Need extra digestive support? We’ve got the supplement to help.
Brian Strickland 00:06
Hey, everyone, welcome back to Nutrition Made Simple a video series that we created that takes ideas surrounding natural health and we break them down into easy to understand and actionable steps that pretty much anyone can take. And for the month of March, we've actually been focusing on gut health. And today I am joined by Ed Jones. He's the founder and owner of nutrition world. And we're going to take a look at digestion. Now, digestion issues are pretty much something that everyone's experienced at one point or another. But we do have quite a few supplements, actually, we've got a whole section dedicated just to digestive enzymes and digestive support supplements. And so that's what we're going to be looking at today. So to start us out, and we've got a plethora of different options. Even in that one section. I mean, there's a ton of different options. So can you just tell us the role of digestive enzymes and why someone would want to take them?
Ed Jones 01:06
You know, when we're very young, we can probably eat about anything we want and we never have reflux, we never have upset stomachs, we probably absorb everything that we've just eaten, regardless of the quality of food. But most of us who are less young than we used to be as I am, start seeing changes in the body, sometimes around 30-35 years old, start having that little bit of funny feelings, sensations, bloating, gas, irregularities and things. And what an enzyme does, which is something that we do tend to lose with time. If you think about going to school, a teacher's role, one of them is to take very big chunks of complex information and digest it down to very small pieces so you can absorb it. Well the same with these enzymes in your food. Foods cannot serve us unless they're broken down into the individual molecules, the amino acids, the fatty acids, the vitamins, the minerals, and what you see on your plate will do us no good if we can't break those down. So that's the purpose of these enzymes or our enzymes within our own body. And as we get older, we tend to lack them. I'm a huge fan of trying to replace what father Tom is taking away from us in order to create optimal health.
Brian Strickland 02:27
Right. So that's actually something I didn't know that as you age, your enzyme levels actually decreased. So that's good to know. So beyond that, there are general digestive enzymes that kind of cover the gambit of everything that you need. But then there are also diet specific ones as well. So right here, this is Lipo Gold. This is for fat digestion. So if you're on a keto diet, that's a high fat diet. Sometimes there are some issues that happen with that. And this can be really helpful. And then on down on the other end, we actually have something called Gluten Ease. So if you're gluten intolerant, that's actually something that can help as well. So are there any others that you could think of that would be diet specific, that would be helpful for people? Or should they be looking for something in particular?
Ed Jones 03:14
Well, first off, of course, these are not meant to be treating medical conditions. So if you have that check with your doctor, but a multi purpose enzyme is what most people probably would want to start with. I've always been a big fan of this particular brand called Absorb Aid. It's made from basic, healthy foods. And it's going to cover the protein, fats and carbs. And the reason I like it is because if you choose the wrong enzyme, occasionally, you can actually get worse because if you're if it's balanced, or you don't need that particular one, but absorb it never bothers anyone, it definitely helps gas, it definitely helps acid, helps you to absorb nutrients by up to 77% more absorption of nutrients. And if you take this opposed to not because again, it's up regulating the level of which those big chunks of food are going to be filtered down into the tiny molecules that we must have. And so does everyone need an enzyme? Well, maybe not. But when you try it, you will know your body will talk to you if you have the connection within your own system to really regulate that. But I love Absorb Aid. I love this called herbal bitters. It's an interesting concept herbal bitters, if you study animals, which I'd love to do, because we can learn from the instincts of animals. We've lost so much instinct as far as eating and health because we just are who we are. And we've lived in the world we have lived in. Animals haven't. Now dogs and cats have because we've ruined them but most wild animals, if they get sick, they will go to the forest to the woods and they will find plants that are bitter. Those bitter plants help you to make enzymes. Actually right now I'm taking bitters before every meal because I want my own body to produce more of my own enzymes. I don't mind taking additional, but I like my body to do the job. So bitters before meals, helps me to up up the level of my enzymes. So there's a whole again, like you said, Brian, a whole host of them. And the last one that I want to, or maybe not the last, but the hydrochloric acid is one we don't have sitting here. That one, we have to be more cautious of because if you have an ulcer or something, it can be very irritating. But the other side of hydrochloric is if you don't have enough acid in your stomach, you will not be optimally healthy. We have to have acid to kill germs, pathogens, digest protein, and maintain the kind of acidity that so many nutrients have to have to be transported. You know, acids have been demonized in this country, partially because you're trying to sell something that is antacid, but it's necessary for us terribly necessary. And if you have an interest in asking me about an at home test that I can tell you about, I'm not going to do it here. In three minutes, I can tell you how to find out if you're low in acid.
Brian Strickland 06:09
Yeah. And obviously the danger is that is having too much as well. That's where a lot of the issues occur. But yeah, yeah, so the bitters are a really cool option. They are very bitter, just like the name says. And you mentioned that you take these before each meal, is that right?
Ed Jones 06:26
The theory is that if we take these before the meals is going to trigger our own gallbladder and our own systems to prime the pump for it to do better.
Brian Strickland 06:38
Okay. And now, is that true with all of these? Is this something that should be taking before your meal? Or before you eat? Or can you take it with it or after?
Ed Jones 06:46
I'm a big fan, if you really have a sensitive system to do it midway through the meal, so that these things don't hit the side of the stomach and may because of irritation. So about midway, if you wait too much past it, you're going to miss the window of opportunity.
Brian Strickland 07:02
So yeah, digestive enzymes are a fantastic tool to have in your kit. Be sure to check them out next time you're in the store. And of course, if you have any other questions, please let us know. You can visit us in store, you can give us a phone call. Reach out here on YouTube or on social media. We're always happy to answer any questions that you have. We hope this is helpful. We'll see you next time, everyone. Take care. Have a good day and we'll see on the next Nutrition Made Simple.
Ed Jones 07:26
Thank you. Thank you.