dont have Celiac....so I dont really count.

Anyways, I take Peptizyde and Zyme Prime (Houston Nutraceuticals). Its two seperate formulas. If I had Celiac Disease I would probably go with GlutenEase instead.

[Ridgewalker]

Heh... I take GNC Natural Brand Papaya Enzyme.

Contains: Papaya Fruit, Papain, Protease, alpha-Amylase.

It's labeled as being being free of wheat, gluten, soy, dairy, and yeast.

Ahem... now I'm off to the GlutenEase thread to explain myself.

[Rachel--24]

Ok.....just looked at my bottle.

Contains no sugar, starch, dairy, soy, wheat, yeast, gluten, artifical flavors, preservatives or animal derivatives.

Its basically just enzymes.

Ahem... now I'm off to the GlutenEase thread to explain myself.

[ravenwoodglass]

I use NOW Super Enzymes which contain - Betaine, Pancreatin, papain, OX bile, pepsin, bromelain, papaya and bormelain 10:1 it has no sugar, salt, starch, yeast, gluten, wheat, corn, soy, milk, egg, or preservatives.

[jerseyangel]

Thanks everyone, I really appreciate it

I know there is a thread discussing this very thing, and my timing could have been better --but I actually found a doctor (and just saw her Friday) who would talk about my food intolerances with me, so I'd like to try an enzyme as she suggested and see if it makes a difference.

I'm so sensitive to trace amounts of gluten, that my habits regarding avoidance won't change at all--this is to hopefully address my many other intolerances and obviously leaky gut.

Rachel--of course your opinion counts and Sarah, I remember you telling me about those but for the life of me I could not recall the name

Thank you Michelle and Ravenwood for letting me know what works for you

[Judyin Philly]

HI

My chiro believes in them and is looking into them for me also

thanks Patti and the rest of you

I'll forward this link to her

Judy

[confused]

I can now officialy say i use what rachel uses lol. When i first seen you post this i was going to reply, but i hadnt started to take them yet. But i just started last night and i do feel much better.

Im like you, Im taking them more so for other intolerances. Im not sure I will ever chance gluten, but if it helps with soy, casein and corn, then im all for it. Plus i would love to start chancing eating out again and going ohter places.

paula

[jerseyangel]

Hi Paula,

I'm really glad the enzymes are working! Thanks for letting me know

Judy,

I look forward to hearing about your Chiro's recommendations--thanks!

[munchkinette]

I just started using Bio Align's "Daily Essential Enzymes." I just found them at Whole Foods and they were priced better than many other choices. It doesn't have anything extra in it besides gelatin, magnesium stearate, and silicon dioxide, and it's vegetarian.

[ShayFL]

Ummm...gelatin comes from cows, pigs or fish....just so you know....depends on what kind of vegetarian you are.

[Rachel--24]

Patti, good news about your new doctor listening to you and doing something to address the food intolerances.

FYI about ingredients in supplements:

I just learned the other day about some of the less obvious (but more common) toxic ingredients that can be found in supplements.

Magnesium stearate and silicon dioxide are both considered to be toxic.....but they are in alot of the supplements. I'm steering clear of them...and I have reacted to every product containing them....just didnt know why.

Absorption also becomes a big problem....especially with stearates. So since most of us have impaired digestion....stearates are going to make it very difficult to absorb the supplement.

While toxicity is one problem, decreased absorption is another. In a study published in the journal Pharmaceutical Technology, the percent dissolution for capsules after 20 minutes in solution went from 90% without stearates to 25% with stearates. This delays the absorption of nutrients. Individuals with impaired digestion may have particular difficulty absorbing nutrients coated with stearates.

Another problem with stearates: concentrated doses of stearic acid suppress the action of T-cells, a key component of the immune system. The article

[munchkinette]

Patti, good news about your new doctor listening to you and doing something to address the food intolerances.

FYI about ingredients in supplements:

I just learned the other day about some of the less obvious (but more common) toxic ingredients that can be found in supplements.

Magnesium stearate and silicon dioxide are both considered to be toxic.....but they are in alot of the supplements. I'm steering clear of them...and I have reacted to every product containing them....just didnt know why.

Absorption also becomes a big problem....especially with stearates. So since most of us have impaired digestion....stearates are going to make it very difficult to absorb the supplement.

They are known as "toxic excipients".....anyone interested can google it and find a list of the common toxic excipients used in supplements. There are companies who dont use them in their products.

Wow, they impede absorption? That's crazy. I mean, I know silicon dioxide is basically sand, but I didn't think it was toxic. I don't know that I've ever seen supplements without at least one of those ingredients. In general I try to get as many vitamins as I can from food, but that's hard for all of us I think.

[ShayFL]

So went searching for supplements without anything bad in them....additives...binders...fillers...gluten...soy...corn...dairy...etc. Not easy!!!

But I found these:

Open Original Shared Link

Before I order them, they are getting a call from me. Because they use "natural" vitamin E and tocopherols....but claim that the product has no wheat, gluten, soy or nuts....so where are they getting this vitamin E from??? Hmmmm...the only other source I know of is from rice, but it is extremely expensive to produce.

I am oh so curious........

[ShayFL]

So I call "Answers From Nature" and speak to someone. I ask them where they get their "natural" vitamin E, since they claim their products are gluten, wheat, soy and nut free. He said it was a good question, he should know the answer, but he didnt. He would call me back. That was 4 hours ago. I smell a rat!!

SO WHERE DO YOU GET SUPPLEMENTS WITHOUT FILLERS, LUBRICANTS, AND ALLERGENS?????

[purple]

So I call "Answers From Nature" and speak to someone. I ask them where they get their "natural" vitamin E, since they claim their products are gluten, wheat, soy and nut free. He said it was a good question, he should know the answer, but he didnt. He would call me back. That was 4 hours ago. I smell a rat!!

SO WHERE DO YOU GET SUPPLEMENTS WITHOUT FILLERS, LUBRICANTS, AND ALLERGENS?????

Go to the web site below and check it out. It "says":

www.countrylifevitamins.com has become the first line of vitamins to be certified gluten free.

You might be able to get them cheaper through www.swansonvitamins.com. I order supplements thru them. So much cheaper than our co-op and health food stores.

I have been using Country Life fish oil for 2 years. I get them from Swansons for $8.69 for 200 gels.

The jar says: NO: yeast, wheat, soy, gluten, milk, salt, sugar, starch, preservatives or artificial color.

Other ingredients: gelatin, glycerin, purified water, carob powder(color)(capsule shell).

Let us know what you find out Thanks!

[purple]

Wow, they impede absorption? That's crazy. I mean, I know silicon dioxide is basically sand, but I didn't think it was toxic. I don't know that I've ever seen supplements without at least one of those ingredients. In general I try to get as many vitamins as I can from food, but that's hard for all of us I think.

Dr. Mercola and others say the same thing, that we should get our vitamins from raw food. It is hard to do. Since trying to go gluten free as much as possible, I noticed we eat alot more fresh, raw foods. Just one member is allergic to gluten so far. It's all up to the shopper and the cook...that's me.