Digestive Enzymes to Help With Gas

Tooting, farting, passing gas--flatulence has many names. Almost every individual experiences gas, but some have it more than others. While gas is a natural part of the digestive process, consuming digestive enzymes can help with flatulence.

Description

• The term flatulence refers to having excess gas in the stomach or intestines. This can result in feeling bloated and/or having the need to release gas through the rectum or through the mouth by burping. Gas, or flatus, is composed of nitrogen, hydrogen, carbon dioxide, methane and oxygen. The usual source for intestinal gas is intestinal bacteria. Certain bacteria live in the colon and digest or ferment food that has not been previously absorbed by the small intestine.

Digestive Enzymes

• Digestive enzymes found in saliva, the digestive tract and some foods such as papayas work to break down food so it can be absorbed by the small intestine. An absence or insufficient amount of these enzymes will impair absorption and cause food to be passed into the colon. There the colonic bacteria will break the food down, producing gas in the process.

Example: Lactose Intolerance

• Individuals who are lactose intolerant do not have the enzyme lactase, which is needed to break down lactose, the natural sugar occurring in dairy milk. As a result, individuals with lactose intolerance will be unable to properly absorb consumed dairy products, and this will cause gas in the digestive tract.

Papaya

• The fruit of a papaya contains papain, an enzyme that helps digest proteins and can help with gas, according to "The World's Healthiest Foods" by George Mateljan. For this reason, many digestive enzyme dietary supplements are made with papaya or from papain extracted from papayas.

Other enzymes

• Digestive enzymes are also found in uncooked foods such as fruits, vegetables and meats. Cooking these foods damages or causes the food to lose most if not all of its natural enzymes.