It's probably good to have some idea about the structure of our digestive system and what happens to the food "inside"

It's probably good to have some idea about the structure of our digestive system and what happens to the food "inside".

A person who knows how to cook deliciously, but does not know what fate awaits his dishes after they are eaten, is likened to a car enthusiast who has learned the rules of the road and has learned to “turn the steering wheel”, but knows nothing about the structure of the car.

Going on a long journey with such knowledge is risky, even if the car is quite reliable. There are some surprises along the way.

Consider the most general device of the "digestive machine".

The process of digestion in the human body

So let's take a look at the diagram.

We took a bite of something edible.

TEETH

We bit off with our teeth (1) and we continue to chew with them. Even purely physical grinding plays a huge role - food must enter the stomach in the form of gruel, it is digested in pieces tens and even hundreds of times worse. However, those who doubt the role of teeth can try to eat something without biting off or grinding food with them.

tongue and saliva

When chewing, there is also impregnation with saliva secreted by three pairs of large salivary glands (3) and many small ones. Normally, from 0.5 to 2 liters of saliva is produced per day. Its enzymes basically break down starch!

With proper chewing, a homogeneous liquid mass is formed, requiring minimal costs for further digestion.

In addition to the chemical effect on food, saliva has a bactericidal property. Even in between meals, it always wets the oral cavity, protects the mucous membrane from drying out and contributes to its disinfection.

It is no coincidence that with minor scratches, cuts, the first natural movement is to lick the wound. Of course, saliva as a disinfectant is inferior in reliability to peroxide or iodine, but it is always at hand (that is, in the mouth).

Finally, our tongue (2) unmistakably determines whether it is tasty or tasteless, sweet or bitter, salty or sour.

These signals serve as an indication of how much and which juices are needed for digestion.

ESOPHAGUS

The chewed food passes through the pharynx into the esophagus (4). Swallowing - Pretty difficult process, many muscles participate in it, and to a certain extent it occurs reflexively.

The esophagus is a four-layer tube 22-30 cm long. V calm state the esophagus has a lumen in the form of a gap, but what is eaten and drunk does not fall down at all, but moves forward due to wave-like contractions of its walls. All this time, salivary digestion continues actively.

STOMACH

The rest of the digestive organs are located in the abdomen. They are separated from chest diaphragm (5) - the main respiratory muscle. Through a special hole in the diaphragm, the esophagus enters the abdominal cavity and passes into the stomach (6).

This hollow organ resembles a retort in shape. There are several folds on its inner mucous surface. The volume of a completely empty stomach is about 50 ml. When eating, it stretches and can hold quite a lot - up to 3-4 liters.

So, swallowed food in the stomach. Further transformations are determined primarily by its composition and quantity. Glucose, alcohol, salts and excess water can be absorbed immediately - depending on the concentration and combination with other products. The bulk of the food eaten is exposed to the action of gastric juice. This juice contains hydrochloric acid, a number of enzymes and mucus. It is secreted by special glands in the gastric mucosa, which number about 35 million.

Moreover, the composition of the juice changes every time: juice for every meal. Interestingly, the stomach, as it were, knows in advance what kind of work it has to do, and sometimes secretes the necessary juice long before eating - at the sight or smell of food. This was proved by Academician I.P. Pavlov in their famous experiences with dogs. And in a person, juice is secreted even with a distinct thought about food.

Fruits, curdled milk and other light foods require very little juice of low acidity and with a small amount of enzymes. Meat, especially with spicy seasonings, causes copious excretion very strong juice. Relatively weak, but extremely rich in enzymes, juice is produced for bread.

In total, an average of 2-2.5 liters of gastric juice is secreted per day. The empty stomach periodically contracts. This is familiar to everyone from the sensations of "hunger cramps." Eaten for some time suspends motor skills. This is an important fact. After all, each serving of food envelops inner surface stomach and is located in the form of a cone nested in the previous one. Gastric juice acts mainly on the surface layers in contact with the mucous membrane. Still inside for a long time saliva enzymes work.

Enzymes- These are substances of a protein nature that ensure the occurrence of any reaction. The main enzyme of gastric juice is pepsin, which is responsible for the breakdown of proteins.

DUODENUM

As the portions of food are digested, located near the walls of the stomach, they move towards the exit from it - to the pylorus.

Thanks to the motor function of the stomach, which has resumed by this time, that is, its periodic contractions, the food is thoroughly mixed.

As a result almost homogeneous semi-digested slurry enters the duodenum (11). The pylorus "guards" the entrance to the duodenum. This is a muscular valve that passes food masses in only one direction.

The duodenum refers to the small intestine. In fact, the entire digestive tract, from the pharynx to the anus, is one tube with a variety of thickenings (even as large as the stomach), many bends, loops, and several sphincters (valves). But the individual parts of this tube are distinguished both anatomically and according to the functions performed in digestion. So, the small intestine is considered to consist of the duodenum (11), jejunum (12) and ileum (13).

The duodenum is the thickest, but its length is only 25-30 cm. Its inner surface is covered with many villi, and in the submucosal layer there are small glands. Their secret contributes to the further breakdown of proteins and carbohydrates.

A common opening into the duodenal cavity bile duct and the main pancreatic duct.

LIVER

The bile duct supplies bile produced by the largest gland in the body, the liver (7). The liver produces up to 1 liter of bile per day- quite an impressive amount. Bile is made up of water, fatty acids, cholesterol and organic matter.

Bile secretion begins within 5-10 minutes after the start of a meal and ends when the last portion of food leaves the stomach.

Bile completely stops the action of gastric juice, due to which gastric digestion changes to intestinal.

She also emulsifies fats- forms an emulsion with them, repeatedly increasing the contact surface of fatty particles with enzymes acting on them.

GALL BLADDER

Its task is to improve the absorption of the breakdown products of fats and other nutrients - amino acids, vitamins, to promote the promotion of food masses and prevent their decay. Bile stores are stored in the gallbladder (8).

Its lower part adjacent to the pylorus is most actively reduced. Its capacity is about 40 ml, but the bile in it is in a concentrated form, thickening 3-5 times compared to hepatic bile.

When needed, it enters through the cystic duct, which connects to the hepatic duct. The formed common bile duct (9) delivers bile to the duodenum.

PANCREAS

The pancreatic duct also exits here (10). It is the second largest gland in humans. Its length reaches 15-22 cm, weight - 60-100 grams.

Strictly speaking, the pancreas consists of two glands - the exocrine gland, which produces up to 500-700 ml of pancreatic juice per day, and the endocrine gland, which produces hormones.

