Can Magic Pills Help Gut Microbiomes Burn More Fat?

Hello mon petites! Welcome to another class with me, Chef Ferme Brewer! Today we are going to talk a bit about how the giants are always looking for new ways to change their appearance to meet random ideals of body shape standards, aren't they silly? Microbes are never so vain as to try and change their appearence for 'beauty'! As we have talked about, the humans are made up of several very complex systems and here we talk a lot about their digestive system and their gut microbiome, the food and beverages they ingest, and how they are processed into the energy they need to exist, grow and fight off illnesses. They love to find shortcuts and magic to make their problems disappear, is it possible to take a pill that will dissolve the excess fat they love to consume?

Most giants do not eat enough of the beneficial food and microbes to make them healthy, they actually purposely ingest things they know are harmful, which leads to many illnesses - goofy giants! One such malady is as an infection of a tiny organ called the gallbladder, which when inflammed can cause a lot of distress will need to be surgically removed. Around 500,000 American giants every year have this little organ cut out. Often, the discharging physician (a person who studies and tries to heal the human body and all of its many possible ailments and injuries) explains to a now gallbladder-less giant that the gallbladder’s job was to store bile from the liver and release it at the right time, which is integral in the digestion of fat. Luckily, the liver (which produces the bile) can adjust to the loss of the gallbladder and is able to release the bile directly into the digestive tract, what amazing systems human bodies are made up of!

During this adjustment though, eating fat (which the giants LOVE) could result in unpleasant digestive distress. The doctor will often recommend limiting fatty meals and take digestive enzyme pills to help for the first few weeks after surgery to help digest fat.

Wait, what? There’s a pill that helps digest fat in the a giants' micriobiome? If there is, you can bet many giants will line up to take them! But let's take a closer look. You see, each giant's digestive system contains a unique microbiome, which is made up of trillions of microbes including bacteria, fungi and other microbes - it's quite the party!

The health and diversity of the gut microbiome is linked to overall health, including fighting off disease and even mental health! While human researchers have been doing studies on this connection, and ways they can boost the diversity and health of our gut microbiomes, companies have been rushing to fill the market with both prescription and over-the-counter ‘solutions’ for digestive enzyme deficiencies. They promise everything from post-surgery recovery to weight loss. While some formulas may have benefits and be based in scientific research, can the gut microbiome be improved with a pill?

Let's start by reading this bottle and checking the manufacturer’s website, which makes several promises: less gas and bloating, more energy, better/faster digestion, better poops, less food allergies/intolerances, decreased inflammation, heartburn relief, optimized nutrient uptake, breaking down fats, carbs, proteins and more. Wow, sounds like the miracle pill so many of the giants have been waiting for!

Enzymes are proteins that are designed to be a catalyst for biological processess, in this case, the idea is that these pills contain certain enzymes to increase the gut's ability to break down fat. Seems like good idea to use an enzyme supplement, because better digestion would ultimately lead to a healthier gut and maybe help them lose weight, right? Of course, a Google search will probably bring a person to what they want to hear on any topic, but one has to dig a little deeper, especially when it comes to something as important as health. The truth is that enzymes used for actual medical purposes by prescription are quite different than the ones a giant can purchase. Prescription medications for enzyme replacement are typically made from the pancreases of pigs, and are regulated and approved by the FDA. When given as a prescription (which would obviously come from a medical provider that clinically deems the medication as beneficial to the medical situation), the pills are designed to survive your stomach acids to get to the small intestine where they can actually be used to aid digestion. Digestive enzymes are often prescribed for people with IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome), pancreatitis and Cystic Fibrosis.

However, over-the-counter enzymes are not regulated and contain questionable amounts of unproven ingredients. Of course, that doesn’t stop people from taking them or manufacturers from making them or stores from selling them. According to an article in the Harvard Health Letter:

‘The supplements are so popular that global sales are expected to reach $1.6 billion by 2025, according to recent marketing research. But don't be too quick to reach for them. "Some of them are clearly beneficial, in certain situations. But enzyme supplements also are often used in situations where there is little evidence that they do any good," says Dr. Kyle Staller, a gastroenterologist at Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital.’

So, should the giants take them? A healthy person’s digestive system is able to make its own enzymes, but could it be helped along? Maybe with mushroom coffee or spicy chaga, ginger, tumeric tea? Are there natural foods that giants can add to their diet that could affect gut microbiome and optimize digestion for better physical and mental health and to ward off disease? Turns out, yes you can, we will explore more recipes and ways that microbial gastronomy can help the giants live better lives!

See you next time class!

Have you tried enzymes to improve your metabolism? How did you feel, did you lose weight? Comment below!