Product Description
Complete Digestion
Full Spectrum Digestive Enzymes Supplement (Vegetarian)
Digestive Enzymes Formula to Support Digestion, Intestinal Well-being
Complete Digestion™ provides digestive support with a synergistic blend of plant-based digestive enzymes to help the body digest and assimilate nutrients.
Healthy digestion facilitates your body’s ability to utilize nutrients and is necessary for a healthy intestinal environment.
If you have poor digestion, symptoms might include intestinal disturbances like: gas, bloating, indigestion, abdominal discomfort, distention, and irregularity.
Why Might You Need a Digestive Enzyme Supplement?
Don’t Our Bodies Make Digestive Enzymes?
Yes, our bodies naturally produce our own digestive enzymes, but this naturally decreases as we age, with certain medical conditions, or if the cells lining your gut are damaged.
(Raw foods also contribute some enzymes which help.)
If your food is not digested fully:
- The undigested food may pass into the large intestine.
- The bacteria and yeast in your gut uses the undigested food to nourish themselves.
- The by-products of bacterial digestion and yeast fermentation (hydrogen, carbon dioxide and methane gas) can produce very uncomfortable symptoms like gas and bloating, indigestion and irregularity.
- The undigested food and by-products can trigger an inflammatory response which may damage the gut lining, creating a vicious cycle.
Complete Digestion contains enzymes that encourage a healthy digestion of proteins, fats, fibers and carbohydrates, in addition to promoting an optimally functional GI tract.
Support for Gluten, Casein, Lactose Digestion, and More
Complete Digestion also contains enzymes to support breaking down food components that are a common digestive challenge. For example, it includes enzymes that help break down gluten, casein and lactose (found in dairy), phenols, and plant fibers and components of plant cell walls (fruits, vegetables, legumes, grains).
In addition, it contains a probiotic blend with beneficial bacteria to help keep the composition of your gut microbes well balanced. Probiotics have been found to support regularity, aid the immune system, produce additional digestive enzymes, manufacture essential vitamins such as B and K, and promote an environment where beneficial microflora thrive and pathogenic organisms are unwelcome. (125 million CFU’s of probiotics is a moderate amount; many people take a dedicated probiotic supplement in addition.)
Digestive Enzymes Can Support Your Body’s Natural Detoxification Processes
Digestive enzymes can also help reduce and increase the elimination of toxins in your body. I’d like to share with you “Digestive Enzymes and Detoxification,” by Walter Crinnion, ND. In a very understandable way, he explains how digestive enzymes can help reduce the toxic load so many of us carry around.
Read my web page about Digestive Enzymes.
Digestive Enzyme Comparison Chart -Click for PDF of Table
How to Decide Which Digestive Enzyme to Use
Many people begin with Complete Digestion as it provides a “good coverage” of digestive enzymes for a reasonable price.
If they require a more potent digestive enzyme (more proteases, amylases lipases and across the board more other enzymes), they then try Critical Digestion.
People with specific food sensitivities often utilize Intolerance Complex in situations when they are unable to avoid foods they have trouble digesting or are eating out and not exactly sure how their meal is prepared.
Manufactured by Enzyme Science
Complete Digestion – Ingredients
Amylase Thera-blend – contains multiple strains of enzymes responsible for breaking down carbohydrates, such as starch and glycogen, into smaller sugars.
Protease Thera-blend – this proprietary formula contains multiple strains of protease (enzymes for digesting proteins). Protease supplementation may assist and enhance the digestion of foods, therefore allowing the availability of nutrients to be utilized by the body.
Glucoamylase – an enzyme that breaks down carbohydrates to yield glucose units. Glucose is absorbed into the bloodstream and is utilized as energy for the body.
ATPro Blend – is a blend of ATP (Adenosine-5-Triphosphate) and critical nutrients (magnesium citrate, alpha lipoic acid and CoQ10) that enhance ATP production. Research has shown that ATP is present in the digestive tract either by oral intake (unprocessed foods carry ATP) or by undefined cell excretion, and is used as a signaling molecule for many important processes. This signal is vital for timely, proper and complete digestion of food and nutrient absorption.
DPP-IV – Dipeptidyl peptidase-IV is a proteolytic enzyme specific for breaking down gluten and casein proteins. Proteases high in DPP-IV activity assist in normalizing inflammatory responses to gluten peptides, thus better digesting and utilizing gluten containing foods.
Lipase Thera-blend – contains multiple strains of lipase enzymes for catalyzing lipids to form fatty acids and glycerol.
Lactase – an enzyme that breaks down lactose (milk sugar) and therefore supports optimal digestion of lactose-containing foods.
Alpha-Galactosidase – an enzyme specific for digesting carbohydrates found in legumes, grains and vegetables known to cause occasional symptoms of gas and bloating. Research studies have proven alpha-galactosidase to be effective for reducing discomforts associated with consumption of these foods.
Cellulase Thera-blend – contains multiple strains of cellulase for digesting dietary fiber. Cellulase is the only digestive enzyme our body does not produce.
Maltase – an enzyme that breaks down malt and grain sugars. Maltase digests maltose into glucose molecules which can be easily absorbed into the bloodstream and be used as energy for the body.
Invertase – an enzyme responsible for breaking down sucrose, table sugar, into simple sugars glucose and fructose. These simple sugars are rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream and are utilized as energy for the body.
Pectinase – an enzyme that breaks down carbohydrates such as pectin found in many fruits and vegetables.
Phytase – an enzyme that breaks down phytic acid found in plants, especially brans and seeds.
Xylanase – is a type of enzyme responsible for breaking down structural components of plant walls. This type of hemicellulase plays a role in digesting fruits, vegetables, nuts, grains, and food additives.
Probiotics Blend – Enzyme Science probiotic blend contains 8 species of beneficial Lactobacillus (L.) and Bacillus (B.) bacteria – B. subtilis, L. rhamnosus, L. casei, L. acidophilus, L. plantarum, L. bulgaricus, L. salivarius and L. paracasei.
Other Ingredients: 100% Vegetarian Capsule (cellulose, water)
Contains no dairy, preservatives, salt, sucrose, soy, wheat, yeast, nuts, corn, gluten, casein, potato, rice, artificial colors or flavors.
Complete Digestion – Suggested Use
Take 1 capsule per meal (with the first bite of food).
More may be taken as recommended by your healthcare practitioner. Consult your physician prior to use if you are pregnant or lactating.
Keep closed in dry place; avoid excessive heat.
Manufactured by Enzyme Science, Venice, FL.
Comparing Digestive Enzyme Supplements
Complete Digestion and Critical Digestion virtually have the same panel of enzymes,* however, Complete Digestion contains a lesser amount of each enzyme. Similarly both provide a blend of probiotics; Critical Digestion contains about eight times more CFU’s (colony forming units) than Complete Digestion.
Both supplements support digestion and nutrient absorption from protein, carbohydrates, fat and fiber. If you are not sure which one to try, start with Complete Digestion and see how you feel. I recommend this especially if you have irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or an inflammatory bowel issue (IBD).
* Complete Digestion also does not have Beta Glucanase (responsible for breaking down beta D-glucan components found in plants, grains and fiber).
For more details on comparing ingredients in digestive enzymes, go to the table on the Description Tab of this product.
Enzymes for Food Intolerances or Food Insensitivity
If you are experiencing food intolerances or food insensitivity to certain foods, such as wheat products, dairy or beans or vegetables, I would suggest checking out Intolerance Complex. Its panel of digestive enzymes is more targeted toward these issues.
