Physician's Choice
Should I Take Digestive Enzymes and Probiotics? What the Evidence Says
Updated Oct 23, 2026 · 11 sources
You should take digestive enzymes and probiotics for separate reasons, not as a set: an enzyme for a food you can name, and a probiotic for a goal its strain was studied for. In healthy adults, a 2019 review of 45 probiotic studies found evidence for better stool consistency and bowel movements, but not for lasting changes in gut bacteria.1
Key points
- No trial we found has tested a digestive enzyme supplement and a probiotic taken together against either one alone, so each stands on its own evidence.2
- Enzyme evidence runs food by food: the EU accepts that lactase improves lactose digestion in people who have difficulty digesting lactose.3
- In a 2016 review of 7 trials in healthy adults, none found that probiotics changed the diversity of stool bacteria compared with placebo, and one found a shift in its overall makeup.4
- Each keeps its own cautions: Health Canada asks people on blood thinners to check before protein-digesting enzymes, and NCCIH says probiotics carry more risk with severe illness or a compromised immune system.5,6
Digestive enzymes and probiotics: what each is studied for
Each has its own evidence. Enzymes are studied food by food. The EU lets supplements say that lactase improves lactose digestion in people who have difficulty digesting lactose, on conditions that include a minimum dose taken with each meal containing lactose.3 Health Canada’s monograph lists reduced gas production after a meal rich in fermentable carbohydrates, such as beans and whole grains, among the uses of alpha-galactosidase.5
In a small trial, 8 healthy volunteers ate 420 g of cooked beans with alpha-galactosidase or a placebo, and the higher of two doses lowered breath hydrogen, a measure of gas production, and made flatulence less severe.7
Most probiotic studies enroll people with a health condition, the 2019 review notes, and ODS says effects can be specific to the strain.1,8 ODS reviews the research on eight health conditions, five of them digestive, and NCCIH says that for most uses it is still unclear which probiotics help.6,8 In healthy adults, the 2016 review of 7 randomized trials found no change versus placebo in the diversity of stool bacteria in any of them.4
Are digestive enzymes the same as probiotics? No: enzymes are proteins that break food down, and probiotics are live organisms that cannot digest food.9 Our Journal sets them side by side in Probiotics vs. Digestive Enzymes.
Should I take digestive enzymes and probiotics together? What studies of the pair show
No study answers it directly. A PubMed search we ran on October 23, 2026 found no randomized trial in people that tested a digestive enzyme supplement and a probiotic taken together against either one alone. So no trial we found shows the pair does more than its parts, and the case for taking both rests on each one’s own evidence, above.2
Do I need both?
Only if you have a reason for each. There are no formal recommendations for or against probiotics in healthy people, ODS says.8 An enzyme supplement fits a food or a meal that gives you trouble. The table matches common questions to the supplement the evidence favors, and to a page that goes deeper.
| If your question is | Which one the evidence points to | Read more |
|---|---|---|
| Dairy, beans or another food you can name leaves me gassy | An enzyme matched to it: lactase, which the EU accepts improves lactose digestion in people who have difficulty digesting it, or alpha-galactosidase, which cut gas production after a bean meal in a small trial3,7 | Match the enzyme to the food |
| Heavy mixed meals leave me uncomfortable | An enzyme blend, if anything: Health Canada lists “digestive aid” as a use for every enzyme product, and “helps digest proteins” for protein-digesting enzymes5 | One food or a full plate |
| I want a daily probiotic for gut health | A probiotic, picked by strain; in healthy adults a 2019 review found better stool consistency and bowel movements, and a 2016 review found no change in stool bacteria diversity1,4 | Pick a probiotic by strain and label |
| I would rather take one capsule for both | Either path; judge a combo part by part, since no trial we found compares it with two separate bottles2 | Read a combo label |
| My symptoms keep coming back or feel different | Neither first: NCCIH advises against using probiotics as a reason to put off seeing a health care provider6 | Your healthcare provider |
Is it safe to take digestive enzymes and probiotics together?
None of the agency and hospital pages cited here flags a safety problem with taking the two together; the cautions belong to each one alone. For enzyme supplements, Cleveland Clinic lists constipation, nausea, stomach cramps and diarrhea as possible side effects, and its gastroenterologist stresses talking to a healthcare provider before starting any supplement.10
According to the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, probiotics are generally well tolerated by healthy people, though they may cause mild digestive symptoms, such as gas. Probiotics may not be appropriate for everyone, particularly people who are seriously ill or have weakened immune systems. Talk with your healthcare provider before use.
