Physician's Choice
Do I Need Digestive Enzymes? Who Takes Them and How to Choose One
Updated Oct 15, 2026 · 7 sources
Most healthy people do not need a digestive enzyme supplement. Your stomach, small intestine and pancreas make digestive enzymes, and Cleveland Clinic says that, in most cases, your supply is not something to worry about.1,2 A supplement can fit discomfort tied to one food, such as dairy. Some gas is normal too: NIDDK says experts consider passing gas up to 25 times a day normal.3
Key points
- Your stomach, small intestine and pancreas make digestive enzymes, and a Johns Hopkins Medicine dietitian says a healthy person really doesn’t need enzyme supplements.1
- Gas and bloating have many causes, and Johns Hopkins Medicine says gut irritation is much more likely to come from unhealthy foods than from an enzyme shortage.1
- Over-the-counter enzymes are matched to foods: lactase breaks down lactose in milk, and alpha-galactosidase, which the body does not make, helps break down a fiber found mostly in beans and root vegetables.1
- A true enzyme shortage is diagnosed by a doctor and often needs prescription enzymes.1
What are the signs you need digestive enzymes?
Gas, bloating and stomach discomfort can come with an enzyme shortage, but they are common and have many causes, so on their own they do not show that you need enzymes.1,6 The more useful sign is a pattern: the same discomfort after the same food.
| What you notice | What a source says it can mean | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Gas or bloating after milk, ice cream or other dairy | Some people’s bodies do not make enough lactase, the enzyme that breaks down lactose, so they have trouble digesting the sugar in milk and dairy foods (Johns Hopkins Medicine).1 | A lactase product with dairy. NIDDK lists lactase products among supplements doctors may recommend when lactose is the problem, and says to ask your doctor before using supplements.4 |
| Gas after beans, lentils, broccoli or cabbage | MedlinePlus lists cabbage, beans and lentils among foods that can produce gas.6 Johns Hopkins Medicine: the human body does not produce alpha-galactosidase, an enzyme that can help break down a fiber found mostly in beans and root vegetables.1 | An enzyme product that lists alpha-galactosidase, taken with the first bites of those foods. Or eat less of them, a step NIDDK says a doctor may suggest.4 |
| Feeling full and tight after a big meal | MedlinePlus lists overeating among common causes of bloating.6 | Smaller, more frequent meals (NIDDK), and not eating too quickly (MedlinePlus).4,6 |
| Discomfort with no clear food pattern | NIDDK says a food and symptom diary can help a doctor or dietitian work out whether certain foods or drinks are behind gas symptoms.5 | Keep the diary and bring it to your doctor. |
| Discomfort that keeps coming back, is severe, or feels different than usual | Some people do not make enough digestive enzymes, or do not release them as they should; a doctor diagnoses this, and prescription enzymes are often needed (Johns Hopkins Medicine).1 | Talk with your healthcare provider. |
Who should take digestive enzymes?
Two groups take them. People whose doctor has diagnosed a shortage of their own enzymes often need prescription enzymes, with doses a doctor can adjust.1,2 The rest take over-the-counter enzymes, which Johns Hopkins Medicine says many people take for gas, bloating and other stomach complaints.1
Should I take digestive enzymes?
Consider one if a food pattern points to it, and check with your healthcare provider first. Cleveland Clinic says more large-scale trials are needed to establish how well over-the-counter enzyme supplements work, and that it can be hard to know how much of each enzyme a product really holds.2
What is the best digestive enzyme?
No single enzyme suits everyone. For occasional gas and bloating after meals, choose a digestive enzyme that helps break down the food components that may be causing discomfort: lactase for lactose in dairy, or alpha-galactosidase for certain carbohydrates in foods like beans, lentils, broccoli, and cabbage.‡ For a mixed meal, a broad-spectrum blend lists amylase to break down complex carbohydrates, lipase for fat and protease for protein.1
Our page on choosing a digestive enzyme for bloating after meals has a food-by-food table.
