It is very important that the body can digest efficiently. It this is not the case then foods will not be broken down and processed sufficiently and poor health will result.
Poor digestion can come about by faulty eating habits, not taking time to eat and eating too quickly, stress, illness and age.
Digestion starts in the mouth, with the production while you are chewing of salivary amylase which breaks down starch. Therefore it is extremely important for good digestion to thoroughly chew your food.
The second stage of digestion is in the stomach where the cells of the stomach lining produce Hydrochloric acid which provide the right conditions for the enzyme pepsin to start the breakdown of proteins. The food in the stomach must also be adequately acidified prior to it moving on into the duodenum as with out this acidity the further output of enzymes from the pancreas will not occur. This is why the use of anti-acid preparations can be detrimental to aiding good digestion as they prevent the adequate production of hydrochloric acid and in turn the adequate production of digestive enzymes.
Once the food has passed into the duodenum the intestinal phase of digestion proceeds in which the acidity of the intestinal content triggers the release of two hormones called secretin and cholecystokinin, which in turn stimulate the pancreas to produce further digestive enzymes (proteases, amylases and lipases).
As people age they often lose the ability to secrete sufficient acids and consequently can have poor digestion and poor absorption of nutrients
The final part of the digestive tract is the large intestine or the colon.The bacteria that live in the colon are of tremendous importance. When these bacteria are living in the correct balance we have a healthy intestinal tract with efficient elimination of waste matter, good nutrient absorption, regular bowel motions of the correct consistancy with no gas and no discomfort! See page on Probiotics.
The integrity of the bacteria in the bowel is controlled by both the acidity of the mucosa, by the amount of fibre in the diet and the balance of the dietry intake.
See page on 'Heartburn' for information on how to correct poor digestion.
All information on this page has been compiled by Alison Odey from personal research and from results seen and experienced over 20 years in private practice. It is not intended to diagnose or to be construed as medical advice, but to inform the reader of alternative options that may be available to them. Any remedy mentioned in the text can be obtained by contacting the writer:
Contacts: Phone -64 7 5721147 Website www.alisonodey.com
(Permission to copy this page in any form must be obtained from the said person).
Click here to return to Index
|
