Digestive System

Solid waste passes through the large intestine where the nutrients are digested and taken into the body by osmosisi. It continues on thru the digestive tract via waves of peristalsis, where digestion is assisted by the addition of digestive enzymes all thru the process . It then reaches the rectal vault , which is where it's stored (as faeces). It is then released out of the body via the anus.

Cells use digested foods as a source of energy to power various cellular processes, such as growth, repair, and maintenance. Nutrients from digested foods are also used to build and repair cellular structures, enzymes, and hormones. Additionally, cells can store excess nutrients for later use.

What Is An Elemental Diet? An elemental diet is - in a perfect world - a liquid diet consisting of completely pre-digested nutrients that include a combination of: protein, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals. It is highly beneficial to also add an ample amount of Essential Fatty Acids such as, flax oil or coconut oil. An elemental diet (also known as an enteral diet) is often prescribed for people who suffer from autoimmune disorders such as Crohn's Disease, Diverticulitis, AIDS and severe cases of Cancer. Elemental diets are also used for pre and post-surgery patients who are not able to eat solid foods or who are malnourished. Recent clinical trials involving children with active Crohn's disease in England and Italy have demonstrated that "elemental diet therapy is as effective as steroids in inducing remission in people who suffer from gastrointestinal disorders whilst avoiding steroid side effects". As a result of these clinical trials, it is now beginning to be understood that an elemental diet can be used as an alternative to using steroids like prednisone, which can have undesirable side effects. Following an elemental diet is a difficult undertaking requiring a lot of self-discipline. If you're going to undertake something as difficult and restrictive as an elemental diet, then you might as well fully commit to it and use the period to facilitate a complete overhaul and root-level healing of your body and immune system. Many of the elemental diet formulas are primarily used in hospitals. Unfortunately, they are poorly formulated. Often times they taste bad, are loaded with artificial flavors and sweeteners, large amounts of sugar (in relation to maltodextrin) and high levels of low quality oils - which can actually result in painful intestinal spasming. To date, the highest quality and most tolerable, liquid diet drink is a powdered formula made by Imix Naturals called Absorb Plus. It has been specifically designed for people who need a completely pre-digested diet. Although it can also be used for either losing weight while maintaining muscle mass or gaining weight by building solid muscle mass, not fat. Absorb Plus can also be used in conjunction with "The IBD Remission Diet" - a very specific natural diet and supplementation plan devised to induce disease remission. The protocol is designed to completely heal the GI tract, starving off the bad bacteria in your intestine and replacing them with good bacteria, and restoring health and balance from the cellular level on up throughout the immune system. Although this elemental treatment is specifically formulated to address inflammatory bowel conditions like Crohn's, Ulcerative Colitis and Diverticulitis, people can likely find other health conditions will also be resolved as the program facilitates extensive whole-body healing. Typically, an elemental diet alone will not benefit people with Ulcerative Colitis or IBS, however as the elemental is only ONE component of The IBD Remission Diet, thousands with colitis or severe IBS have also used it as a tool to induce remission. This is most likely the result of the pathogens being cleared from the gastrointestinal tract and replaced with good bacteria, the supplements which heal the mucosal lining and intestinal wall, the whole-body detox provided by the elemental diet and the myriad of bodily functions assisted by the targeted amino acid blend and other herbal supplements prescribed.

Chemical digestion reduces large complex molecules to simpler compounds through the action of enzymes. Enzymes break down carbohydrates, proteins, and fats into smaller molecules that can be absorbed by the body for energy and nutrients. This process occurs in the stomach and the small intestine.

The mouth opens into the pharynx, not the uvula, soft palate, or larynx. The pharynx serves as a passageway for both air and food.

Bile enters the gastrointestinal tract at the duodenum, the first part of the small intestine. It is released from the gallbladder and helps in the digestion of fats by emulsifying them.

Macromolecules of digestion include carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. These complex molecules are broken down into smaller units during the process of digestion in order to be absorbed by the body for energy and nutrient storage.

Comparing the human system to a plumbing system implies that both involve the movement of materials through interconnected channels to various parts of a structure. In the case of the human body, it refers to how blood, nutrients, and waste travel through the circulatory, digestive, and excretory systems to sustain life and maintain health. Just like how plumbing systems keep a building functioning properly, the intricate networks within the human body work together to ensure its proper functioning.

