12 Foods That Help Improve Digestion!

Foods that help improve digestion. in addition to being 100% natural, they are very easy to find. Furthermore, many organs work together to form your digestive system. These organs take the food and fluids you eat and break them down into simpler forms, such as proteins, carbohydrates, fats, and vitamins.

The nutrients are then transported through the small intestine and into the bloodstream, where they provide energy for growth and repair. Furthermore. Digestive enzymes are necessary for this process as they break down molecules like fats, proteins and carbohydrates into even smaller molecules that can be easily absorbed.

There are mainly three types of digestive enzymes:

• Proteases: break down proteins into small peptides and amino acids;
• Amylases: break down carbohydrates such as starch into simple sugars;
• Lipases: breaks down fat into three fatty acids and a glycerol molecule.

Enzymes are also produced in the small intestine, including lactase, maltase and sucrose;

Incidentally, if the body is unable to produce enough digestive enzymes, food molecules cannot be digested properly. This can lead to digestive disorders such as lactose intolerance . So, eating foods that are rich in natural digestive enzymes can help improve digestion.

Foods that help improve digestion:

1. Avocados:

Unlike other fruits, avocados are unique in that they are high in healthy fats and low in sugar. They contain the digestive enzyme lipase which makes it one of the foods that help improve digestion . This enzyme helps digest fat molecules into smaller molecules, such as fatty acids and glycerol, which are easier for the body to absorb.

Lipase is also made by your pancreas, so you don’t need to get it from your diet. However, taking a lipase supplement can help ease digestion, especially after a high-fat meal. Avocados also contain  other enzymes, including polyphenol oxidase. This enzyme is responsible for turning the green avocado  brown in the presence of oxygen.

2. Sauerkraut:

Sauerkraut is a type of fermented cabbage that has a distinct bitter taste. The fermentation process also adds digestive enzymes, which makes sauerkraut intake a great way to boost your digestive enzyme intake.

In addition to containing digestive enzymes, sauerkraut is also considered a probiotic food as it contains healthy gut bacteria that boost digestive health and immunity, which is why it is among the foods that help improve digestion .

Many studies have shown that consuming probiotics can relieve digestive symptoms such as bloating , gas , constipation , diarrhea , and upset stomach , both in healthy adults and those with IBS, Crohn’s disease, and ulcerative colitis .

Just be sure to eat  raw or unpasteurized sauerkraut instead of cooked sauerkraut . High temperatures can disable your digestive enzymes.

3. Kiwis:

Kiwi is an edible berry that is often recommended for easier digestion. It is a great source of digestive enzymes, particularly a protease called actinidain. This enzyme helps digest proteins and is used commercially to tenderize tough meats so it is also one of the foods that help improve digestion .

However, kiwifruit contains many other enzymes that help the fruit to ripen. Scientists believe that actinidain is one of the reasons why kiwis seem to aid digestion. An animal study found that adding kiwis to the diet improved the digestion of meat, gluten and soy protein isolates in the stomach. This was thought to be due to its actinidain content.

Another animal study looked at the effects of actinidain on digestion. He fed some animals kiwi fruit with active actinidain and other animals kiwi fruit without active actinidain. The results showed that animals fed kiwifruit meat digested with actinidain activated more efficiently. Meat also moved faster through the stomach.

Many human-based studies have also found that kiwifruit aids digestion, reduces bloating, and helps relieve constipation .

4. Papaya:

Papaya or papaya is another tropical fruit that is rich in digestive enzymes, so it is one of the foods that help to improve digestion. . Like pineapples , papayas also contain proteases that help digest protein. However, they contain a different group of proteases known as papain.

Papain is also available as a meat tenderizer and digestive supplement. Studies have shown that taking a papaya -based formula  can help relieve IBS digestive symptoms such as constipation and bloating.

After all if you want to eat papaya , make sure you eat them ripe and raw, as exposure to heat can destroy your digestive enzymes. Incidentally, unripe or semi-ripe papayas can be dangerous for pregnant women, as they can stimulate contractions.

5. Miso:

Miso is a popular seasoning in Japanese cuisine. It is made by fermenting soybeans with salt and koji, a type of fungus. Koji adds a variety of digestive enzymes including lactases, lipases, proteases and amylases so it is yet another food that helps improve digestion. .

This is one of the reasons why miso can improve the ability to digest and absorb food. In fact, studies have shown that the bacteria in miso can reduce symptoms linked to digestive problems such as irritable bowel disease (IBD).

In addition, soy fermentation helps to improve its nutritional quality by reducing its antinutrient content. Antinutrients are compounds found naturally in foods that can make it harder for nutrients to be absorbed by binding to them.

6. Manga:

Mangoes are a succulent tropical fruit that is popular in summer. They contain the digestive enzymes amylases – a group of enzymes that break down carbohydrates from starch (a complex carb) into sugars like glucose and maltose, so it’s also among the foods that help improve digestion.

The amylase enzymes in mangoes  become more active as the fruit ripens. That’s why mangoes  become sweeter when they start to ripen. Amylase enzymes are also made by the pancreas and salivary glands. They help break down carbohydrates so that they are easily absorbed by the body.

