Supplements for Digestion: A Science-Backed Guide

9 MIN READ • BY The BodySpec Team • Jul 24, 2025

A kitchen counter with a glass of water, a bottle of supplements, and a bowl of fresh salad, suggesting a healthy and holistic approach to gut health through diet and supplementation.

Supplements for Digestion: A Science-Backed Guide

Feeling blah after every meal? You’re not alone. Nearly 70 million Americans live with digestive diseases each year, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). Using supplements for digestion can help, but choosing the right capsule (or powder, chew, gummy…) gets confusing fast.

This guide cuts through the marketing noise and gives you the evidence-based low-down on digestive supplements—what works, who it’s for, and how to build a smart, safe regimen.

Quick Quiz: What’s Driving Your Digestive Woes?

Illustration of a person with a question mark over their stomach, representing the process of identifying digestive issues or indigestion.

If several of the statements below resonate with you, a targeted supplement might offer relief.

I feel gassy or uncomfortably full within 60 minutes of eating.
Dairy sneaks into my meals and leads to bathroom runs.
High-fiber foods leave me more bloated, not less.
I see undigested food or oily streaks in my stool.
Abdominal pain eases temporarily when I skip meals.
If 1-2 statements apply, simple lifestyle tweaks may be enough. Check out the Diet & Lifestyle section below.
If 3-4 statements apply, a targeted supplement like digestive enzymes or a specific probiotic strain might offer relief.
If all 5 statements apply, it’s a good idea to talk to a healthcare professional to rule out underlying conditions and get personalized guidance.

(Self-assessment only. Not a diagnosis.)

Digestion 101 (The 60-Second Version)

An infographic illustrating the four main stages of the digestive process with simple icons: mouth, stomach, pancreas, and intestines, connected by downward arrows.

Mechanical & chemical breakdown starts in your mouth (salivary amylase).
Stomach acid and pepsin unravel proteins.
Pancreas releases amylase, lipase, and protease into the small intestine.
Brush-border enzymes like lactase finish the job so nutrients can cross into your bloodstream.

Miss a step and you get gas, malabsorption, or nutrient gaps—that’s where supplements come in.

The Big Four Supplement Categories

1. Digestive Enzymes

An illustration showing small cartoon scissors, some with smiley faces, cutting into and breaking apart a large, complex food molecule represented by connected colored circles. To the left, a pill-shaped symbol is connected to one of the scissors, suggesting a medical or dietary aid.

Pancreatic enzymes (amylase, lipase, protease) plus specialty stars like lactase (dairy) and alpha-galactosidase (beans). They act like molecular scissors, breaking complex food molecules into smaller, absorbable units.

Best for: high-protein or high-fat meals, lactose intolerance, Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency (EPI).
Evidence: Pancreatic Enzyme Replacement Therapy (PERT) improves nutrient absorption in EPI patients, reports Johns Hopkins Medicine.
Typical dose: 500–2,500 lipase units/kg/meal (prescription) or 1–3 OTC capsules with meals.

2. Probiotics

Illustration of friendly green probiotic bacteria crowding out unfriendly red bacteria, symbolizing a balanced gut microbiome.

Live bacteria (e.g., Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Bifidobacterium longum) that crowd out troublemakers and produce beneficial compounds. For a primer on what probiotics are and how they work, see our article.

Best for: antibiotic-associated diarrhea, IBS-D, general gut imbalance.
Evidence: Cleveland Clinic notes that certain Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium strains can shorten antibiotic-associated diarrhea episodes and improve bowel regularity—benefits most often observed with daily doses of 10–30 billion CFU.
Typical dose: 10–30 billion CFU/day, taken consistently with or without food as directed.

3. Prebiotics & Fermentable Fibers

An illustration of happy, green, cartoon-like gut bacteria eating colorful shapes representing prebiotic fibers. Two large bacteria in the foreground are smiling and holding square shapes, while several smaller bacteria with cheerful expressions float in the background, surrounded by scattered geometric shapes.

Non-digestible carbs (inulin, FOS, resistant starch) that feed your good microbes.

Best for: constipation, overall microbiome diversity.
Evidence: A 2022 systematic review in Frontiers in Nutrition found that inulin, a common prebiotic fiber, was particularly promising for increasing defecation frequency in people with chronic constipation.
Dose: Ramp from 2 g to 10 g daily to avoid excess gas. Spread doses throughout the day and take with water. For more detail, see our guide on timing your fiber supplements.

4. Herbal Supplements for Symptom Relief

A close-up overhead shot of a peppermint sprig, a piece of ginger root cut open, and several dried artichoke leaves are arranged on a white marble surface, highlighting natural ingredients used for digestion.

