Natrol Papaya Enzyme

Pros: good flavor, works well, fair price, no artificial ingredients
Cons: not readily available in stores, I must order online
I have a hard time with my digestive system being kind to me, so I’m always on the look-out for natural products to help me   I’ve been using Natrol brand Papaya Enzyme for  years now, and love them.

What first drew me to the Natrol brand was the ingredients.  When I take supplements, I prefer them to be devoid of artificial ingredients.  This fit the bill.  Sweetened with natural sugars and colored/flavored with  real, found-in-nature stuff, there’s nothing to dislike here.
These are round, chewable tablets.  They are sweet but not sickening sweet.  They have a nice, tropical fruity flavor.  The texture is smooth, not gritty or chalky at all.  They disappear quickly when you chew them up and leave no residue or film in your mouth.
I take them after dinner every night, and sometimes after lunch.  They aren’t medicine, they’re a dietary aid which helps the body naturally digest foods, especially protein.  I used to experience indigestion after eating a meal with red meat, no matter how slowly I ate.  That happens no more when I take my Papaya Enzymes.  I rarely have indigestion at all now, even on Burrito Fridays!

I am lactose intolerant (and severely so), and avoid dairy.  I will say that these Papaya Enzymes provide no help when I slip up and consume dairy.
A serving size is 2 chewable wafers.  I eat one when my meal is lighter, and two when it’s heavier or contains a lot of meat or spice.  If you forget to eat one right after your meal, don’t worry, it’ll still help you out even an hour later.  Trust me, I’ve done that a number of times!  On occasion, I’ll forget them or will eat out at a restaurant and not have any with me.  I’ll feel kind of heavy in my belly, slightly unsettled and then I realize I need my enzymes.  I take them at some point later and they will still help.  Longer than about two hours and it’s not going to help as much, though, as digestion is well under way.
If you’re wondering what exactly these enzymes are, they are papain, papaya, bromelain, and alpha amylase.  To me, this is a great combination to help with digestion of any kind of food.  I have tried several other brands over the years and none have given me the results the Natrol brand has.

Sadly for the gluten intolerant, these do contain wheat (found in the alpha amylase, according to the label).  However, they are free of dairy and egg.  In the future they may be gluten free, formulas can change, so it’s something worth keeping an eye on.
Right now I haven’t found these in any stores in my town.  I order online (from Vitacost.com) and they’re around $5.00 for the bottle containing 100 tablets.  Very fair price for this quality product.
If you suffer from even occasional indigestion, or “unwell” feeling after eating, try these, they’re awesome.  They really do make a difference in how I feel after eating a meal.

• made in the USA