The difference between these two types of glands is that the secret of exocrine glands (exocrine glands) is secreted into external environment, in this case into the duodenal cavity, and the substances produced by the endocrine (that is, internal secretion) glands, called hormones, enter the blood or lymph.

pancreatic juice contains whole complex enzymes that break down all food compounds - proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. This juice is secreted with every "hungry" stomach cramp, but its continuous flow begins a few minutes after the start of the meal. The composition of the juice varies depending on the nature of the food.

Pancreatic hormones- insulin, glucagon, etc. regulate carbohydrate and fat metabolism. Insulin, for example, stops the breakdown of glycogen (animal starch) in the liver and switches the body's cells to feed primarily on glucose. This lowers the blood sugar level.

But back to the transformations of food. In the duodenum, it mixes with bile and pancreatic juice.

Bile stops the action of gastric enzymes and ensures proper functioning of the pancreatic juice. Proteins, fats and carbohydrates are further broken down. excess water, mineral salts, vitamins and fully digested substances are absorbed through the intestinal walls.

INTESTINES

Curving sharply, the duodenum passes into the jejunum (12), 2-2.5 m long. The latter, in turn, connects to the ileum (13), the length of which is 2.5-3.5 m. The total length of the small intestine is thus 5-6 m. Its suction capacity is greatly increased due to the presence of transverse folds, the number of which reaches 600-650. In addition, numerous villi line the inner surface of the intestine. Their coordinated movements ensure the promotion of food masses, through them they are absorbed nutrients.

It used to be thought that intestinal absorption was a purely mechanical process. That is, it was assumed that nutrients are broken down to elementary "bricks" in the intestinal cavity, and then these "bricks" penetrate into the blood through the intestinal wall.

But it turned out that in the gut, food compounds are not “disassembled” to the end, but final cleavage occurs only near the intestinal cell walls. This process was called membrane, or parietal.

What is it? Nutrient components, already fairly crushed in the intestine under the action of pancreatic juice and bile, penetrate between the villi of intestinal cells. Moreover, the villi form such a dense border that for large molecules, and even more so for bacteria, the surface of the intestine is inaccessible.

Intestinal cells secrete numerous enzymes into this sterile zone, and fragments of nutrients are divided into elementary components - amino acids, fatty acids, monosaccharides, which are absorbed. Both splitting and absorption occur in a very limited space and are often combined into one complex interrelated process.

One way or another, over five meters of the small intestine, food is completely digested and the resulting substances enter the bloodstream.

But they do not enter the general circulation. If this happened, the person could die after the first meal.

All blood from the stomach and from the intestines (thin and large) is collected in the portal vein and sent to the liver. After all, food provides not only useful compounds, during its splitting, many by-products are formed.

Toxins must also be added here. secreted by intestinal microflora, and many medicinal substances and poisons present in products (especially in modern ecology). And purely nutritional components should not immediately enter the general bloodstream, otherwise their concentration would exceed all permissible limits.

The position saves the liver. It is not for nothing that it is called the main chemical laboratory of the body. Here, the disinfection of harmful compounds and the regulation of protein, fat and carbohydrate metabolism take place. All of these substances can be synthesized and broken down in the liver.- on demand, ensuring the constancy of our internal environment.

The intensity of its work can be judged by the fact that with its own weight of 1.5 kg, the liver consumes about a seventh of the total energy produced by the body. About one and a half liters of blood passes through the liver per minute, and up to 20% can be in its vessels. total human blood. But let us trace the path of food to the end.

From the ileum through a special valve that prevents backflow, undigested residues enter the large intestine. Its upholstered length is from 1.5 to 2 meters. Anatomically, it is divided into the caecum (15) with appendix (16), ascending colon (14), transverse colon (17), descending colon (18), sigmoid colon(19) and straight line (20).

In the large intestine, water absorption is completed and feces are formed. To do this, intestinal cells secrete special mucus. The colon is home to a myriad of microorganisms. The excreted feces are about a third made up of bacteria. You can't say it's bad.

After all, a kind of symbiosis of the owner and his "tenants" is normally established.

The microflora feeds on waste, and supplies vitamins, some enzymes, amino acids and others. the right substances. In addition, the constant presence of microbes supports the performance immune system, not allowing her to "nap". And the "permanent inhabitants" themselves do not allow the introduction of strangers, often pathogenic.

But such a picture in iridescent colors happens only when proper nutrition. Unnatural, refined foods, excess food and wrong combinations change the composition of the microflora. Begin to dominate putrefactive bacteria, and instead of vitamins, a person receives poisons. Strongly hit on the microflora and all kinds of drugs, especially antibiotics.

But one way or another, the fecal masses move thanks to undulating movements colon- peristalsis and reach the rectum. At its exit, for safety, there are as many as two sphincters - internal and external, which close anus, opening only during defecation.

With a mixed diet, about 4 kg of food mass passes from the small intestine to the large intestine per day, while only 150-250 g of stool is produced.

But in vegetarians, feces are formed much more, because their food contains a lot of ballast substances. On the other hand, the intestines work perfectly, the microflora is the most friendly, and poisonous products do not even reach the liver for a significant part, being absorbed by fiber, pectins and other fibers.

This concludes our tour of the digestive system. But it should be noted that its role is by no means limited to digestion. Everything in our body is interconnected and interdependent both on the physical and energy planes.

More recently, for example, it has been established that the intestine is also the most powerful apparatus for the production of hormones. Moreover, in terms of the volume of synthesized substances, it is comparable (!) With all the rest endocrine glands, taken together. published

What to do if the body is not able to get all the nutrients that are contained in food? You can follow a diet meticulously and count up to a gram of nutrient macronutrients, but if digestion is disturbed, all in vain! It's like a bank where you keep your hard-earned money and it's eaten away by hidden fees and service charges.

Now more and more athletes are complaining about poor digestion. Eating at least two or three staple foods causes bloating, gas, and other unpleasant symptoms indicating digestive problems.

For those who care about their health, it is simply necessary to monitor digestion. good digestion will help to achieve the best results in bodybuilding. Bad - on the contrary, hinder progress. In this article, we will talk about simple ways, which will help improve digestion and, as a result, maintain health, improve sports performance.

Food transit time test

We offer a simple test with which you can find out how well the digestive system works.

1. Buy Activated carbon in tablets.
2. Take 5 g on an empty stomach. Remember what time you took it.
3. Watch out for when you have black stools.
4. When black stools appear, this is the time for food to pass through the intestines.

If it turned out less than 12 hours, it can be assumed that not all nutrients have time to be absorbed.
perfect time 12-24 hours.
If the time is more than 24 hours, food stagnates in the colon. This may indicate potential problems as decay products that must be excreted can enter the bloodstream. It also increases the risk of colon diseases.