How to choose an enzyme: a short checklist
- The enzyme for your food, named in the Supplement Facts panel.
- How the amount is shown. Some labels give each enzyme’s activity in units, such as DU for amylase or ALU for lactase; others give one milligram amount for a whole blend. Health Canada’s monograph for enzyme products sets each enzyme’s amount as enzyme activity, with milligrams optional.7
- The directions: when to take it, and the most per day.
- Everything else in the capsule, such as probiotics, prebiotic fiber or herbs.
Should I take digestive enzymes with every meal, or after eating?
Take them with the meals that need them, not with every meal by default. Enzymes need food to act on, so taking them right before you eat or at the start of the meal lines them up with the food; after the meal is usually less effective, because digestion has already started. Our Journal article on when to take digestive enzymes explains the timing in full.
Physician’s Choice Digestive Enzymes: what the label lists
Digestive Enzymes is a broad-spectrum blend designed to be taken with meals to help break down proteins, fats, dairy, and carbohydrates.‡ Its label names 16 enzymes, including lactase and alpha-galactosidase, and gives the blend as one 85 mg amount. The capsule also lists three Bacillus probiotics with prebiotic fiber (a 159 mg blend) and peppermint leaf and ginger root (a 150 mg herbal blend). Take 1 capsule with your largest meal of the day; most people take no more than 2 a day. Every lot of every product is tested for purity and potency at ISO/IEC 17025-accredited labs, the international standard for testing-lab competence. See the label.
Probiotic instead, or both? Our page on probiotic or digestive enzymes compares the two.
Safety: who should check with a healthcare provider 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.
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 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.
Enzyme supplements can have side effects too: Cleveland Clinic names stomach cramps, nausea, diarrhea and constipation.2 Our 60 Billion Probiotic and Digestive Enzymes contain inulin, and our Fiber Gummies contain chicory root fiber; gut bacteria break down fibers like these, which can cause gas.
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. More on our side effects page.
Questions people ask
Do I need digestive enzymes?
Probably not, if you are healthy. Your stomach, small intestine and pancreas make digestive enzymes, and a Johns Hopkins Medicine dietitian says a healthy person really doesn’t need enzyme supplements. One may fit discomfort tied to a single food, such as dairy.
Should I take digestive enzymes?
Consider one for a clear food pattern, such as gas after dairy or after beans, and ask your healthcare provider 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.
Can I take digestive enzymes after eating?
You can, but it is usually less effective, because digestion has already started. Taking them right before you eat, or with your first bites, lines them up with the food. If you forget, our How to Take page says to take Digestive Enzymes right after the meal.
What is the best digestive enzyme?
No single enzyme suits everyone. Lactase breaks down the lactose in dairy, alpha-galactosidase helps break down a fiber found mostly in beans and root vegetables, and a broad-spectrum blend adds protease, lipase and amylase for protein, fat and starch.
The short version
Most healthy people make enough of their own digestive enzymes and do not need a supplement. If the same food brings gas or bloating each time, an enzyme matched to that food, taken with the first bites, is one option to discuss with your healthcare provider. A true enzyme shortage is a doctor’s diagnosis and often calls for prescription enzymes.
Sources
- Johns Hopkins Medicine. Digestive Enzymes and Digestive Enzyme Supplements.
- Cleveland Clinic. Digestive Enzymes 101: Why They’re Important. September 5, 2025.
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). Symptoms & Causes of Gas in the Digestive Tract. Last reviewed June 2021.
- NIDDK. Treatment for Gas in the Digestive Tract. Last reviewed June 2021.
- NIDDK. Eating, Diet, & Nutrition for Gas in the Digestive Tract. Last reviewed June 2021.
- MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine. Abdominal bloating. Review date April 27, 2026.
- Health Canada. Natural Health Product Monograph: Digestive Enzymes. June 26, 2026.
How this page was made
Sources fetched October 15, 2026. Label facts: our Digestive Enzymes 60 count bottle label (version 3.7.0) and product page. Timing: our Journal and How to Take page. Written by Physician’s Choice.
‡These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.