Doctor’s Best Digestive Enzymes have by some people been praised as superior to many other digestive enzyme supplements that I’ve reviewed. Let’s see if we can agree on this claim. Please keep in mind that each individual has unique needs. It can, therefore, be very personal why a certain formula works better than another. This means that some people need to try a few different brands and see which works best.
In any case, the point of my reviews is to indicate the true quality of a product and help customers make wise choices.
Doctor’s Best Digestive Enzymes features
Doctor’s Best Enzymes has some unique features. This is the first time I reviewed a digestive enzyme supplement containing an HSO organism, Bacillus subtilis, a probiotic bacteria. But reviewing and testing this supplement on myself has impressed me, which does not happen too often. Anyway, here are the main features.
- Great for vegetarians
- Non-GMO and gluten free
- Tested and manufactured in the US
- Enzymes are completely plant-based; no of synthetic origin
- Contains enzymes that work well for both cooked and raw food
- Formula supports the breaking down of vegetables, beans, grains, sugars, fibre
- Full-spectrum digestive enzyme blend helps digest fats, proteins, and carbohydrates
- Contains Bacillus subtilis (1 billion CFU), a soil microorganism; it has some outstanding abilities when consumed
- Doctor’s Best contains enzymes rarely seen in supplements, like dipeptidyl-peptidase IV, a powerful suppressor of cancer and inflammatory diseases
How does it work?
For most people, the body’s production of digestive enzymes declines with age. Stress, poor diet, alcohol and other factors also affect the body’s enzyme production. Therefore, adding extra enzymes is a simple way to promote good digestion. Then nutrients can be fully assimilated and used by the body. Doctor’s Best Digestive Enzymes is one of the most advanced and complete digestive supplements I’ve ever encountered. It contains high-quality microbial-derived enzymes. Many other supplements use animal-derived enzymes that tend to have a lower activity level.
This formula should fit the needs of most people. When taken with a meal, the effect is immediate—less gas, bloating, constipation, pain, or heartburn. It’s great to be relieved of the unpleasant feeling of having too much food in the stomach.
Doctor’s Best homepage offers plenty of information about manufacturing principles, enzyme composition, and how to use it. They also support their claims with solid scientific studies, reviews and even offer a handy fact sheet about Doctor’s Best Digestive Enzymes (see the end of post). In addition, many satisfied customers add to the trust of this formula.
Bacillus subtilis
This is an interesting complement to the digestive enzymes. Bacillus subtilis is a very resistant human soil organism (HSO) found in soil, water, and air. When consumed, it survives the harsh stomach environment and enters the digestive tract. B. subtilis can suppress harmful microorganisms, lessen symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome and promote the growth of good gut bacteria. Earlier I’ve been hesitant to recommend HSOs in probiotic supplements, but in this supplement, they work extremely well.
The verdict
Doctor’s Best Digestive Enzymes is one of the best digestive enzyme supplement I’ve ever tested. There’s no doubt about the quality of this product. It should cover the needs of most people with difficulties in digesting foods, bloating, gas and similar symptoms. Definitely worth trying. The cost for 90 capsules is around $24 (May 2018).
How to take it
The recommended dose is 1 capsule with food. For some, it might be enough to take one capsule with the main meal each day. Others might need one capsule for every meal. If you have much heartburn, you might also want to add betaine to increase stomach acid. Many people report that this combination works well.
Ingredients
This list is quite impressive and reveals how much research went into preparing this excellent formula. It covers the needs of most people with mild indigestion. Of all the digestive enzyme supplements I’ve ever reviewed, Doctor’s Best Digestive Enzymes is the most advanced.
| ENZYME | FUNCTION | POTENTIAL BENEFITS |
|---|---|---|
| Dipeptidyl-Pepdidase IV (DPP4) | An enzyme that chops up protein chains. | A tumor suppressor, especially for melanoma, prostate and lung cancers. |
| Alpha-galactosidase | Breaks down carbohydrates such as raffinose and stachyose. | Important for digestion of raw vegetables, grains, beans. Reduce inflatulence and indigestion. |
| Amylase (2 strains) | Breaks down carbohydrates such as starch and glycogen. | Prevents swelling, rejuvinates body. |
| Protease SP Plus Blend (4 strains) | Breaks down proteins. | Lowers inflammation, control herpes; boosts immunity. |
| Beta-glucanase | Digestion of whole grains such as barley, oats and wheat. | Reduces Candida, alleviates many digestiev issues. |
| Cellulase | Helps free nutrients in fruits, vegetables by breaking down plant fiber. | Boosts entire digestive system. |
| Glucoamylase | Breaking down polysaccharides from plants. | Alleviates IBS, gas, nausea, heartburt, even autoimmune responses. |
| Hemicellulase | Breakdown of carbohydrates; promotes polysaccharide digestion from plants. | Reduce Candida, better digestion, more energy. |
| Invertase | Breakdown of carbohydrates; effective to digest common table sugar. | Immune booster, reduce ulcers, respiratory problems, cancer. |
| Lactase | Digestion of lactose, sugar found in milk and other dairy products. | Reduces IBS, digestive tract irritation, heartburn, ulcers. |
| Phytase | Breaks down plant carbohydrates, phytic acid in leafy vegetables. | Reduces toxins in gut and mineral deficiency. |
| Glucomylase | Breaks down polysaccharids from plants. | Alleviates IBS, bloating, flatulence, gas, heartburn, autoimmune responses. |
| Xylanase | Breaks down soluble fiber. Supports protein digestion. | Reduce gas, bloating. Better digestion. |
| Bromelain | Digestion of proteins. | Powerful enzyme; alleviates inflammation, pain, urinary infections, arthritis. |
| Papain | Digestion of proteins, promotes nutrient absorption. | Alleviates pain, swelling, inflammation. |
| Protease | Digestion of proteins, breaking them into absorbable building blocks for the body. Supports fat digestion. | Boosts immunity. Alleviates IBD, ulcers, sports related injuries. |
| Lipase | Main enzyme to break down and assimilate fats. | Boosts immunity, alleviates celiac, cystic fibrosis, heartburn, allergy, Crohn’s. |
| Bacillus subtilis (1 billion CFU) | A much studied human soil organism (HSO) and probiotic bacteria. Suppresses growth of harmful microorganisms, strengthens the mucosal biofilm, enhances growth of other beneficial bacteria residing in the gut. | Used in fermenting soybeans or chickpeas to the very nutritious natto. Studies show B. subtilis helps allevieate symptoms of (IBS) and inflammation. |
References:
Doctor’sBest Digestive Enzymes fact sheet.
Dipeptidyl-peptidase IV (DPP4)
Benefits of Bacillus subtilis
1.) Enhances growth of other probiotic bacteria
2.) Beneficial to consume
3.) Alleviates bowel inflammation
4.) Many health benefits