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Digestive Enzymes


jmh

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In the ISWF book the digestive aid "now Super Enzymes" is recommended. On the bottle it says that is contains sulfites and may contain milk. I'm a little confused because we are not supposed to eat anything that contains sulfites. Does anyone know why this is the one they recommend? Does it just contain a small amount? Is there one that may be better to take such as Nature's Plus Ultra Zyme, Carlsons or Enzymedica Digest gold?? I had my gall bladder removed and need to take them and my mom needs them and she has a severe dairy allergy so something that may contain milk makes her nervous. Thanks!!

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My bottle of Now Foods Super Enzymes does not agree with what you are saying. Maybe you are looking at another product because there is no dairy or sulfites in mine. Really, I just walked downstairs and checked the label. :)

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The bottle I have is orange and says now at the top with a sunshine in the "o" and it says Super Enzymes below it. On the back of the label there is the white section with supplement facts and right underneath the white part it says Other Ingredients: Gelatin (capsule), Cellulose, Magnesium Stearate (vegetable source) and Silica. Right under that it says Contains Sulfites. May contain lactose (milk) as a processing aid. We got it at HSU & Co Natural Foods. Do I have the wrong thing??

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Just checked amazon also to see if maybe we got an old bottle or something and it shows it on the last picture with the white Supplement Facts label. Thank you so much for checking. Love the whole30 it has changed my life and I want to make sure to continue to do everything right. Been having digestive problems and have only taken one so far.

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Oh my! You have found a problem. Maybe Now Foods has become demon possessed and reformulated Super Enzymes! The labels posted on Amazon.com are different than the label on my bottle. Mine does not mention sulfites and says specifically that it contains no milk. So, I would not take this product. Sulfites are a major gut problem and milk is a potential problem. This is a sad development.

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Maybe I will email now foods and check to see if they changed the formula and if they did suggest they change it back:) I hate it when I find a great product and they change it or take it off the market.....

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Dammit. I hate it when good products change their formula. (Remember when Applegate Farms changed their deli turkey recipe to add carrageenan? Why? WHY?)

 

The good news is that we've got a lot of good products for you, thanks to Dr. Tim Gerstmar and this article he wrote for us: http://whole9life.com/2012/09/digestive-enzymes-101/

 

We'll try to modify the recommendation in ISWF for the next print run, but unfortunately it will always be in the books people have already purchased.

 

Best,

Melissa

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Thanks for the article and info:) I emailed now foods and told them I follow the whole 30 lifestyle and was unhappy they changed their product. Maybe they will change it back!

 

I will try the Gold Digest. Thanks:)

 

I am on day 20 of the whole 30 and plan to follow it indefinitely. Sometimes it is tough but I can't wait until I hit my goal of where I want to be so I can share my success story. My mom and I both follow the whole 30. We have the opposite problems and it has been helping both of us. I am struggling with weight gain from 3 kids and an unhealthy lifestyle. My mom is trying to gain weight and heal from so many digestive problems. This is a prayer answered for both of us:) 

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Tried the Digest Gold and it does not seem to help as much as the now super enzymes did. Definitely better then not taking any and it is whole 30 compliant so thanks for the suggestion:) Checked the book and it said to try and get something with HCI and Pepsin and I can't see where it contains those. Thinking it might be something I need since it is not working as well. Is there one out there that contains those and is whole 30 compliant?? Any suggestions?

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I take a separate HCL with pepsin (NOW brand, too).  Both my bottles say no milk and don't list sulfites.  Bummer that they changed the formula!  Thanks for bringing it up, though, so I'll know to look before I restock.  It's ridiculous that they'd add milk to a product meant to help you digest foods like milk.  Grrr.

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WHAT?!?!

 

I bought these too, and just re-read the label, and I am so upset right now! I literally just started taking them because my stomach isn't digesting anything I'm eating and I've been having horrible gas and bloating all week, until I took this last night and this morning. These have literally changed my world in a matter of 24 hours. 

 

Do I have to start over? What do I do? I can't not take them, they are the only thing giving me some comfort from this hell of constant bloat...

 

Edited: I found this from a few months back about this same issue: http://forum.whole9life.com/topic/6370-sulfites-in-my-digestive-enzymes/ Turns out the sulfites are naturally occurring, but not the lactose. NOW foods says its a "tiny" amount. Can I keep using these until I can get another kind shipped to me? 

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I totally understand how you feel. I tried the Digest Gold and it did not work as well for me as the now super enzymes. I could not get any other suggestions and even started a new post asking for other recommendations. Thanks for the link to the one in January. When I called nowfoods they told me that they did change their formula and the sulfites were naturally occurring in papaya. Could not explain away the may contain milk though. Hope it is just a "cover their butts" thing. If I hear anything I will let you know. I am so new at this so I have no idea what to do. I just know I need to take something so I have still been taking them and I have no idea if I should be.......

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@jmh, I just ordered these from NOW foods, they are similar to the super enzymes I think. http://www.nowfoods.com/Supplements/Products-by-Category/Digestive-Support/Enzymes/Digest-Platinum-120-Veg-Capsules.htm#.UfLVYG2yQgo

 

These are available on Amazon, with prime you can get them by Tuesday. 

 

That said, I would love for a moderator or someone "official" to tell me - do I need to start over? I am so annoyed about this! I really wanted to make it through 30 days perfectly. 

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Thanks! I will try them:)

 

I would not think you have to start over but I have no idea. I hope not because I know how wonderful it feels to get through 30 days. Hope you will hear from someone official soon and they will tell you all is good:) Good luck!!

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Speaking as a strict moderator, I would say keep using the digestive enzymes until you have a clean replacement. The tiny amount of milk may impair your Whole30 a bit, but the value of the digestive enzymes for you probably outweighs any impairment. If you don't feel like your Whole30 was great after 30 days, you could always extend a bit to make up for any potential problems from the dairy.

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Tom - THANK YOU for your quick response!! I appreciate it. My new supplements will be here Tuesday. I will keep the old bottle for when I'm not on the 30. I've never been sensitive to dairy so I think once I'm done with this month I'll be able to use them up. 

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Well, this is an unpleasant development.  I just saw this.  I've been taking the NOW enzymes in the past couple of weeks after resisting for MONTHS, and the change in my digestion has been immediate and dramatic.  Thanks, Tom, for saying not to stop until a better replacement is found.  I will carry on.  But now I have sugar and corn in my synthroid, and sulfites and lactose in my enzymes.  This is all just delightful.  :) (and I mean that smilie in the most passive-aggressive fake way possible.)

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jmh and AmyS - an interesting development. I don't know if anyone has said this before, but I just received a bottle of the Super Enzymes in the mail (that I ordered before I knew about this issue) in tablet form, rather than capsules. They do not list lactose on the label, though. As the company has said that the sulfites are from papaya and naturally occurring, I assume these are safe to consume? 

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The mods have raised this concern with the Head Diesel about Whole30 compliance.

 

She shot an email to the Now Foods! peeps about content, but while she was waiting for a response, she said that the sulfites were fine and the lactose was almost certainly not going to impact your W30 results.

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Thanks so much for checking on this. My mother and I both take the enzymes and while I have a dairy intolerance she has a severe dairy allergy. She seems to be doing ok with them and she is someone who gets really sick with the slightest little drop of anything dairy related.

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