Digestion

Next, let's talk about how the digestive system works. It can be compared to a fire hose from 7 m to 11 m, which begins in the oral cavity and ends at the anus. The inner layer of the digestive system is completely replaced every 3–5 days (!)

The main function of the digestive system is to break down food into various substances, which can later be used by the cells of the body to replenish energy, “repair”, grow, etc. As it passes through the digestive system, food is broken down into amino acids, glucose, and glycerol, depending on whether you are eating proteins, carbohydrates, or fats.

The most unpleasant thing is that, even adhering to, it would seem, the most proper diet, you may have problems. It doesn't matter what you eat if the food is poorly digested due to impaired digestion.

This is a word of caution to those who try to cram in as many calories as possible every day: your body can only absorb a certain amount. So let's take a closer look at the process of digestion from its very beginning to its very end.

Digestion starts in the head

In fact, digestion begins in the head. Remember Pavlov's dog, a famous example of classic training? Ivan Pavlov rang the bell, and his dogs began to salivate, as they knew that food was coming. The dog's body began to start the process of digestion already at the thought of an approaching feeding. The same thing happens with the human body, although, of course, in a more socially acceptable form.

Oral cavity

When food enters the mouth, the saliva enzyme, amylase, starts the digestive process and breaks down some of the carbohydrates, converting them into maltose, malt sugar. This is due to the destruction of bonds between carbohydrate molecules and the appearance of disaccharides and trisaccharides.

Esophagus

From the oral cavity, food enters the esophagus. This is the "pipe" through which food is transported from the mouth to the stomach. This process usually takes 5 to 6 seconds. If the food is poorly chewed, this may take up to several minutes!

At the bottom of the esophagus is a small valve called the esophageal sphincter. Ideally, it should remain closed most of the time and prevent gastric juices and food from escaping back into the esophagus. If this is not the case, a person may experience reflux - reverse flow, or even a hernia. esophageal opening diaphragm.

Stomach

In it, food is crushed, moistened and turned into a viscous liquid called chyme. Hydrochloric acid begins to break protein chains into small fragments. Hydrochloric acid and chyme are very acidic. If the acid comes into direct contact with the skin, severe burns can occur. Properties of hydrochloric acid contribute to the sterilization of food and the destruction harmful microbes who entered it.

Fortunately, a protective layer of mucus protects the walls of the stomach from burns and damage. Although, perhaps even among your friends there are people with a stomach ulcer. An ulcer appears when the protective layer is damaged, and hydrochloric acid literally burns a hole in the wall of the stomach.

The stomach also produces other substances: pepsin and lipase. Pepsin helps break down proteins, and lipase helps break down fats. Although most of the nutrients contained in food will be assimilated at further points on this journey, water, salt and ethyl alcohol can enter the bloodstream already directly from the stomach. This explains the speed with which you can get drunk without eating or drinking on an empty stomach.

Usually food is in the stomach from 2 before 4 hours, depending on its composition. As you know, fats and fiber can slow down this process.

Small intestine

This part of the "hose" has a length of 4-6 m. It is here that most of the nutrients are absorbed. Tiny villi absorb all sorts of nutrients. These villi and even smaller microvilli are part of the intestinal wall and serve to produce digestive enzymes. In addition, they prevent the absorption of potentially harmful substances.

It is important to note that there are certain types food and drugs, under the influence of which the intestinal wall loses the ability to distinguish what needs to be absorbed and what to block. This bowel condition is called leaky gut syndrome . This disease can cause a number of problems, which we will discuss below.

The first section of the small intestine is duodenum. This is where absorption takes place. minerals such as calcium, copper, manganese and magnesium. Absorption of many water- and fat-soluble vitamins also begins here. In addition, fats and carbohydrates such as fructose, glucose and galactose are digested here. If the pH (acidity) of the stomach is insufficient (usually expressed as not enough hydrochloric acid), these substances will be poorly absorbed.

The next section is jejunum. Its length is approximately 40% of the remaining length of the intestine. The jejunum has a layer of microvilli - a brush border that produces enzymes that facilitate the absorption of other carbohydrates: maltose, sucrose and lactose. Here, water-soluble B vitamins, as well as proteins and amino acids, begin to be absorbed. This is where most of the nutrients important to bodybuilders are absorbed.

The last and largest part of the small intestine is ileum. The ileum absorbs cholesterol, vitamin B12, and bile salts (needed to break down or emulsify fats).

Colon

The next stop on our journey is the colon. It is responsible for the absorption of water and nutrients remaining in the chyme into the blood. This the most important step in supplying the body with water .

WITH right side you have the ascending part of the large intestine. This is where stool begins to form and water is absorbed. If the chyme passes through the intestines too quickly, and the water does not have time to be absorbed, diarrhea begins or, in simple terms, diarrhea.

The transverse part of the large intestine crosses the abdomen and goes under the ribs. And finally, the very last part of the large intestine goes down the left side of the body and connects to the rectum, through which the stool leaves your body.

Increase the efficiency of digestion

Now let's talk about how to turn the digestive system into an efficient mechanism. The most important step is to remove the barrier to digestion and absorption, namely the prevention of leaky gut syndrome.

Leaky gut syndrome is a condition in which the lining of the intestine becomes damaged and its walls become permeable to substances that should not enter the blood and intervening tissues. Bacteria and foreign matter penetrate the intestinal membrane, but beneficial substances that should be absorbed do not.

Leaky gut syndrome is commonly seen in irritable bowel diseases such as celiac disease, Crohn's disease, various allergies, and many others.

So why does the intestine become too permeable? Doctors name different causes of digestive disorders. However, most doctors agree to recognize one of the risk factors chronic stress . You are surprised, aren't you?

Generally, nervous stress is the cause of many diseases. All the stories about heart disease cite stress as the cause, not cholesterol or high fat intake. The same applies to the digestive system!

If you are constantly stressed, the body's digestion process slows down, blood flow to the digestive organs decreases, and the production of toxic metabolic products increases. The fact is that the body does not see the difference between: “Oh, my God! A rabid wolverine is chasing me!” and “Oh my God! I'm late for work again!" The body loses sensitivity and begins to respond equally to all sources of stress.

Improper nutrition

Poor quality ("chemical") food damages the intestinal mucosa. Sugar, artificial fats and processed foods inflame the gastrointestinal tract. In addition, if your diet contains too little coarse fiber food, the food will linger in the intestines (the time it takes for food to pass through the intestines will increase), while harmful decay products will irritate and inflame the intestines.

No doubt you have heard of the need to maintain the right acid-base balance intestines? So, low-quality food (fast food, convenience foods) can upset this balance.

Medications

Perhaps among your acquaintances there are people whose condition worsened during the treatment. This happened because antibiotics, with which they were treated, along with harmful bacteria, they also killed the beneficial intestinal flora. Antibiotics are usually blamed for this. a wide range actions.