After the food is processed in the stomach of a frog, the partially digested food moves into the small intestine for further digestion and absorption of nutrients.

Maltose is digested in the small intestine by the enzyme maltase, which breaks it down into two glucose molecules. These glucose molecules can then be absorbed into the bloodstream and used for energy by the body.

As well as being partly innervated by the same nerves as the rest of the body, the digestive system also has its own dedicated mini system called the enteric nervous system.

More specifically the innervation of the Stomach is by a few main facets:

Parasympathetic Efferents (outflow) via the Vagus nerve which originates in the brianstem

Sensory Afferents (inflow to the central nervous system) via the Vagus

Sympathetic Efferents from the spinal cord

Sesory Efferents via the spinal cord

To elaboarte on each of these; the Vagal impulses mediate what you could call the 'rest and digest' side of physiological function and increase gastric secretions and motility. On the other hand the parasympathetic efferents do the reverse (Parasympathetic activity via Muscarinic Receptors and Sympathetic Via Adrenergic).

The spinal nerves that particularly supply the (Gastric Plexus) Stomach originate from the Coeliac Plexus and are constituted by the Greater Splanchnic Ganglion and Lesser Splanchnic Ganglion.

These nerves originate from T5-T9 (Greater = T5-9, Lesser = T9-10)

The enteric nervous system refers to intrinsic innervation of the GIT via ganglia just below the mucosa and between the circular and longitudinal smooth muscle. The sensory role of the submucosal plexus is to control glandular secretion whilst the myenteric plexus senses stretch and contraction of the smooth muscle. Increases in stretch immediately increase secretion via reflex integration of the sumbucosal and myenteric plexi.

When we don't digest animal protein properly, it can lead to various digestive issues such as bloating, gas, and stomach discomfort. Undigested protein can also put additional strain on the digestive system and may lead to nutrient deficiencies if it is not broken down and absorbed effectively.

Lysosomes are the membrane-bound organelles containing enzymes that break down particles, such as food, bacteria, and old cell components, in the cell. They help maintain cellular homeostasis by recycling and digesting unwanted materials.

Nondigestible materials, such as fiber, are broken down primarily in the large intestine by gut bacteria through fermentation. This process produces short-chain fatty acids and gases like methane and hydrogen, which can be absorbed or excreted by the body.

Liver,pancreas,galbladder
The pancreas and liver (and its storage organ, the gall bladder) add digestive fluids between the stomach and small intestine, but no food passes through them.

The alimentary canal consists of the; mouth, pharynx, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, rectum, and anus.

Amylase - saliva - breaks down polysaccharides into disaccharides - resulting in maltose or sugar.
Pancreatic amylase - small intestine - coverts polysaccharides into disaccharides - resulting in maltose or very small glucose.
Lactose, sucrose, maltose, alpha dextrinase - lining of small intestine - splits disaccharides into monosaccharides.

In the human body, in this case the stomach, there are enzymes that speed up reactions. These enzymes strip the pills down, allowing structures that line your intestines to strip away the nutrients or other molecules in the cell and allow them to enter the blood stream.

The complete lining of a person's digestive tract is renewed approximately every 3-5 days. This rapid turnover is necessary to replace old cells and maintain the health and function of the digestive system.

Euglenas are single-celled protists. They are unique as they can be both autotrophs (make their own food like plants) and heterotrophs (obtain their food from outside sources like animals). Euglenas have a mouth that takes in the food. The food is encapsulated into a vacuole by a process called phagocytosis. Digestive enzymes are sent into the vacuole and when the food is broken down, the nutrients are absorbed into the cell. Undigested waste is eliminated through exocytosis. This is the most rudimentary digestive system among living things.

Cellulose is a type of complex carbohydrate found in plant cell walls. While humans lack the enzymes necessary to digest cellulose, some animals like cows and termites have specific gut bacteria that can break it down. This is why cellulose is considered a dietary fiber for humans, providing bulk to our diet and aiding in digestion.

Cells tend to conserve energy, nutrients, and DNA to ensure proper functioning and survival. This conservation is essential for maintaining cellular processes, such as growth, reproduction, and response to environmental changes.

The release of methane gas from cows contributes to the greenhouse effect, leading to an increase in global temperatures and climate change. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas, trapping heat in the atmosphere at a much higher rate than carbon dioxide. This process can lead to more severe weather patterns, rising sea levels, and disruptions to ecosystems.