Issue link: https://cp.revolio.com/i/693894
run on crude oil, the human body needs to "refine" its fuel in order to run smoothly. It requires diges on. Diges on is the process by which the body breaks down food, extrac ng energy and nutrients and discarding unusable components. This break down process involves a coordinated set of events, combining mechanical breakdown through mas ca on with the deconstruc ve ac vi es of caus c chemicals and specialized enzymes. Unfortunately, research suggests that diges ve enzyme produc on decreases with advancing age. Understanding Digestion Diges on begins not in the stomach, but with the senses. The mere sight and aroma of tantalizing food sends signals to the brain that trigger a cascade of events. Saliva on increases, pumping the enzymes amylase and lipase into the mouth. Amylase, which is actually a family of related proteins, helps start the process of breaking down carbohydrates, while lipase ini ates the disassembly of fats into their simpler components. Chewing serves to mechanically break down food, ensuring efficient chemical and enzyma c disassembly of food. As chewing con nues, moistened, enzyme-laced bites of food are swallowed, aided by muscular contrac on, passing down the esophagus into the stomach. In the stomach, food is churned and combined with gastric acid, which consists primarily of hydrochloric acid. Pepsin released by the chief cells in the stomach degrades food proteins into pep des, while more diges ve enzymes are added to the mix. These enzymes selec vely break down proteins, carbohydrates and fats, before transpor ng the stomach's contents to the small intes ne, where the bulk of diges on and absorp on takes place. Importantly, the stomach also contributes a compound called intrinsic factor, which enables the absorp on of vitamin B12 further downstream. In the small intes ne, addi onal diges ve enzymes, including pancrea n, trypsin, and chymotrypsin are enlisted to further breakdown food. Produced by the intes nal lining or released into the intes ne by the pancreas, these enzymes play an important role in extrac ng nutrients from food. The liver contributes by producing bile, which is stored in the gallbladder and released in response to the presence of fats. Bile helps emulsify fats, rendering them more suscep ble to enzyma c breakdown. This ac on is important for the absorp on of fat-soluble vitamins, such as vitamins A, D, E, and K. This complex series of events breaks food down to its cons tuent amino acids, sugars, and fa y acids, which are readily absorbed through the lining of the small intes ne and transported into the bloodstream. Nutrients are then shunted to the liver, where filtra on occurs, toxins are inac vated and removed, and final processing happens. Obviously, enzymes play an integral role in this complex process. Unfortunately, many adults have inadequate amounts of these workhorse diges ve facilitators. One reason for this enzyme deficit can be traced back to the diet. Although natural enzymes are found in raw fruits and vegetables, many Americans consume too few of these healthful foods. And even when people make an effort to include adequate amounts of these foods in the diet, a majority of these enzymes may be inac vated through cooking and processing, rendering them useless. Addi onally, the amount of enzymes produced by the stomach, pancreas, and small intes ne is generally believed to decline as we age. Consequently, older people may experience problems with poor diges on, decreased nutrient absorp on, Abby's Magazine - Volume 4 Issue 3 | Page 39