Fitness and bodybuilding fans should know that anti-inflammatory drugs (NIPV) can also be harmful. Perhaps for the gastric mucosa, these drugs are not so terrible, but the inner surface of the intestine suffers very much. Sometimes taking these drugs even causes physical pain.

Very often, in order to cope with pain, a person increases the dose of the medicine. NSAIDs block prostaglandins, which cause pain and inflammation. At the same time, prostaglandins, which promote healing, are also blocked. It turns out a vicious circle!

It is also important that all these drugs can damage the brush border of the inner surface of the small intestine. These small, brush-like protrusions play the final role in the digestion of carbohydrates.

In addition, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can slow down the process of renewal of the inner surface of the intestine, which occurs every 3-5 days. This weakens the intestines and can lead to leaky gut syndrome and other problems.

Dysbacteriosis

When the Candida fungus invades the intestinal wall and destroys the brush border, this leads to dysbacteriosis.

Dysbacteriosis is an imbalance in the intestinal flora in the intestines. This condition also occurs in the cases discussed earlier, when medications destroy the beneficial intestinal flora that can resist the fungus.

Leaky gut test

How to determine the presence of leaky gut syndrome? There are symptoms such as diarrhea, chronic joint pain, fever, gas, constipation, flatulence, mood swings, nervousness, fatigue, dyspepsia.

If you suspect that you have increased intestinal permeability, you can get tested by your doctor. You will have to drink a mannitol-lactulose solution and collect urine over the next six hours. Your doctor will send these to a lab where they can determine if you suffer from leaky gut based on your levels of mannitol and lactulose in your urine.

What do the test results mean:
High levels of mannitol and low levels of lactulose indicate that you are healthy - you do not have increased intestinal permeability (mannitol is easily absorbed by the body, but lactulose is not).
High urinary levels of both mannitol and lactulose indicate some degree of increased intestinal permeability. The degree is determined by the specific content of drugs.
Low levels of mannitol and lactulose indicate that you are having trouble absorbing nutrients from your gastrointestinal tract.
Low levels of mannitol and high levels of lactulose are also indicative of disease. Usually this result occurs when there is Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis.

What to do?

Here we have arrived. This is the very information for which, perhaps, you started reading this article.

Read the following 8 points that you must follow to get rid of the problems that you have in varying degrees.

1. Probiotic Supplements
If you have problems, you may need to restore the bacterial flora. The weight of the bacteria that live in our digestive tract reaches almost 2 kg! Not all bacteria are beneficial (salmonella, for example), but many are.

When buying probiotic supplements, look for a product with a wide range of ingredients. Or just make sure that the following two names form the basis of the formula:
lactobacilli. You may have heard of lactobacilli Acidophilus, or L.Acidophilus? They are mainly located in small intestine and help inhibit the growth of harmful bacteria such as E. coli, Candida and Salmonella. In addition, they are involved in the digestion of dairy products by breaking down casein and gluten, improve nutrient absorption and ferment lactose, acidifying the intestinal tract. low value pH creates unfavorable conditions for pathogenic flora and yeasts. The intestinal flora contributes to the production of B vitamins and even vitamin K.

bifidobacteria. Bifidobacteria are mainly found in the large intestine. They prevent the colonization of harmful bacteria in the colon. Bifidobacteria settle in the intestinal mucosa and protect it by displacing harmful bacteria and yeast.

Bifidobacteria produce an acid that maintains the acid-base balance in the gut, killing microbes that can cause disease. This is a very important supplement for those taking antibiotics or other medications we talked about earlier. These bacteria reduce the side effect of taking medications, which is expressed in the destruction of beneficial intestinal flora. They also help regulate peristalsis, the process by which food moves through the gastrointestinal tract. This is very important, because if food stays in the intestinal tract for too long, it can cause disturbances. In addition, these beneficial bacteria are able to produce B vitamins.

When Using Supplements, Choose Lactobacillus Acidophilus and bifidobacteria bifidum. It is better to use those that should be stored in the refrigerator. Be very wary of online supplements that are advertised as probiotics that don't need to be refrigerated. Of course, such species exist, but the best and strongest strains are those that survive at low temperatures.

2. Prebiotic Supplements
Prebiotics are fuel for beneficial bacteria, while probiotics are beneficial bacteria themselves.

Prebiotics are indigestible substances that are used by beneficial bacteria as an energy source. They stimulate the growth of beneficial bacteria such as bifidobacteria and lactobacilli, which we talked about. The two most common types are inulin and FOS (fructooligosaccharides). As a rule, prebiotics pass the digestive system unchanged and begin their miraculous action in the colon.

As for food choices, use artichokes, bananas, natural honey, garlic, onions, leeks, and chicory. Be sure to include them in your diet.

3. Antioxidants and Glutamine
Some substances can reduce the negative effects on the gastrointestinal tract.

Glutamine restores directly the intestinal mucosa. For the cells of the small intestine, this is the most the best food. This is the main tool for restoring and maintaining the integrity of the intestinal mucosa. Accept by 5 g twice a day.

N-acetyl-L-cysteine - powerful antioxidant and immune booster. Together with glutamine and glycine, it is a precursor of glutathione and an important antioxidant that protects cells from oxidative stress. It fights against already existing disorders in the intestines and improves immunity. Take daily for 2 g.

Alpha Lipoic Acid(ALA), another amazing supplement. It reduces free radical activity, improves liver function, and is even involved in the breakdown of glucose and regulates blood sugar. ALA restores antioxidants in the body, thus protecting the body from intestinal infections. You can take it as an antioxidant three times a day between meals (half of this dose is in the form of R-alpha lipoic acid).

If you are following scientific research, then you know that the bacterium Helicobacter pylori ( Helicobacter pylori) is the main cause of gastritis, ulcers and stomach cancer. Antioxidants can help protect us from these diseases.

4. Foods that stimulate intestinal flora
In this battle, fermented and sour-milk products are your main weapons. Pickled products have increased content probiotics. They improve digestion and are simply loaded with digestive enzymes.

We list three of the best products.

kimchi– Asian product type sauerkraut.

Sour cabbage . In Europe, it is used to treat ulcers and indigestion.

Dairy products enriched with cultures of beneficial bacteria: yogurt (natural), kefir, cottage cheese. Their beneficial effect on the digestive system is well known even from TV commercials.

5. Fiber
High-fiber fruits and vegetables protect the colon and reduce the likelihood intestinal diseases, including colon cancer. Remember that drinking safe sources dietary fiber may initially cause gas formation. This indicates the regulation of the intestinal flora, which is our goal.

