Low digestive enzymes can make food difficult to break down, leading to bloating, discomfort, nutrient issues and unpredictable reactions.

This often develops alongside other gut patterns — it is rarely the root cause.

Why Enzyme Insufficiency Happens

Common reasons include:

• stress

• low stomach acid

• dysbiosis

• inflammation

• SIBO

• ageing

• post-infectious changes

• pancreatic insufficiency (rare but important)

Enzymes depend on the whole digestive tract functioning well.

Common Symptoms

Digestive symptoms:

• bloating after meals

• heaviness or fullness

• undigested food in stool

• floating stools

• discomfort after fats or proteins

• nausea

Systemic symptoms:

• low energy

• nutrient deficiencies

• fluctuating blood sugar

• brain fog after meals

Symptoms often improve quickly when enzyme function is restored.

Connections With Other Conditions

Enzyme insufficiency frequently overlaps with:

• SIBO

• leaky gut

• dysbiosis

• low stomach acid

• reflux

• constipation or diarrhoea

Supporting these areas helps improve enzyme function naturally.

Stress & Enzyme Output

Fight-or-flight states drastically reduce enzyme release, slowing digestion and increasing reactivity.

This is a major reason why symptoms can vary day to day.

Testing Options

A stool test can show:

• elastase (pancreatic function)

• fat malabsorption

• enzyme breakdown markers

• inflammation

Supporting Enzyme Function Long-Term

Support may include:

• improving stomach acid

• targeted enzyme support (when needed)

• microbial balancing

• reducing inflammation

• regulating the nervous system

• building predictable eating rhythms

Once upstream digestion is supported, enzymes often normalise.

This Page in One Sentence

Low digestive enzymes often reflect deeper digestive imbalance — and improve when stomach acid, microbiome balance, inflammation and nervous-system patterns are supported together.