Herbal supplements can target specific symptoms, with different compounds suited for different issues.

Best for: Symptom-specific relief like IBS-related pain (peppermint oil), nausea (ginger), or dyspepsia (artichoke leaf).
Evidence: Varies by herb. A meta-analysis on peppermint oil shows strong evidence for IBS. Evidence for ginger and artichoke leaf is emerging, while others like slippery elm are based on traditional use with limited clinical trials.
Typical Dose: Highly variable. For example, enteric-coated peppermint oil is often taken at 180–225 mg, three times daily for IBS.

Comparison Matrix

Supplement Type	Key Compounds	Ideal For	Standard Dose	Evidence Quality	Watch-Outs
Digestive enzymes	Amylase, lipase, protease, lactase	High-fat meals, EPI, lactose intolerance	1–3 caps/meal (OTC)	High (for EPI)	May cause diarrhea; reduce dose if this occurs
Probiotics	e.g., Lactobacillus spp., Bifidobacterium spp.	IBS-D, antibiotic recovery	10–30 billion CFU/day	Moderate (highly strain- and condition-specific)	Temporary bloating
Prebiotics	Inulin, FOS, PHGG	Constipation, microbiome diversity	3–10 g/day	Moderate (for constipation)	Gas if ramped too fast
Peppermint Oil	Menthol	IBS pain	180–225 mg, 3x per day	Moderate-High (for peppermint in IBS)	Avoid in GERD, as it can relax the lower esophageal sphincter and worsen reflux.

Condition-Specific Protocols

For personalized guidance, consider discussing your results with a GI dietitian.

Bloating & Gas

Chew thoroughly; slow eating.
1 capsule alpha-galactosidase with high-FODMAP meals.
10–20 mg peppermint oil between meals if still gassy.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

180–225 mg enteric-coated peppermint oil, three times daily before meals.
Daily supplementation with 10 billion CFU of B. infantis 35624 for 4–8 weeks has been shown to significantly improve IBS symptoms, including pain and bloating.

Lactose Intolerance

An illustration showing two glasses of milk side-by-side. The glass on the left has a red sad face next to it, indicating difficulty digesting. The glass on the right has a lactase pill and a green happy face, showing improved digestion after taking the supplement.

3,000–9,000 FCC units lactase with dairy.
To encourage gut adaptation, some research suggests that introducing prebiotic galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS) may help improve tolerance over time, as noted in a 2013 study in Nutrition Journal.

Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency (EPI)

This condition requires prescription Pancreatic Enzyme Replacement Therapy (PERT), which is dosed and managed by a physician.
Fat-soluble vitamin testing every 6 months.

Safety & Combination Tips

Start one supplement at a time; evaluate for 1–2 weeks.
Enzymes go with the first bite; probiotics & prebiotics need daily consistency.
Check drug interactions—peppermint oil may speed emptying of other meds.
Pregnant or immunocompromised? Talk to your doctor before any live-culture product.

Do You Actually Need a Supplement?

A smiling woman with her eyes closed walks through a sun-dappled park at sunset, appearing relaxed and content.

Diet and lifestyle fix 80 percent of mild digestive complaints:

Prioritize whole foods, 25–38 g fiber, and adequate hydration.
Walk 10 minutes post-meal to spur motility.
Manage stress—your gut has more nerve cells than your spinal cord!

Get quick wins by auditing those areas before pill-shopping.

Frequently Asked Questions

Enzyme vs. probiotic—which should I pick first?
If your main issue happens during the meal—think heaviness or reflux—try enzymes. If problems strike hours later—irregularity, or general gut imbalance—start with probiotics.

Can I take probiotics and enzymes together?
Yes. They work in different areas (lumen vs. brush border) and don’t cancel each other out.

Will supplements help me lose weight?
While not a primary weight-loss tool, good digestion supports a healthy body composition by:

Better nutrient absorption: It helps you absorb the protein and micronutrients needed to preserve lean muscle mass.
Reduced systemic stress: Easing gut irritation can lower systemic stress, which is often linked to weight gain.

When paired with diet and exercise, these benefits can help you achieve your body composition goals.

Understanding how your metrics like lean mass and fat mass change can offer powerful insights into your progress.

For more gut-body links, read our deep dive on gut health and weight management.

Key Takeaways

Match the tool to the job—enzymes for breakdown, probiotics for balance, prebiotics for feeding, herbs for symptom relief.
Start low, go slow, and track symptoms in a 14-day journal.
Confirm clinical conditions like EPI or IBS with a professional before high-dose supplementation.
Combine targeted supplements with whole-food nutrition and smart movement for best results.

If you're ready to see how improving your digestion impacts your body composition, a DEXA scan offers the precise data you need to connect the dots and manage what matters.