Increase your fiber intake gradually. The body should not be stressed as a result of a rapid change habitual diet and abrupt transition to a large amount of fibrous food. Include either fruits or vegetables in every meal. Do not neglect vegetables in favor of fruits, as excessive consumption fruits can cause gastritis.

Don't worry about choosing between soluble and insoluble fibers. Be guided by the total intake in grams, since most high-fiber foods already contain the right ratio. Try to eat vegetables and fruits that are typical for this season. They have the highest level of nutrients, including for digestion.

6. Refusal of junk food
Use as little as possible simple carbohydrates, trans fat and alcohol. Remember that sugar, artificial fats and processed foods inflame the gastrointestinal tract!

Simple and valuable advice: do not eat those foods that do not spoil for a long time. Natural, "live" products, contribute to better digestion of food!

7. Eat digestive enzymes
Digestive enzymes are good because they can work in the stomach and intestines. Try to use the following main ingredients:
protease - helps break down protein
lipase - helps break down fats
amylase - involved in the breakdown of carbohydrates

Bromelain and papain- two more excellent enzymes for digesting proteins. If you prefer to get them from foods, eat fresh pineapple for bromelain and fresh papaya for papain. These enzymes are activated in all three sections of the small intestine. This distinguishes them from the protease, which can only act in its upper part.

Betaine hydrochloride- it good source hydrochloric acid, a chemical compound that is part of the gastric juice and is involved in the digestion of food, breaking down proteins and fats. The acidic environment also destroys pathogenic bacteria and microorganisms that have entered the stomach.

8. Change your lifestyle
It is very important to learn how to relax, relieve stress and enjoy life without any doping and stimulants. Find what you enjoy doing the most and do it as often as possible! By the way, hard training is a great way to relieve stress from the worries accumulated during the day, but you probably know about it. Leaving the gym, you can feel physically tired, but the mental stress is at zero, you are relaxed and calm. By the way, when doing exercises, the intestines are massaged, which helps in the fight against constipation.

Eat when you feel a slight hunger. Eating in the absence of appetite is harmful, it disrupts digestion. That is why when overeating during weight gain, bodybuilders get digestive problems.

Try to chew your food slowly and relax while eating. Take your time, say a short prayer, express gratitude, or say anything else you feel like saying in front of those you love.

A balanced life is always good. Appreciate your loved ones and, sitting at a family dinner, enjoy deliciously cooked food together.

Approximate diet in view of the above

The following is exemplary diet, which can be used by those of you who have digestive disorders. Naturally, it cannot be ideal for everyone, since all diseases are caused by different reasons. And yet we are sure that the diet will help you. Portion sizes, of course, depend on the individual's weight and metabolism.

Breakfast: 1 cup natural full fat cottage cheese ( lactic acid product with live enzymes), ¾ cup boiled oatmeal ( 3 g fiber), 1 banana ( 3 g fiber + prebiotics). Banana can be added directly to oatmeal.
Snack: 1 apple with peel ( 4 g fiber)
Lunch: 200 g chicken fillet½ cup fresh papaya ( digestive enzyme papain), 8 young shoots of asparagus ( 2 g fiber)
Dinner: 200 g fish, 2 slices of wholemeal black bread, 1 pear ( 5 g fiber), 2 tablespoons of honey ( prebiotic).
afternoon tea: 50 g isolate, 1 cup raspberries ( 8 g fiber), 1 cup kefir, 1 medium sweet potato
Dinner: 200 g beef, 1 cup broccoli ( 5 g fiber), ½ cup fresh pineapple ( contains bromelain).
Night snack: 1 cup kimchi ( live enzymes and probiotics)

Finally

A well-known expression of bodybuilders says: "You are what you eat." You can improve a little: “You are what you eat, digest and effectively assimilate minus what you excrete as a waste product»

Nutritional physiology is a field of human physiology that studies the processes of converting nutrients into energy and the structural elements of tissues. human body. The body is enriched with energy and structural elements due to the food that a person receives during the day.

Nutrition is the most important factor aimed at maintaining and ensuring such basic processes as growth, development and the ability to be active. These processes can be supported using only rational nutrition.

Before proceeding to the consideration of issues related to the basics rational nutrition various groups population, it is necessary to get acquainted with the processes of digestion in the body, where complex transformations of food take place, which are subsequently used for the plastic and energy purposes of the body.

Digestion- a complex physiological and biochemical process, during which the food taken in the digestive tract undergoes physical and chemical changes.

Digestion is the most important physiological process, as a result of which complex nutrients food under the influence of mechanical and chemical processing are converted into simple, soluble and, therefore, digestible substances. Their further path is to be used as a building and energy material in the human body.

Physical changes in food consist in its crushing, swelling, dissolution. Chemical - in the sequential degradation of nutrients as a result of the action on them of the components of digestive juices released into the cavity digestive tract his glands. The most important role in this belongs to hydrolytic enzymes.

Types of digestion

Depending on the origin of hydrolytic enzymes, digestion is divided into three types: proper, symbiotic and autolytic.

own digestion carried out by enzymes synthesized by the body, its glands, enzymes of saliva, stomach and pancreatic juices, and the epithelium of the furnace intestine.

Symbiotic digestion- hydrolysis of nutrients due to enzymes synthesized by the symbionts of the macroorganism - bacteria and protozoa of the digestive tract. Symbiotic digestion occurs in humans in the large intestine. Due to the lack of the corresponding enzyme in the secretions of the glands, food fiber in humans is not hydrolyzed (this is a certain physiological meaning - the preservation of dietary fibers that play important role in intestinal digestion), so digestion by its symbiont enzymes in the colon is an important process.

As a result of symbiotic digestion, secondary nutrients are formed, in contrast to the primary ones, which are formed as a result of their own digestion.

Autolytic digestion It is carried out due to enzymes that are introduced into the body as part of the food taken. The role of this digestion is essential in case of insufficiently developed own digestion. In newborns, their own digestion is not yet developed, so the nutrients in breast milk are digested by enzymes that enter the infant's digestive tract as part of breast milk.

Depending on the localization of the process of hydrolysis of nutrients, digestion is divided into intra- and extracellular.

intracellular digestion consists in the fact that substances transported into the cell by phagocytosis are hydrolyzed by cellular enzymes.

extracellular digestion is divided into cavitary, which is carried out in the cavities of the digestive tract by enzymes of saliva, gastric juice and pancreatic juice, and parietal. Parietal digestion occurs in the small intestine with the participation of a large number of intestinal and pancreatic enzymes on a colossal surface formed by folds, villi and microvilli of the mucous membrane.

Rice. Stages of digestion

Currently, the process of digestion is considered as a three-stage process: cavity digestion - parietal digestion - absorption. Cavitary digestion consists in the initial hydrolysis of polymers to the stage of oligomers, parietal digestion provides further enzymatic depolymerization of oligomers mainly to the stage of monomers, which are then absorbed.

