Antacids, Prescription Drugs or Digestive Enzymes? Your Best Bet for Better Digestion
Upset stomach, heartburn, diarrhea? There are few symptoms as disruptive to your daily life as ones that originate in the digestive system. And if you’re struggling with any of these symptoms, you know exactly how difficult they are to get rid of for good. Doctors recommend a variety of treatments, but there are three biggies they suggest most often for patients who are dealing with both acute and chronic GI symptoms: antacids, prescription drugs and digestive enzymes. All three can be effective short-term fixes, but let’s be honest: You’re not looking for a band-aid. You’re searching for something that works long term. Which ones get our seal of approval for better digestive health? To make that choice, we first had to look at how each of these three treatments works.
How antacids work
Antacids are used to treat digestive ailments that cause pain in the throat, chest and upper abdomen. These are usually caused by too much stomach acid. The acid can cause ulcers and stomach upset, gas, acid reflux and heartburn. Most people take antacids to prevent or treat the last three symptoms. Antacids work by neutralizing the incredibly caustic acid that can travel backward through your gastrointestinal tract, moving from the stomach into the esophagus, where it burns the lining and causes heartburn. That can create painful inflammation as well as scarring, which is permanent. Most antacids are available over the counter. Overuse of antacids can cause some serious side effects since antacids do change the chemistry of the digestive system in a major way. Constipation, diarrhea, stomach cramps, and even kidney stones and kidney damage can result from excessive dependence on antacids.
How prescription drugs that treat digestion problems work
While a doctor can write an Rx for an antacid, the more common prescription for heartburn and other symptomsof excess of stomach acid are proton pump inhibitors, or PPI. This type of medication blocks acid production. Proton pump inhibitors block acid production in the parietal cells of the stomach. They’re very effective at healing inflammation in the esophagus, but they’re limited because the body is constantly creating new parietal cells. That means that patients who use PPIs need to keep taking them in order to keep seeing the benefits. There are also prescription drugs used to treat inflammation and other chronic problems in the intestines. These come in a few different classes and work in different ways. However, there isn’t a single one among them that is guaranteed to work for every patient suffering from a single type of GI symptom. Most also come with a slew of side effects. The corticosteroids can cause rapid heartbeat, weight gain, skin problems and neurological issues, while biologics suppress the immune system, making you more vulnerable to other illnesses and infections.
How digestive enzymes work
Digestive enzymes are largely risk-free supplements that work in your gut to improve the way your body is able to digest and absorb different nutrients. The human body requires a different digestive enzyme to break down each type of food in order to absorb and utilize nutrients. Your body’s natural enzymes are made by different organs, like the stomach, pancreas and the liver. They’re also stored and secreted in other organs, which means that a symptom that affects a single link in the system can throw off your entire digestive system. A digestive enzyme supplement helps correct that imbalance by bringing more of the enzymes to your gastrointestinal tract, where they’re needed. This can have ripple effects throughout your GI tract, from your esophagus to your stomach to your colon. It can also improve symptoms you’re experiencing elsewhere thanks to the gut-brain pathway. And because digestive health is connected to immune health, supplementing with digestive enzymes can also help support a healthy immune system.
Your best bet for better digestion
If we had to pick between antacids, prescription medications and digestive enzyme supplements, which one would we choose? It really depends on the symptoms we’re looking to treat. For occasional symptom, an over-the-counter antacid is a good first treatment option for short-term heartburn or stomach discomfort. Still, it is only masking the symptoms, not dealing with the cause. For more chronic or severe symptoms, a prescription product might be necessary. If you’ve been diagnosed with a chronic or severe GI disorder, you should work with your doctor to find a treatment plan that works for you. For common occasional symptoms. prescription PPI’s may be more than needed. Reducing the production of hydrochloric acid may only mask the symptoms rather than treating the cause. Digestive enzymes, on the other hand, target the cause of your GI symptoms. Whether you experience indigestion, abdominal pain, cramping, diarrhea, flatulence, or a combination of these, endogenous digestive enzyme imbalance is often the root of the problem. Supporting your body’s natural enzymes with supplemental enzymes is nearly always a win-win. Digestive enzyme supplements can help maintain your overall digestive health and significantly eliminate or reduce untoward abdominal symptoms. While each of these treatment options are valid and valuable for different patients, our pick for overall digestive health—and improving digestion unilaterally—is the digestive enzyme supplement. It’s a versatile addition to nearly any treatment plan.
