THORNEAdvanced Digestive Enzymes (Formerly Bio-Gest) - Blend of Digestive Enzymes to Aid Digestion* - Gut Health Support with Pepsin, Ox Bile, Pancreatin - 180 Capsules - 90 Servings

It's rare that I write reviews anymore...but as I was standing at my sink doing dishes at 10 PM--without feeling completely exhausted--I had to stop what I was doing and write a review for this amazing product.I was just looking for a way to tolerate foods and avoid "issues" since I have developed a number of food allergies over the years. I was out of my go-to, and they no longer made it, so I was on the search for something that was as close to equal as possible.I WAS NOT EXPECTING EVERYTHING TO CHANGE.You guys!! Now, not only do I tolerate almost everything I'm allergic to, I have ENERGY, like, I must not have been absorbing ANY nutrients, because every day for me I felt like I was walking on loose sand...you know, the kind you trudge through with your hands full after leaving the beach with your stuff? And you feel like you're barely moving? Not the easy, mostly flat, wet sand. That was my all day every day for nearly 12 years. I NO LONGER FEEL LIKE THAT.I HAVE ENERGY TO WORK OUT. I AM NOT HUNGRY ALL THE TIME (I'm assuming I was extra hungry because though obese (due to no energy from not absorbing nutrients from my food), my body was STARVING.I have been walking almost double the amount of steps per day since I started. Sometimes more. Since I'm absorbing nutrients, I also noticed I'm not eating as much, and I have lost approximately 10 lbs. in the past two months. Y'all, this isn't a weight loss thing, but boy, when your body isn't starving from inability to absorb nutrients, it is AMAZING how much easier it is to put down the fork and have the extra energy to MOVE.SO, I can't say this is how it will be for everyone, but I just had to say thank you to the people at Thorne...you guys, between the Omega3-COQ10 and these Enzymes, I feel like I'm getting my life back. This was NOT what I expected when I took a chance with it. Thank you.One little con: for everyone new to this product, it takes a little trial and error for what your body can tolerate. The first few days I took it as directed and began to feel like there was a lump growing in my throat. I realized it could be causing acid reflux (like I didn't need quite that much dosing-wise). So I tapered and then when I knew I was going to be eating something I knew my body struggled with, I would take 2. If not, I would only take 1 or forego it altogether, again depending on what it was. As a result, that lump feeling/reflux went away, and it has been working perfectly ever since.But that is just my personal experience, not a direction for how to use it. Of course, as the bottle says, work with your doctor...I am NOT one. But as I am between doctors and I couldn't wait around for a suggestion since I was out of my old digestive enzymes, I stumbled on this, and I am ever so grateful I did.

No stomach issues since starting these.

I didn't know until about 6 months ago that after getting my gallbladder removed 8 years ago that I would no longer be able to efficiently break down the fats in my diet. The doctors don't tell you this! First, do everything in your power to keep all your body parts! Don't contribute to the giant medical and pharmaceutical money making machine! Try to heal yourself naturally first! If ALL else fails, then cut it out. I learned this too late and am now very much missing some very important parts, one of which is my gallbladder! I am now told that I will need to take ox bile forever! I tried bio-gest and one other brand. The other brand smelled absolutely disgusting and gave me bad stomach aches and diarrhea. Bio-gest is excellent! It doesn't have any smell and doesn't give me tummy problems, in fact, any tummy problems I had before are now gone. The combination of the bile, HCL, and enzymes have done wonders for my digestion. The only thing I add is some Lactaid if I'm over indulging in dairy. I'm wondering if I even need to suppliment with that anymore. I take 2 Biogest with any meal that has fat in it (which is most meals). I will also sometimes (most of the time) take one or two more with a fatty dessert like icecream, cheesecake, etc. I know it is helping me to absorb fats because after a couple months my hair, that had become very dry over the past couple years, started getting oily again if I skipped a couple days of washing, and now a few months later it is starting to look healthy and shiny again! It has also stopped falling out and is growing back in! I don't know if this is because of the increased fat absorbtion or not but just thought I would mention it. I am also wondering if my hair is doing better because the Bio-gest is having a positive affect on my hormones. I'm a 55 year old woman, 120 lbs, and I have been on bio-identical hormones for the past couple years. I get tested about every 6 months and my levels were barely budging even though I am topically taking fairly high levels. They were so low that they could hardly be charted on the labs printout. My doctor said I had the levels of an 85 year old, but according to the lab charts I wasn't even at that! I tested again a month ago after being on Biogest for about 5 months, unbelievably, my estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone had soared to the level of a 20 year old! Again, I'm not sure if all these possitive changes are the result of my body being able to digest and use the fats I'm eating (and I eat a lot of fat) or if it's all just a coincidence. Seems like a really big coincidence to me though!

Another reviewer wrote "it helped from the first day I took it". I doubted that and thought to try this advanced digestive enzyme anyway. I'm 72. Never been sick a day in my life, until this past year with painful stomach aches lasting all night sometimes. I researched and learned as we age we loose the enzymes necessary for regulating the speed of digestion. I don't have issues with breakfast or lunch so take two prior to dinner only. And, yes, they worked immediately. What a relief. They are expensive for me, but a priority. After much research on quality products, I only make Thorne purchases because I can trust them to deliver what they promise! No, I was not paid to make these comments!

I had my gallbladder removed over 30 years ago. I have had some mild, recurrent digestive issues for decades, but I didn't really think my lack of gallbladder was the issue. Over the past year, I had read several articles that recommended ox bile and HCl supplementation as digestive aids for people with gallbladder problems/removal, so I thought I'd give them a try. I didn't really have any expectations that this would make a noticeable difference in my digestion. To my surprise, my bouts of indigestion nearly disappeared completely, and other issues I had been having also cleared significantly. The only reason that I didn't give it 5 stars is because this is the only ox bile and HCl supplement I've tried and I have nothing to compare it to.