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Generally when people hear the word "digestion," they think about the digestive system and food. While our digestive system does work very hard for us converting food into energy and absorbing important nutrients, digestion is just one of its tasks. The digestive system also acts as a barrier between you and the outside world to prevent unwanted bacteria and toxins from getting into your body. So, it helps your body get what it needs while also helping keep bad things out.
The gastrointestinal (GI) tract is the body's digestive tract that is made up of the mouth, stomach, small intestine and large intestine, or colon. The salivary glands, liver, gallbladder and pancreas all support proper functioning of the GI tract. The functioning of the GI tract is a coordinated series of events that ensure proper digestion of the foods we eat and the ability of our systems to absorb important nutrients. To put it simply, the foods we eat travel from our mouths to our stomachs and then to our small intestines and large intestines. The digestive process takes place every step of the way.
The small intestine is responsible for breaking down food, absorbing nutrients into your body, and getting rid of what's not useful. Digestive enzymes are proteins that help break or make a bond to ensure proper breaking down of foods and digestion during this process. The small intestine has a large surface area that allows for efficient nutrient absorption. And yet because of the large surface area of the small intestine, this is where your digestive system works really hard to keep bad things out of your body. The large intestine, also known as the colon, has two primary jobs. It extracts additional nutrients from partially digested food, and it absorbs water.
So, keep your digestive system happy and avoid general digestive problems, digestive ailments, or a digestive disorder. Feel your best with a healthy digestive system.