The correct sequential operation of the elements of the digestive conveyor in time and space is ensured by regular processes of various levels.

Enzymatic activity is characteristic of each section of the digestive tract and is maximum at a certain pH value of the medium. For example, in the stomach, the digestive process is carried out in an acidic environment. The acidic contents passing into the duodenum are neutralized, and intestinal digestion occurs in a neutral and slightly alkaline environment created by secretions released into the intestine - bile, pancreatic juices and intestinal, which inactivate gastric enzymes. Intestinal digestion occurs in a neutral and slightly alkaline environment, first by the type of cavity, and then parietal digestion, culminating in the absorption of hydrolysis products - nutrients.

The degradation of nutrients by the type of cavity and parietal digestion is carried out by hydrolytic enzymes, each of which has a specificity expressed to some extent. The set of enzymes in the composition of the secrets of the digestive glands has species and individual characteristics, adapted to the digestion of the food that is characteristic of this type of animal, and those nutrients that prevail in the diet.

Digestion process

The process of digestion is carried out in the gastrointestinal tract, the length of which is 5-6 m. The digestive tract is a tube, expanded in some places. The structure of the gastrointestinal tract is the same throughout, it has three layers:

• outer - serous, dense shell, which mainly has a protective function;
• average - muscle participates in the contraction and relaxation of the organ wall;
• internal - a membrane covered with a mucous epithelium that allows simple food substances to be absorbed through its thickness; the mucosa often has glandular cells that produce digestive juices or enzymes.

Enzymes are substances of a protein nature. In the gastrointestinal tract, they have their own specificity: proteins are cleaved only under the influence of proteases, fats - lipases, carbohydrates - carbohydrases. Each enzyme is active only at a certain pH of the medium.

Functions of the gastrointestinal tract:

• Motor, or motor - due to the middle (muscular) membrane of the digestive tract, contraction-relaxation of the muscles captures food, chews, swallows, mixes and moves food along the digestive canal.
• Secretory - due to digestive juices, which are produced by glandular cells located in the mucous (inner) shell of the canal. These secrets contain enzymes (reaction accelerators) that carry out the chemical processing of food (hydrolysis of nutrients).
• The excretory (excretory) function carries out the excretion of metabolic products by the digestive glands into the gastrointestinal tract.
• Absorptive function - the process of assimilation of nutrients through the wall of the gastrointestinal tract into the blood and lymph.

The gastrointestinal tract begins in the oral cavity, then food enters the pharynx and esophagus, which carry out only transport function, the food bolus descends into the stomach, then into the small intestine, consisting of the 12 duodenum, jejunum and ileum, where the final hydrolysis (splitting) of nutrients mainly occurs and they are absorbed through the intestinal wall into the blood or lymph. The small intestine passes into the large intestine, where there is practically no digestion process, but the functions of the large intestine are also very important for the body.

Digestion in the mouth

Further digestion in other parts of the gastrointestinal tract depends on the process of digestion of food in the oral cavity.

The initial mechanical and chemical processing of food takes place in the oral cavity. It includes grinding food, wetting it with saliva, analyzing taste properties, the initial breakdown of food carbohydrates and the formation of a food bolus. The stay of the food bolus in the oral cavity is 15-18 s. Food in the oral cavity excites taste, tactile, temperature receptors of the oral mucosa. This reflex causes the activation of the secretion of not only the salivary glands, but also the glands located in the stomach, intestines, as well as the secretion of pancreatic juice and bile.

Mechanical processing of food in the oral cavity is carried out with the help of chewing. The act of chewing involves the upper and lower jaws with teeth, chewing muscles, oral mucosa, soft palate. In the process of chewing, the lower jaw moves in the horizontal and vertical planes, lower teeth contact with the top. At the same time, the front teeth bite off food, and the molars crush and grind it. The contraction of the muscles of the tongue and cheeks ensures the supply of food between the dentition. The contraction of the muscles of the lips prevents food from falling out of the mouth. The act of chewing is carried out reflexively. Food irritates the receptors of the oral cavity, nerve impulses from which along the afferent nerve fibers trigeminal nerve enter the center of chewing, located in the medulla oblongata, and excite it. Further along the efferent nerve fibers of the trigeminal nerve, nerve impulses arrive at the masticatory muscles.

In the process of chewing, the taste of food is assessed and its edibility is determined. The more fully and intensively the chewing process is carried out, the more actively the secretory processes proceed both in the oral cavity and in the lower parts of the digestive tract.

The secret of the salivary glands (saliva) is formed by three pairs of large salivary glands (submandibular, sublingual and parotid) and small glands located in the mucous membrane of the cheeks and tongue. 0.5-2 liters of saliva is formed per day.

The functions of saliva are as follows.

Wetting food, dissolution of solids, impregnation with mucus and the formation of a food bolus. Saliva facilitates the process of swallowing and contributes to the formation of taste sensations.

Enzymatic breakdown of carbohydrates due to the presence of a-amylase and maltase. The enzyme a-amylase breaks down polysaccharides (starch, glycogen) to oligosaccharides and disaccharides (maltose). The action of amylase inside the food bolus continues when it enters the stomach until a slightly alkaline or neutral environment remains in it.

Protective function associated with the presence of antibacterial components in saliva (lysozyme, immunoglobulins of various classes, lactoferrin). Lysozyme, or muramidase, is an enzyme that breaks down the cell wall of bacteria. Lactoferrin binds iron ions necessary for the vital activity of bacteria, and thus stops their growth. Mucin also performs a protective function, as it protects the oral mucosa from damaging effects. food products(hot or sour drinks, hot spices).

Participation in the mineralization of tooth enamel - calcium enters tooth enamel from saliva. It contains proteins that bind and transport Ca 2+ ions. Saliva protects teeth from the development of caries.

The properties of saliva depend on the diet and type of food. When taking solid and dry food, more viscous saliva is secreted. When inedible, bitter or acidic substances enter the oral cavity, a large amount of liquid saliva is released. The enzyme composition of saliva can also change depending on the amount of carbohydrates contained in food.

Regulation of salivation. swallowing. The regulation of salivation is carried out by autonomic nerves that innervate the salivary glands: parasympathetic and sympathetic. When excited parasympathetic nerve salivary gland produces a large amount of liquid saliva with low content organic substances (enzymes and mucus). When excited sympathetic nerve a small amount of viscous saliva containing a lot of mucin and enzymes is formed. The activation of salivation during food intake occurs first according to the conditioned reflex mechanism at the sight of food, preparation for its reception, inhalation of food aromas. At the same time, from visual, olfactory, auditory receptors, nerve impulses along afferent neural pathways enter the salivary nuclei medulla oblongata (salivation center), which send efferent nerve impulses along the parasympathetic nerve fibers to the salivary glands. The entry of food into the oral cavity excites the mucosal receptors and this ensures the activation of the salivation process. by the mechanism of the unconditioned reflex. Inhibition of the activity of the center of salivation and a decrease in the secretion of the salivary glands occurs during sleep, with fatigue, emotional arousal, as well as with fever, dehydration.

