While the term “organic” may carry with it a certain perception that anything labeled as such is pure and flawless, cooked and processed organic foods can’t be digested any easier than their non-organic counterparts.

Organic food advocates claim that organically grown foods are healthier because they are not raised with non-organic methods such as pesticides, non-organic fertilizers, antibiotics and hormones. However, during cooking and processing, organic foods lose vitamins and food enzymes, just as non-organic foods do.

Food enzymes, which are natural enzymes that both organic and non-organic raw foods possess, begin the process of breaking down food when you start chewing. When the food reaches the stomach and small intestine, half of the work has already been done, allowing food nutrients to be more easily and completely absorbed. But when food enzymes are cooked and processed out, the body must use more of its own enzyme resources to compensate. Improperly broken down food often leads to indigestion, gas, and bloating. And with the body working overtime, you may also feel fatigued after you finish eating.

To maximize the nutritional value of organic food, supplement your diet with a daily vitamin, probiotics, and a broad-spectrum digestive enzyme supplement, which helps break down any type of food and replace lost food enzymes.

The gas and stomach pain some experience after eating dairy products may have nothing to do with lactose intolerance, according to a Spanish study.*

Researchers from the Hospital Universitari Vall d’Hebron in Barcelona gave a lactose solution equal to a quart of milk to approximately 350 patients who thought they were lactose intolerant. The results were more than half digested the lactose and sugar solution with little to no symptoms.

The study results suggest that gas and stomach cramping aren’t always caused by lactose malabsorption, which occurs when the body doesn’t produce enough lactase enzymes to completely break down lactose sugars. The researchers said that irritable bowel syndrome or overindulgence can also cause symptoms.

Helping the body digest lactose

Regardless of the cause, a broad-spectrum digestive enzyme supplement is a viable solution to helping the body completely break down any type of food component, including lactose, protein, carbohydrates, and fats. It aids in reducing gas-producing biochemical reactions that occur during digestion.

If lactose intolerance is the culprit, you can take an enzyme supplement specially formulated to focus on lactose while providing an enzyme blend to help digest other food components.

* Source: Reuters