Digestion – The Great Equalizer

No matter what other things may separate man from his fellow man, one thing that is common among all people is digestion. Digestion is the mechanical and chemical breaking down of food into proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals so that it can be absorbed by the body, into the blood stream. Though there are a range of conditions that may impede digestion, the simple fact is that, in some form, all people need digestion to live. The digestive tract of a human being starts at the mouth and ends with the colon and is nearly 9 meters long. The entire digestion process can take as long as 72 hours to complete.

Digestion actually starts in the mouth, with the teeth and tongue reducing food into smaller particles and the enzymes in saliva starting the process of breaking down some of the compounds in our food. From there food will travel into the esophagus, which will direct the food into the stomach. Food only spends about 7 seconds in the esophagus and no actual digestion takes place there. The stomach is full of acids and enzymes which churn and break down the food into more of its true molecular form. From there it will enter the small intestine, the large intestine and eventual the colon, where any remaining waste product will be expelled.

There are many different ailments that are known to inhibit the body's ability to digest food. Some are directly related to structural defects which inhibit digestion, while others involve a lack of a particular enzyme or intolerance to specific compounds that may be contained in food. Many people are lactose intolerant, which means that they are unable to process the specific sugar compounds that are found in dairy products. Depending upon the severity of the intolerance, ingesting food with the offending compounds can cause severe gastrointestinal distress.

There are many things that one can do to encourage good digestive health. The simplest is to make sure that all things are taken in moderation to make sure that the digestive tract does not become overwhelmed with a particular type of food. Foods that are high in fat or other components that are hard to break down may slow digestion and lead to gastrointestinal distress. There are a number of herbal supplements that can be taken which aid in digestion, and are highly recommended for improving the health of the digestive tract. Since we all eat to live, it is very important that we do everything we can to maintain the health of this important system.

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