Digestion in the oral cavity ends with the act of swallowing and the entry of food into the stomach.

swallowing is a reflex process and consists of three phases: 1st phase - oral - is arbitrary and consists in the receipt of the food bolus formed during chewing on the root of the tongue. Next, there is a contraction of the muscles of the tongue and pushing the food bolus into the throat; 2nd phase - pharyngeal - is involuntary, carried out quickly (within approximately 1 s) and is under the control of the swallowing center of the medulla oblongata. At the beginning of this phase, contraction of the muscles of the pharynx and soft palate raises the veil of the palate and closes the entrance to nasal cavity. The larynx shifts upward and forward, which is accompanied by the descent of the epiglottis and the closure of the entrance to the larynx. At the same time, there is a contraction of the muscles of the pharynx and relaxation of the upper esophageal sphincter. As a result, food enters the esophagus; 3rd phase - esophageal - slow and involuntary, occurs due to peristaltic contractions of the esophageal muscles (contraction of the circular muscles of the esophageal wall above the food bolus and longitudinal muscles located below the food bolus) and is under control vagus nerve. The speed of movement of food through the esophagus is 2 - 5 cm / s. After relaxation of the lower esophageal sphincter, food enters the stomach.

Digestion in the stomach

The stomach is a muscular organ where food is deposited, mixed with gastric juice and promoted to the stomach outlet. The mucous membrane of the stomach has four types of glands that secrete gastric juice, hydrochloric acid, enzymes and mucus.

Rice. 3. Digestive tract

Hydrochloric acid imparts acidity to the gastric juice, which activates the enzyme pepsinogen, turning it into pepsin, participating in protein hydrolysis. The optimal acidity of gastric juice is 1.5-2.5. In the stomach, protein is broken down into intermediate products (albumoses and peptones). Fats are broken down by lipase only when they are in an emulsified state (milk, mayonnaise). Carbohydrates are practically not digested there, since carbohydrate enzymes are neutralized by the acidic contents of the stomach.

During the day, from 1.5 to 2.5 liters of gastric juice is secreted. Food in the stomach is digested from 4 to 8 hours, depending on the composition of the food.

The mechanism of secretion of gastric juice is a complex process, it is divided into three phases:

• cerebral phase, acting through the brain, involved both unconditioned and conditioned reflex(look, smell, taste, food intake into the oral cavity);
• gastric phase - when food enters the stomach;
• intestinal phase, when certain types of food (meat broth, cabbage juice etc.), entering the small intestine, cause the release of gastric juice.

Digestion in the duodenum

From the stomach, small portions of the food slurry enter the initial section of the small intestine - the duodenum, where the food slurry is actively exposed to pancreatic juice and bile acids.

Pancreatic juice, which has an alkaline reaction (pH 7.8-8.4), enters the duodenum from the pancreas. Juice contains the enzymes trypsin and chymotrypsin, which break down proteins - to polypeptides; amylase and maltase break down starch and maltose into glucose. Lipase acts only on emulsified fats. The emulsification process occurs in the duodenum in the presence of bile acids.

Bile acids are a component of bile. Bile is produced by the cells of the largest organ - the liver, which weighs from 1.5 to 2.0 kg. Liver cells constantly produce bile, which is stored in the gallbladder. As soon as the food slurry reaches the duodenum, bile from the gallbladder through the ducts enters the intestines. Bile acids emulsify fats, activate fat enzymes, enhance motor and secretory function small intestine.

Digestion in the small intestine (jejunum, ileum)

The small intestine is the longest section of the digestive tract, its length is 4.5-5 m, its diameter is from 3 to 5 cm.

Intestinal juice is the secret of the small intestine, the reaction is alkaline. Intestinal juice contains a large number of enzymes involved in digestion: peitidase, nuclease, enterokinase, lipase, lactase, sucrase, etc. The small intestine, due to the different structure of the muscle layer, has an active motor function(peristalsis). This allows the food gruel to move into the true intestinal lumen. This is facilitated by the chemical composition of food - the presence of fiber and dietary fiber.

According to the theory of intestinal digestion, the process of assimilation of nutrients is divided into cavity and parietal (membrane) digestion.

Cavitary digestion is present in all cavities of the gastrointestinal tract due to digestive secrets - gastric juice, pancreatic and intestinal juice.

Parietal digestion is present only in a certain segment of the small intestine, where the mucous membrane has a protrusion or villi and microvilli, which increase the inner surface of the intestine by 300-500 times.

Enzymes involved in the hydrolysis of nutrients are located on the surface of the microvilli, which significantly increases the efficiency of the process of absorption of nutrients in this area.

The small intestine is an organ where most of the water-soluble nutrients, passing through the intestinal wall, are absorbed into the blood, fats initially enter the lymph, and then into the blood. All nutrients through the portal vein enter the liver, where, having been cleansed of toxic substances digestion, are used to nourish organs and tissues.

Digestion in the large intestine

The movement of intestinal contents in the large intestine is up to 30-40 hours. Digestion in the large intestine is practically absent. Glucose, vitamins, minerals are absorbed here, which remained unabsorbed due to the large number of microorganisms in the intestine.

In the initial segment of the large intestine, almost complete assimilation of the liquid that has entered there (1.5-2 liters) occurs.

Of great importance for human health is the microflora of the large intestine. More than 90% are bifidobacteria, about 10% are lactic acid and Escherichia coli, enterococci, etc. The composition of the microflora and its functions depend on the nature of the diet, the time of movement through the intestines and the intake of various medications.

The main functions of normal intestinal microflora:

• protective function - the creation of immunity;
• participation in the process of digestion - the final digestion of food; synthesis of vitamins and enzymes;
• maintaining the constancy of the biochemical environment of the gastrointestinal tract.

One of the important functions of the large intestine is the formation and excretion of feces from the body.

The digestive organs include the entire gastrointestinal tract: the oral cavity (including teeth and tongue), pharynx, esophagus, stomach, small and colon. The coordinated work of the digestive system is regulated by auxiliary organs. These include the salivary glands, pancreas, gallbladder and liver: they secrete enzymes, hormones and other substances necessary for digestion.

human digestion

The process of digestion begins in the mouth. With the help of teeth and tongue, food is pre-processed, crushed, moistened with saliva. Saliva contains the enzyme amylase, which begins the process of digestion of carbohydrates contained in the food bolus. Chewed and saliva-moistened food is converted into chyme - a food lump that moves through the esophagus to the stomach.

