Fight stress by consuming digestive enzymes
The gut-brain axis describes a remarkable dialogue between our central nervous system (CNS), which is the brain and spinal cord, and the enteric nervous system (ENS), a vast network of neurons that innervates our digestive tract. The ENS is sometimes called the "second brain" due to the many overlaps in its roles and characteristics with the CNS. For a long time, we have observed this connection through common expressions like "a stomach ache," "gone with your gut," or having "butterflies in your stomach." We now understand that when our brain registers that we are stressed (what is called the sympathetic state), many mundane but important activities, such as digestion, stop. Stress also goes hand in hand with disruptive habits, including eating too much, too fast, and consuming more processed foods. Emotional stress can manifest in your gut in many ways: abdominal pain, diarrhea, constipation, gas, bloating, heartburn, nausea, and loss of appetite.
Digestive Enzymes for a Stressed Diet
When we are stressed, we are less attentive to how we eat. Between poor food choices and rushed meals, we are less inclined to chew our food properly, which puts more strain on our resources, especially our digestive enzymes. Undigested food particles can feed gas-producing bacteria, leading to bloating and flatulence or burping, as well as a feeling of fullness and even nausea. Digestive enzymes target fats, proteins, and carbohydrates. The NOW® Super Enzymes blend, composed of pancreatic enzymes and fruit-derived enzymes, gives this formula the ability to act over a wide pH range and, therefore, provide additional guarantees of effectiveness. NOW® Super Enzymes also contains bile for extra help with fat and fat-soluble vitamin digestion, as well as betaine hydrochloride necessary for efficient protein digestion in the stomach.