Health Canada’s enzyme monograph also asks you to check with a health care practitioner first if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, or if you take blood thinners or anti-inflammatory medicines and the product has protein-digesting enzymes such as bromelain and papain. It says to stop if an allergy occurs.5
Who should check with a doctor first?
If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, are seriously ill, or have a weakened immune system, consult your healthcare provider before taking a probiotic or any other dietary supplement. NCCIH also advises talking with your health care provider before starting a probiotic supplement, especially if you have health problems.6
If you have known allergies, review the product’s ingredient list and allergen information and consult your healthcare provider before purchasing or using it. Most of our products are formulated without the top 9 common allergens, but ingredients vary by product.
Our Kids line includes a Kids Chewable Probiotic, Fiber Gummies, and a Probiotic + Fiber Powder. These are the only Physician’s Choice products we recommend for children under 18, and each should be used according to its labeled age range and directions. Always consult your child’s pediatrician or healthcare provider before starting a new supplement routine.
If bloating is persistent, severe, or feels different than usual, talk with your healthcare provider.
If you experience an adverse event, stop using the product and contact your healthcare provider immediately. Please also notify us at support@physicianschoice.com or 1-877-395-2707.
Where Physician’s Choice fits
Physician’s Choice Digestive Enzymes puts both in one capsule, 16 enzymes in an 85 mg blend plus three Bacillus probiotics and prebiotic fiber in a 159 mg blend (See the label).11 If you also take our 60 Billion Probiotic, our page on taking both on the same day has the routine.
Questions people ask
Should I take digestive enzymes and probiotics?
Take each for its own reason: an enzyme for a food or meal that gives you trouble, and a probiotic chosen by strain for a goal it was studied for. No trial we found tested the two together against either one alone.
Do I need both digestive enzymes and probiotics?
Not by default. There are no formal recommendations for or against probiotics in healthy people, and an enzyme supplement fits a specific food or meal. Take both only if you have a reason for each.
Is it safe to take digestive enzymes and probiotics together?
None of the agency and hospital pages we cite flags a safety problem with the pair. Each keeps its own cautions: NCCIH says probiotics carry more risk for people with severe illnesses or compromised immune systems, and Health Canada asks people on blood thinners to check before protein-digesting enzymes.
Are digestive enzymes the same as probiotics?
No. Digestive enzymes are proteins that break food down; probiotics are live organisms that cannot digest food. Our Journal compares the two side by side.
Who should check with a doctor first?
If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, are seriously ill, or have a weakened immune system, consult your healthcare provider before taking a probiotic or any other dietary supplement. Health Canada also asks people on blood thinners or anti-inflammatory medicines to check first before products with protein-digesting enzymes.
The short version
Take digestive enzymes and probiotics for separate reasons: an enzyme matched to a food, a probiotic chosen by strain. No trial we found tested the pair, and none of our sources flags a safety problem with taking both.
Sources
- Khalesi S, et al. A review of probiotic supplementation in healthy adults: helpful or hype? Eur J Clin Nutr, 2019.
- PubMed, U.S. National Library of Medicine. Search for randomized trials of digestive enzyme supplements with probiotics, run October 23, 2026.
- European Commission. Commission Regulation (EU) No 432/2012, Annex, entry “Lactase enzyme”. May 16, 2012.
- Kristensen NB, et al. Alterations in fecal microbiota composition by probiotic supplementation in healthy adults: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Genome Med, 2016.
- Health Canada. Natural Health Product Monograph: Digestive Enzymes. June 26, 2026.
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH). Probiotics: Usefulness and Safety. Last updated August 2019.
- Di Stefano M, et al. The effect of oral alpha-galactosidase on intestinal gas production and gas-related symptoms. Dig Dis Sci, 2007.
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS). Probiotics: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. Updated March 25, 2025.
- Johns Hopkins Medicine. Digestive Enzymes and Digestive Enzyme Supplements.
- Cleveland Clinic. Digestive Enzymes 101: Why They’re Important. September 5, 2025.
- Physician’s Choice. Digestive Enzymes product page and Supplement Facts label (60 count).
How this page was made
Sources fetched October 23, 2026, including the PubMed search listed above. Label facts come from our 60 count Digestive Enzymes bottle and its product page. Written by Physician’s Choice.