In the stomach, food is mixed with gastric juice, which is a solution of hydrochloric acid and a mixture of pepsin enzymes. Their main function is the initial splitting of protein molecules to amino acids. Next, the food lump enters the small intestine, which consists of the duodenum, jejunum and. In the duodenum are excretory ducts pancreas and gallbladder, through which bile and enzymes enter the intestinal lumen.

Pancreatic enzymes (lipase, amylase, trypsin, chymotrypsin and others) break down proteins into amino acids, fats into fatty acids, and complex carbohydrates- to simple. The pancreas also secretes hormones - insulin and glucagon, coordinating carbohydrate metabolism. Bile contains bile acids, cholesterol and phospholipids. The main one is the breakdown and digestion of fats from food. The small intestine itself also secretes its own enzymes. These are various peptidases that continue the process of protein cleavage; sucrase, maltase, for the breakdown of carbohydrates; and lipase - for the breakdown of fats.

Thus, in the small intestine, the absorption of all nutrients that have passed the complex path of cleavage (proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals) occurs. The small intestine is the main organ in which food is digested. The intestinal wall consists of microscopic villi, which are the "gates" between the intestinal lumen and the blood capillaries. Through them, nutrients enter directly into the blood.

Further digestion is carried out in the large intestine under the action of "beneficial" bacteria inhabiting its lumen. The large intestine absorbs water and electrolytes. Undigested food particles move to the rectum with the help of peristalsis and are excreted from the body.

The process of human digestion is extraordinary interesting topic. Daily busy with business, on the run and worries, we are used to eating on the go and do not even think about how carelessly we treat the digestive system.

After all, our health depends on it. appearance and life expectancy. The digestive system is very rationally created and works perfectly, from "input" to "output". It is one of the most unique and complex segments of our body.

The process of digestion - the initial stage

The main food processor is the gastrointestinal tract - gastrointestinal tract. The food eaten, of course, does not go straight into the stomach and does not remain there forever. First, it should be thoroughly chewed and abundantly moistened with saliva, that is, the work of the digestive system begins in the mouth and our main chewing organ, the teeth, must be in perfect order. Thus, we are talking about the first stage, which is purely mechanical.

The tongue is also involved in the processing of food, it has more than 10 thousand words. taste buds- papillae. The entire population of the earth taste buds work identically, distinguishing 4 tastes: sweet, bitter, sour and salty.

The stomach is the main processor

Further, the food is sent to the channel, which is divided into the esophagus and trachea: one - in order to breathe, the second - to swallow food. If even a small particle of food gets into the trachea, the person will suffocate, but here we were lucky. At the beginning of the trachea there is a valve, it automatically closes when we swallow something and food cannot get there. It is no coincidence that Russian folk proverb says: "When I eat, I am deaf and dumb." The structure of the valve changes with age. In an infant, it is higher than in an adult. The baby can eat, breathe and suck at the same time.

In the stomach, food is processed with the help of gastric juice. The second stage begins - chemical. The main processes of digestion take place in the small intestine. Under the action of enzymes, pancreatic juice of the pancreas breaks down and absorbs proteins, fats, carbohydrates and nucleic acids. Most of the vitamins and minerals are absorbed in the small intestine. Water, salts and monomers are absorbed in the large intestine. There is a formation of fecal masses and their withdrawal.

Thus, 4 components are involved in the process of digestion: food, enzymes, bacteria, water. If these 4 components are in the right quantity and quality, then all diseases will pass.

This is a very simplified scheme: many other organs are involved in the process of digestion - the liver, spleen, gallbladder etc. But I will pay attention to them in future articles. Let's talk in more detail about the main "reservoir" for incoming food - the stomach. This organ in its initial part is connected with the esophagus, and in the final part with the duodenum. The stomach is located at the top abdominal cavity, just above the diaphragm.

The process of digestion. Physiology

It is a mistake to think that the size of the stomach is the same for all people: even for the same person, it can vary depending on the time of day, body position and some other factors. What then to speak of different individuals! One, for example, is fat, eats many times a day, absorbing food in large quantities. The other, small and skinny, eats very little. It is clear that the stomach of such people is different: in the first it is stretched to the utmost, and in the second it is significantly reduced in size. Well, if we talk about average indicators, then the length of the stomach is 15-30 cm, the width is 10-15 cm, and the capacity is no more than 2.5 liters.

Chemical treatment of incoming food

In the stomach, food undergoes changes: proteins turn into peptones - the products of incomplete hydrolysis of proteins are called so. Peptones consist mainly of mixtures of different polypeptides. In addition, free amino acids and fats are digested, all this is mixed with hydrochloric acid and brought to a state of slurry called chyme. This chyme gradually, in small portions, enters the duodenum.

This process is undulating in nature: waves of peristalsis from the bottom of the stomach go at intervals of three times per minute in the direction of the pylorus - special department GIT. Even if a small amount of acidic gastric contents enters the duodenum, the pylorus inlet, i.e. sphincter, close. This position will last until the contents are neutralized not only by intestinal juice with its alkaline reaction, but also by pancreatic secretions and bile. And after that, the sphincter again comes to a relaxed state, and the next dose of gastric contents begins to flow into the duodenum.

As you can see, the process of digestion, even in this brief summary, seems complicated, especially since the conversation about the stomach is not over yet. This organ is a mucous membrane that is covered small glands. These glands secrete, in addition to hydrochloric acid, the enzymes renin and pepsin.

Well-coordinated work of the digestive tract is the key to health

Gastric juice is produced and secreted by no means automatically: its quantity, as well as the excretion process itself, is influenced by many factors. For example, with a beautifully set table and an intricately decorated dish, the appetite increases significantly. What can not be said about the hastily eaten cheburek in the nearest eatery, ate it and did not even understand what it was? Juice secretion is provoked by cold, spices, caffeine, nicotine, and some protein products. There are also foods that prevent the awakening of appetite.

Some people in moments of stress or worries begin to row everything out of the refrigerator. But there are others - those whose excitement completely deprives their appetite. In such cases, the production of gastric juice is suspended under the influence of the sympathetic nervous system. In especially severe cases, a person can be struck down by indomitable vomiting, which is by no means always a sign of gastrointestinal pathology - remember the well-known saying: "All diseases are from nerves."

If all the digestive organs work in harmony, that is, the incoming products are not only suitable for absorption, but also undergo proper chemical processing and participate properly in metabolism, we can talk about health. Of course, the timely, regular removal of residues from the body, defecation also plays an important role.

Watch an educational film. Physiology. The process of digestion.

Wish you good mood and digestion!