This is why it is often recommended to chew food thoroughly before swallowing, as the amylase enzymes in saliva help break down carbohydrates for easier digestion and absorption.

7. Ginger:

Ginger has been part of traditional cuisine and medicine for thousands of years. Some of the benefits of ginger can be attributed to its digestive enzymes that make it one of the  foods that help improve digestion. . However, ginger contains the protease zingibain, which digests proteins into its building blocks. Zingibain is used commercially to make ginger milk curd , a popular Chinese dessert.

Unlike other proteases, it is not often used to tenderize meats as it has a short shelf life. Food sitting on the stomach for a long time is often thought to be the cause of indigestion. Studies in healthy adults and those with indigestion show that ginger  helped food move more quickly through the stomach, promoting contractions.

Animal studies have also shown that spices, including ginger , have helped to increase one’s own production of digestive enzymes such as amylases and lipases. Furthermore, ginger appears to be a promising treatment for nausea and vomiting.

8. Bananas:

Bananas are another fruit that contain natural digestive enzymes and are among the foods that help improve digestion. . They contain amylases and glycosidases, two groups of enzymes that break down complex carbohydrates like starch into smaller, more easily absorbed sugars.

Like mangoes , these enzymes break down starch into sugars as bananas  begin to ripen. This is why ripe yellow bananas  are so much sweeter than  unripe green bananas .

In addition to their enzyme content, bananas  are a great source of dietary fiber, which can support digestive health. A medium banana (118 grams) provides 3.1 grams of fiber. A two-month study in 34 women looked at the connection between eating bananas  and the growth of healthy gut bacteria.

Women who ate two bananas  a day experienced a modest, non-significant increase in healthy gut bacteria. However, they experienced significantly less swelling.

9. Pineapple:

Pineapples are a delicious tropical fruit rich in digestive enzymes. In particular, pineapples contain a group of digestive enzymes called bromelain. These enzymes are proteases, which break down proteins into their components, including amino acids. In fact, this makes it one of the foods that help improve digestion.  and protein absorption.

Bromelain can be purchased in powder form to help tenderize tough meats. It is also widely available as a health supplement to help people struggling to digest protein.

A study in people with pancreatic insufficiency, a condition in which the pancreas does not make enough digestive enzymes, found that taking bromelain combined with a pancreatic enzyme supplement improved digestion more than the enzyme supplement alone.

10. Kimchi:

Kimchi is a spicy Korean dish made from fermented vegetables. As with sauerkraut and kefir, the fermentation process adds healthy bacteria, which provide nutrients, enzymes, and other benefits that make it one of the foods that help improve digestion.

Kimchi  contains Bacillus species bacteria, which produce proteases, lipases and amylases. These enzymes digest proteins, fats and carbohydrates, respectively. In addition to aiding digestion, kimchi  has been linked to many other health benefits. It may be especially effective in lowering cholesterol and other risk factors for heart disease.

According to a study of 100 healthy young people, scientists found that those who ate the most kimchi  had the greatest reduction in total cholesterol . Elevated total blood cholesterol is a risk factor for heart disease.

11. Mel:

It is estimated that Americans consume more than 1 million kilograms of honey each year. This delicious liquid is rich in many beneficial compounds, including digestive enzymes that make it a great suggestion for foods that help improve digestion.

The following are the enzymes found in honey, especially raw honey:

Proteases: break down proteins into amino acids;
Invertases: break down sucrose, a type of sugar, into glucose and fructose;
Diastases: breaks down starch into maltose;
Amylases: break down starch into sugars such as glucose and maltose.

Make sure you’re buying raw honey if you’re looking for its digestive health benefits. Processed honey is often heated and high heat can destroy digestive enzymes.

12. Kefir:

Kefir is a fermented milk drink that is popular in the natural health community. It is made by adding kefir “grains”  to milk. These “grains” are actually cultures of yeast, lactic acid bacteria, and acetic acid bacteria that resemble a cauliflower.

During fermentation, bacteria digest the natural sugars in milk and convert them into organic acids and carbon dioxide. This process creates conditions that help the bacteria to grow, but also adds nutrients, enzymes and other beneficial compounds. Kefir  contains many digestive enzymes, including lipase, proteases, and lactase.

Lactase aids the digestion of lactose, a sugar present in milk that is often poorly digested. One study found that Kefir  improved lactose digestion in people with lactose intolerance.

More information:

Digestive enzymes are proteins that break down larger molecules, such as fats, proteins, and carbohydrates, into smaller molecules that are easier to absorb in the small intestine. Without enough digestive enzymes, the body is unable to properly digest food particles, which can lead to food intolerances.

Digestive enzymes can be obtained from supplements or naturally through foods that contain natural digestive enzymes including pineapple , papaya , mango , honey, banana , avocado , kefir , sauerkraut , kimchi, miso, kiwi and ginger . After all, adding any of these foods to your diet can help promote digestion and improve gut health.