Gluten Digestive Enzymes and Gluten Free Living

In this blog we will discuss gluten and how the role of gluten digestive enzymes may support a healthy G.I. tract.^‡

We Keep Learning
I remember being asked to speak locally on the topics of gluten, gluten digestive enzymes and gluten free living. I accepted quickly, thinking it would be an easy ask. As I started preparing my materials for my talk, I soon realized these topics branched out to so much more than what I learned in my textbooks and in class.

So many people who attended my talk were in constant search for real answers. Over the course of my discussion with the attendees, I found myself learning even more from those I came to educate.

Thankfully, nutrition and science has evolved in this area and we continue to learn. But there are still some who are new to this and may want to hear about gluten and gluten digestive enzymes and other digestive enzymes.

Let’s Talk Basics

• Gluten is a protein found naturally in grains like wheat, barley, rye and triticale (wheat and rye mix).
• Oats may be deemed a source of gluten, but most likely it’s because they may have been in contact or cross contaminated with wheat or other gluten containing grains, during harvest, transit or processing.
• Gluten lends to the flavor and texture of many grain products.
• When you think about fresh dough or batter for baking and you envision that stretchy mixture, that is gluten at work.
• That fresh baked loaf of bread is held together by a network of gluten molecules. It really is more complex than that but trust the food science behind it; gluten is the main part of the equation.

Though gluten containing foods are a part of many healthy diets, there are some individuals that need to avoid and eliminate gluten from their daily intake. There are some medical conditions that cause people to have adverse physiological issues that impact their health and tolerance of gluten.

Navigating Your Diet

Sometimes following a gluten free diet can be challenging. Even those who carefully read labels, know that sometimes gluten may be hidden in some foods like soup stocks, tomato sauce or even nuts or dried fruits just to name few. Additionally, nutrition surveys indicate that gluten-free diets are often low in fiber and micronutrients, particularly B vitamins and certain minerals.¹ It is essential to ensure that your diet is supplemented with the proper nutrients in the right amounts. Supplementing your diet with a multivitamin like, GlutenAssure Multivitamin may be helpful.

• It is specially formulated with higher levels of key B vitamins, magnesium, calcium, zinc and selenium and fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, K1 and K2 to help support optimal levels of these nutrients for your body, which can be difficult to absorb.
• It includes the scientifically researched prolyl-endopeptidase enzyme targeting gluten breakdown.
• Research suggests that individuals following a gluten-free diet are exposed to an average of 150 to 400 mg of gluten daily.
• This unique formulation is designed to be taken with meals and target this inadvertent gluten exposure.²

“E” for Enzymes and Ease of Digestion
If your internal security system, sets off the alarm that something just wasn’t digested well, then you may have ingested gluten. You know that when you may not tolerate gluten (depending on the individual’s tolerance), you can experience some occasional digestive symptoms.

Sometimes a common issue with digestion is the ability to efficiently break down lactose, a carbohydrate that is naturally occurring in milk and other dairy products.

Like most, you are probably looking to cover your bases and looking to promote healthy gluten and dairy digestion with a gluten digestive enzyme and dairy enzyme such as Gluten/Dairy Digest.

• Gluten/Dairy Digest contains a unique mix of enzymes to support healthy gluten and dairy digestion.^‡
• It contains a clinically researched, gluten digestive enzyme, called Tolerase® G prolyl-endopeptidase enzyme, which can target the breakdown of 500 mg gluten.^{‡ ^}
• In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, we saw that individuals who consumed this gluten digestive enzyme and gluten showed a lower amount of α-gliadin (a main component of gluten) in the stomach and duodenum (part of the small intestine).³
• This supplement also contains enzymes that break down casein, beta lactoglobulin and the lactose components of dairy which may help to relieve occasional bloating or gas due to dairy consumption.^‡

Outside of the Food Aisle
Reading the label on a product doesn’t just stop in the grocery store.

• Traces of gluten may also be found in nonfood products like makeup, hair products, stamps, medication and even vitamins and other dietary supplements.
• Look for “starches” that may be in the ingredient list.
• If you need to know more about an ingredient---contact the company for more details.
• Companies are engaging more with their consumers to ensure total transparency and to empower them to make educated purchases.

Many companies now have credible resources, like Registered Dietitians, on staff to help field these technical questions for their consumers. It’s a service that you may find most helpful.

Vitamin and Dietary Supplements
Many dietary supplements on the market may contain unnecessary ingredients called excipients. These excipients are usually the inactive ingredients in supplements, like fillers or preservatives.  It’s important to know what’s in your supplements, including these inactive ingredients, which could contain substances that you’re sensitive to.

• Our supplements are made with only premium ingredients sourced from trusted suppliers and guided by our nutrition experts, then carefully manufactured to ensure they are FREE FROM unnecessary additives and many common allergens.
• All the ingredients that we put into our product formulations are listed on the label. And if there's an ingredient sourced from a possible allergen, we call that out too.
• Most of our products are Certified gluten-free from The Gluten-Free Certification Organization (GFCO).
• This internationally recognized, trusted symbol signifies that a product meets the highest standards in quality for gluten-free certification.

Take Aways·        

• Keep reading, learning and asking questions; digestion can be pretty complex, so it is always best to discuss any concerns you have with your healthcare professional.         
• Always read labels. If in doubt, do not consume the product and do some additional research.

For some additional reading on digestion and gluten digestive enzymes and others you may want to try reading "Getting Gutsy: Your GI Health and Enzymes for Digestion."^‡

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1. Hallert C, et al. Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2002 Jul;16(7):1333-9.
2. König J, et al. Sci Rep. 2017 Oct 12;7(1):13100.
3. Salden et al. Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2015; 42:273-285.

^Tolerase® G is not intended to replace a gluten-free diet. Tolerase® G is not intended to treat or prevent celiac disease.