Most men today eat diets loaded with processed foods, low fiber, and cooked meals that lack natural enzymes. Over time, the body becomes less efficient at producing digestive enzymes, especially as we age.

Without enough enzymes, your body can’t fully break down proteins, fats, or carbs — leading to bloating, gas, and poor nutrient absorption. Even high-quality foods can go to waste if your gut can’t digest them properly.

This contributes to fatigue, muscle recovery issues, and stubborn fat gain. Your digestive system is working harder than it should, creating systemic stress. You feel it as brain fog, low energy, and that constant post-meal heaviness.

Your gut is home to trillions of bacteria — and when the wrong types dominate, everything suffers. Stress, antibiotics, poor diet, and alcohol disrupt the balance between good and bad microbes.

This imbalance (called dysbiosis) weakens the gut lining and promotes inflammation, which spills into energy systems, hormones, and brain function. You may not feel “sick,” but symptoms like mental fog, sluggish digestion, and low drive start showing up.

A compromised microbiome also lowers immunity and impacts testosterone regulation. If you’re always chasing energy with caffeine or feel like your edge is fading, it often starts in your gut.

Many men are walking around with silent, chronic inflammation driven by poor digestion and gut barrier dysfunction. When your gut lining is compromised — aka “leaky gut” — undigested particles sneak into your bloodstream, triggering immune responses.

Your body stays in a low-level fight mode, which drains energy, clouds thinking, and blunts physical performance. Over time, this creates a hormonal ripple effect, lowering testosterone and increasing cortisol.

You may feel tired, puffy, and less resilient, but traditional bloodwork won’t always catch it. This stealth inflammation is one of the biggest, least diagnosed reasons for declining vitality in men over 40.