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Part 1 - The role of your digestive system and symptoms of a dysfunctional gut. For us to cure or prevent disease and maintain optimal physical health, we must first understand the importance of an efficient digestive system, its role in optimizing our ability to heal from disease and illness and the many diseases caused by our guts not functioning properly. The organs of digestion are the Stomach, Pancreas, Small intestine, Liver, Gall bladder and Large intestine (Colon)  The process of digestion is to extract, break down, absorb and eliminate. Digestion extracts the nutrients from our food and drink breaking it down into nutrients small enough to be absorbed and used by the body. This process is completed by the eliminating of any waste products. You may think the digestive process starts in the mouth, however this process actually begins with the thought of food and the smell of food! Both stimulate the production of salvia containing digestive enzymes in the mouth…hence the expression my mouth waters or I salivate at the thought of or smell of…
Enzymes in our saliva begin the break down of carbohydrates in the mouth.
The chewing process is essential as it breaks down the food into small enough particles for the stomach to digest. Food particles then enter the stomach where they are broken down by additional enzymes and HCL (hydrochloric acid) produced by cells in the wall of the stomach. The strong acidity of HCL kills unwanted bacteria, germs, fungi and parasites in the food. It is here that proteins are broken down in amino acids ready for absorption in the small intestines.
Optimal digestion of food in the stomach is dependent on: - How well you chewed your food into particulars small enough for the HCL to breakdown the proteins and kill off the nasties.
- Adequate production of HCL by the wall of your stomach.
The digested food particles then enter the SI (small intestines) which is about 25 feet long. Digestive enzymes from the pancreas and bile from the liver are released into the SI to help with digestion. The SI is lined with receptors that know to absorb particular foods.
Once absorbed the nutrients is passed through the liver for processing. All the required nutrients then leave the liver and are delivered via your blood to provide the body with energy and to rebuild and repair cells. Any unwanted and undigested food particles move into the colon for elimination. The colon is about 5-6 feet long and houses trillions of bacteria, both good and bad. In a healthy colon the ratio of good to bad is about 85% good to 15% bad. The good bacteria produce vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5 B6, B12, A and K. So now we have a simple and clear understanding of this amazing system one can appreciate that unless it is working properly no amount of good food is going to help you address illness or disease within the body if the body isn’t able to digest and absorb the nutrients in the first place. Now let’s take a look at the many symptoms of a dysfunctional or poorly functioning digestive system: - Gas
- Bloating
- Headache
- Burping
- Reflux
- Fatigue after eating
- Abdominal distention
- Constant hunger
- Bowel irregularity (constipation & diarrhea)
- Muscles and joint aches
A dysfunctional digestive system when left unaddressed can lead to: - IBS (irritable bowl syndrome)
- Leaky gut
- Parasite and fungal overgrowth (Candida)
- Impaired immune system
These issues are often pre-cursers to the far more serious diseases we are faced with today. Next month in part 2 we explore the causes of digestive disorders are and what steps are needed to restore gut function for sustainable health.
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