Probiotics and digestive enzymes are both crucial for maintaining healthy digestion after bariatric surgery, but they serve different functions and shouldn't be considered the same.
What Are Probiotics?
Probiotics are live microorganisms that benefit the digestive system when consumed adequately. We recommend taking an oral probiotic with a CFU of 50 billion or higher. This can help restore your microbiome after taking antibiotics or not eating well. Maintaining good gut health will support your immune system and aid digestion, helping reduce inflammation and bloating. Proper gut health will regulate bowel movements and promote overall well-being.
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Natural Food Sources of Probiotics
You don’t have to take probiotic supplements to balance your gut health. Include these foods as natural sources.
- Yogurt
- Sauerkraut
- Pickles
- Kimchi
- Miso Soup
- Fermented Soft Cheese
- Kefir
- Cottage Cheese
- Buttermilk
- Tempeh
- Kombucha
What Are Digestive Enzymes?
Digestive enzymes are proteins that break down macronutrients in the food you consume. They break down carbohydrates, protein, and fats into more easily absorbable units. Naturally, as soon as you start eating, your saliva will break down your food. As you, swallow and food is moved into the stomach, the digestion process continues with digestive enzymes in the stomach. With surgeries like gastric sleeve and gastric bypass, the natural anatomy of your digestive tract is changed and your body doesn’t process the same enzymes it did before. This can leave you with difficulty processing certain foods like chicken and red meat. Taking an over-the-counter digestive enzyme will help the digestive process by breaking down the food you eat preventing gas, bloating, and constipation.
Natural Food Sources of Digestive Enzymes
Boost your digestion with these natural enzyme-rich foods.
- Pineapples
- Papayas
- Mangoes
- Avocados
- Kefir
- Sauerkraut
- Kimchi
- Miso
- Kiwi
- Ginger
- Raw honey
In conclusion, probiotics promote a healthy balance of bacteria, whereas digestive enzymes break down food into simple forms to maximize absorption. Incorporating both into your post-bariatric surgery diet will significantly improve overall well-being.
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