Research review
Does digestive enzymes help with menopause? What the research does and doesn't show
Digestive bloating is commonly reported around menopause, and there's a plausible hormonal reason. But no trial has enrolled a menopausal or perimenopausal population to test a digestive-enzyme supplement, including DigeZyme.
The evidence doesn't support digestive enzyme supplements, including DigeZyme, as a treatment for menopause or perimenopause symptoms. Bloating and other digestive changes are commonly reported around menopause, and there's a plausible hormonal reason why — but no trial has tested a digestive-enzyme supplement in a menopausal or perimenopausal population.
What the evidence doesn't support
It doesn't support DigeZyme, or any digestive-enzyme supplement, as something that eases menopause or perimenopause symptoms, including bloating. We haven't found a trial that enrolled menopausal or perimenopausal women specifically, or that tested a digestive-enzyme blend against any menopause-related outcome.
What the trials found
A 2011 review of ovarian function and gastrointestinal motility found that digestive symptoms — nausea, bloating, distension, diarrhea or constipation — are reported more often around hormonal transitions, including the perimenopausal and menopausal period, and that estrogen and progesterone appear to influence gut motility and visceral pain sensitivity. That's a real, recognized pattern, not a marketing invention — but the review doesn't test any treatment, let alone a digestive-enzyme supplement, and it isn't evidence that low digestive-enzyme levels are the cause.
The one placebo-controlled trial of DigeZyme itself studied 40 adults with functional dyspepsia over 60 days; it didn't report participants' menopausal status or analyze results by it, so it doesn't tell us anything about digestive enzymes and menopause specifically.
Questions people ask
Can digestive enzymes help with menopause bloating?
We haven't found a trial testing this. Bloating is a commonly reported symptom around menopause, likely tied to hormonal changes affecting gut motility, but that's a different mechanism than a shortage of digestive enzymes, and no enzyme-supplement trial has tested it.
Which digestive enzyme is best for perimenopause?
We can't recommend one for this use — no digestive-enzyme supplement has been tested in a perimenopausal population for any outcome.
Do digestive enzymes help with menopause weight gain or digestion changes?
No trial we've found has tested digestive enzyme supplementation for either. See digestive enzymes and weight for what the general weight-related research shows.
Can digestive enzymes help with menopause-related IBS symptoms?
No trial we've found has tested digestive enzyme supplementation in a menopausal population with IBS, or any other diagnosed GI condition. See digestive enzymes and GI disease for what the broader GI-condition research shows.
When to talk to a doctor
Digestive changes around menopause that are severe, persistent, or paired with other new symptoms are worth raising with a doctor rather than addressing with a digestive-enzyme supplement, which hasn't been tested for this life stage. See digestive enzymes: what the research does and doesn't show for the wider research picture.
Sources
- Ovarian function and gastrointestinal motor activity A 2011 review found that digestive symptoms — including bloating, distension, nausea and altered bowel habits — are reported more often around hormonal transitions, including perimenopause and menopause, and that estrogen and progesterone appear to influence gut motility and pain sensitivity; the review didn't test any treatment, and doesn't address digestive-enzyme levels or supplementation.
- Evaluation of the Safety and Efficacy of a Multienzyme Complex in Patients with Functional Dyspepsia: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study A 2018 placebo-controlled trial found that adults with functional dyspepsia who took DigeZyme (150 mg/day) for 60 days scored significantly better on several symptom questionnaires than those given a placebo, with no reported product-related side effects; the trial was run and funded by DigeZyme's own maker.
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.