How Digestive Enzymes Help a GLP-1 Diet: FAQs
- Jennifer Hardy
- Dec 7, 2025
- 4 min read
Digestive enzymes can be one of the quiet heroes of a GLP-1 journey. The medications like Ozempic, Wegovy, and Zepbound slow how fast your stomach empties food. That helps you feel full longer, but it also means your digestive system is running on a slower schedule.
Enzymes step in to support that slowdown so you stay comfortable, absorb nutrients, and avoid the “why does my stomach feel like it forgot how to be a stomach” moments.
Below is a simple FAQ guide that covers what they do, how they help, and how to think about adding them to your routine.
My Experience with Digestive Enzymes
I started using Zepbound in January 2025. Since then, I've lost 152 pounds. I started GLP-1 Newsroom when I first saw all the amazing benefits of the medications. I was a journalist, not an influencer at the time.
However, the more I saw the snake oil out there preying on people like me who just wanted a healthier lifestyle, the more I realized that legit recommendations were needed, even if that came as an affiliate.
I'm not going to recommend a product I haven't tried, and digestive enzymes are no different.
Given how much I was spending out of pocket on Zepbound each month, I couldn't afford the pricey digestive enzymes on the market. I tried to balance value with efficacy and was prepared to try several variations before finding the right one.
As it turns out, I never needed to look past Physician's Choice Digestive Enzymes. After a week of those awful sulfur burps, I needed help, and I ordered the combo pack of probiotics and digestive enzymes. I only use the enzymes after larger meals, high-sulfur food days, or major calorie anomalies. I haven't experience sulfur burps, heartburn, or bloating since.
10 FAQs About Digestive Enzymes Every GLP-1 User Should Know
It wasn't enough for me to know that it worked. I needed to know WHY it worked so well when my body was already designed to digest food. Here are the FAQs that helped me make up my mind!
1. What exactly are digestive enzymes, and why do they matter on a GLP-1 diet?
Digestive enzymes are natural proteins your body makes to break food down. They turn carbs, fats, and proteins into smaller pieces you can actually absorb. When you’re on a GLP-1, digestion slows down, so enzymes become extra helpful because they make that slow process smoother and less uncomfortable.
2. Why do people take digestive enzymes as supplements if the body already makes them?
Your body makes enzymes, but GLP-1s change how fast food moves through your system. That slowdown can make heavy meals feel like they hit a traffic jam. Supplements give you extra support so food breaks down efficiently instead of sitting there. They’re basically reinforcements for your gut on its slower schedule.
3. If digestive enzymes help with slow digestion, do they “cancel out” the GLP-1 benefit?
No. Enzymes don’t speed up digestion. They don’t override the medication or make food move faster. They simply help your body break down the food that’s sitting in your stomach so it’s less likely to cause discomfort. Think of them as putting out the small fires that happen because digestion is slower, not speeding up the process itself.
5. Which symptoms do digestive enzymes help the most with?
Bloating, pressure, slow digestion, heavy, high-fat meals, and inconsistent bathroom habits usually improve first. Many people also notice less nausea because the digestive process runs more smoothly.
6. Do digestive enzymes actually help with GLP-1 nausea?
They can. A lot of nausea is related to food lingering in the stomach. Enzymes don’t cure nausea, but they make meals easier to process, which reduces how intense that nausea feels, especially with fatty or dense foods.
7. Which types of enzymes are most useful for people on GLP-1 medications?
Lipase supports fat digestion. Protease helps with protein. Amylase helps with carbs. Lactase helps with dairy. Cellulase helps break down plant fibers. A blended formula tends to work best for mixed meals.
8. How do I know when to take them?
Most people take enzymes with the first few bites of a meal so they’re in the stomach when the food arrives. Always follow the directions on your specific bottle, since some formulas are designed to be taken right before eating. If you forget and take them after the meal, it’s still fine. They just might not work quite as efficiently. However, as a forgetful person, I've taken them an hour after a meal and never had a problem.
9. How long do digestive enzymes take to work?
Right away. They act on the meal you take them with, so most people notice relief during or shortly after that meal.
10. Are digestive enzymes safe to use long-term with GLP-1s?
Yes, for most people. They’re naturally occurring proteins, and supplement versions are well tolerated. People often use them during dose increases or with heavier meals. If you have gallbladder or pancreatic conditions, talk to your clinician first.
What You Should Not Expect Digestive Enzymes To Do
Digestive enzymes are helpful, but they’re not magic shortcuts. The first time I heard about them, someone pitched them to me like they could “cancel out a high-calorie meal.” As if you could eat anything you want and then pretend it didn’t happen. That’s not how enzymes work.
They don’t block calories. They don’t undo overeating. They don’t speed up your metabolism or make food move faster through your system. Their entire job is to help your body break down what you just ate so you feel less bloated, less sluggish, and more comfortable.
Think of enzymes as support for digestion, not a get-out-of-jail-free card for nutrition. They help your gut do its job on a slower GLP-1 schedule, but they don’t change what your body absorbs. Think of them as a tool to help, not a workaround.
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