
The more the Merrier: You crave what you are
not digesting
By Susan Blackard R.N., N.D.c.

Information provided from this power point is for
informational purposes only and is not intended as a
substitute for advice from a physician and/or other healthcare
professional. The information provided is not to be, and
should not be, used to diagnose or treat any medical or
health conditions and/or as a prescription for the treatment
of any disease, illness or health condition. The information
provided in this power point should not be construed as
personal medical advice or instruction. No action should be
taken based solely on the contents of this power point.
Readers should consult appropriate health professionals on
any matter relating to their health and well-being. The
decision to quit any medication should be discussed with
your doctor as a "risk/benefit" discussion.
Digestion refers to the breaking down of
large food molecules into smaller food
molecules in the body.
So that small food molecules can diffuse
through the walls and enter bloodstream.
Starch and proteins are large food
molecules that cannot pass through the
walls.


Body needs energy to do work.
Nutrients include
◦ Carbohydrates
 Provide energy (growth, warmth, movement)
◦ Proteins
 For growth and regeneration of cells and tissues
 Repair of damaged tissues.
 Source of energy if carbohydrates and fats unavailable

Nutrients include
◦ Fats
 Provide energy
 Two times that of carbohydrates

Nutrients help
◦
◦
◦
◦
in our growth,
by keeping us healthy,
by repairing our cells and tissues,
by giving us energy.

Enzymes are used to digest food
◦ Carbohydrase / Amylase
 Carbohydrates to Simple sugars
◦ Protease
 Proteins to Amino acids
◦ Lipase
 Fats to Glycerol and Fatty acids
What has caused the decrease of enzymes available for use:
-______________________
_______________________
_______________________

Alimentary canal consists of the
◦ Mouth (20sec)
 Starch (carbohydrate) is digested to maltose by carbohydrase /
amylase
◦ Esophagus (10sec)
 Walls of the alimentary canal are made of muscles which squeezes
food along the canal.
◦ Stomach (2-6hrs)
 Produces gastric juice which mixes food when stomach churns.
 Protease in the juice breaks down complex proteins into simpler ones

Liver
◦ Makes bile
 Greenish liquid which emulsifies fats, breaking them into smaller
droplets, easier for lipase to digest it.

Gall bladder
◦ Stores bile made by the liver to breakdown FAT

Pancreas
◦ Creates pancreatic juice
 Flows to small intestine and contain enzymes

Small intestine (5hrs)
◦ Produces intestinal juice which contains enzymes
◦ Completes the digestion process with the help of the organs
joined to the alimentary canal (liver, gallbladder, pancreas)

Digestion ends at the small intestine:
◦
◦ Small molecules of digested food passes through the small
intestine wall, into the bloodstream surrounding it.

Digested food
◦ Made of small food molecules




Diffuse through walls of small intestine
Into blood vessels in walls
Carried away by blood to the rest of the body
Called absorption of food
◦ Blood carries the small food molecules to the cells of the body
where they can be used.

Finger-like villi
◦ Provides large surface area
◦ Folds the cell membrane

7 m-long small intestine
◦ Increases surface area

One-cell thick small intestine
◦ Shortens distance between wall and bloodstream

Alimentary canal consists of the
◦ Large intestine and anus (24hrs)
 Undigested food reaches the large intestine
 Lots of water is removed and taken back into the body
 Pass out through anus as feces

Nutrients in foods
◦ Carbohydrates and fats are used for respiration and as
sources of energy.
◦ Proteins are used for growth and the repair of body tissues.
◦ Starch and glucose are two kinds of carbohydrates.

Why digestion is needed
◦ Only small molecules are able to pass through cell
membranes into cells.
◦ Starch, fat and protein molecules are too large to pass
through.

Meaning of digestion
◦ Digestion is the breaking down of large food molecules in
the body into small food molecules.
◦ The small food molecules are: glucose (from starch), amino
acids (from proteins) and glycerol and fatty acids (from fats).
◦ Digestion takes place by the action of enzymes.
◦ Every cell in the body needs nutrients
◦ Absorption-the circulation of nutrients in the body
◦ Elimination—Undigested waste material
◦ Digestion cannot occur without ENZYMES

Bowel toxicity symptoms:
constipation
Anxiety
depression
???__________________
???__________________
???__________________
It’s more than what you eat-it’s about what
you digest and absorb.
 The
alimentary canal and digestion
◦ Mouth
 Digestion of starch begins here.
◦ Stomach
 Digestion of proteins begins here.
◦ Small intestine
 Most digestion takes place here.
 Digestion of starch and proteins is completed here.
 Digestion of fats takes place only in the small intestine. Absorption of
digested food
 The small, digested food molecules are absorbed into the
bloodstream through the walls of the small intestine.
 The villi of the small intestine increase the surface area for faster
absorption of small, digested food molecules.





Huether, S., & McCance, K. (2009) Understanding
Pathophysiology (4th ed.). St. Louis: Mosby.
Hurst, M. (2008). HurstReviews: Pathophysiology
Review (1rst ed.). China: McGraw-Hill.
Guyton, A.C., & Hall, J.E. (2000). Medical
Physiology. (10th ed.). Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders.
Loomis, H. (2009) Training Manual for Digestive
Health Specialists.
Loomis, H. (2005). Enzymes The Key to Health.
(2nd ed.). Wisconsin: American Printing.