THE DIGESTIVE PROCESS AND HEALTH
Whenever food enters your mouth and touches the taste buds on your tongue, your salivary glands begin
secreting saliva. Saliva is needed to lubricate the food and to predigest cooked starches. At the same time, your
pancreas and small intestine receive instructions to prepare for the release of the appropriate kinds and quantity
of digestive enzymes and minerals necessary to help break down the food into the smallest nutrient components.
The first and most common cause of digestive trouble is swallowing food too quickly. This eating habit
indicates anxiety, impatience and nervousness. Eating too quickly reduces saliva production in the mouth,
which is also one cause of tooth decay. One of the functions of saliva is to keep the mouth and teeth protected
against harmful substances and microbes.
There are other reasons why chewing our food well is essential for our wellbeing. Research conducted at the Gifu
University, Japan, shows that chewing also improves memory by reducing the release of stress hormones. MRI
tests demonstrated that the hippocampus, which helps control blood levels of stress hormones, is stimulated by
the act of chewing. As a result, the simple act of chewing properly lowers both stress and stress hormones. So
chewing your food well can actually reduce anxiety levels.
The Japanese researchers also found that when teeth were missing or bad, people tended to chew less. This led
to increased stress hormone levels. The conclusion from this study is that good dental health and the ability to
chew properly are important in preserving our memory as we age and in protecting ourselves against
stress.
After passing through the esophagus, the food enters the stomach. If the food contains carbohydrates (as found
in vegetables and grains), the salivary enzymes continue to digest these foods for about an hour before the
stomach begins to secrete its gastric juices. If the food is swallowed too quickly, these foods remain mostly
undigested and begin to ferment.
Gastric juice is composed of hydrochloric acid, enzymes, mineral salts, mucus and water. The action of the acid
kills many of the harmful microbes and parasites that are naturally present in fresh produce, meat, fish, dairy
products and other foods. The hydrochloric acid also breaks down some of the harmful substances that may
accompany the food, such as certain food additives or chemicals. Special enzymes begin to act upon proteins
that may be present in the food. Once saturated with enough acid, the food is forced in small jets into the
duodenum.
The duodenum is a tube connecting the stomach to the jejunum (the central of the 3 divisions of the small
intestine). The duodenum is the first part of the small intestine, and it is where most chemical digestion takes
place. Bile from the liver and secretions from the pancreas come to mix with food in the duodenum. The
pancreatic juices contain digestive enzymes, minerals and water to help break down starches further. The bile,
forced into the duodenum via the common bile duct, aids in the digestion of fats and proteins. The duodenum
participates in this part of the digestive process by releasing specific hormones and digestive juices.
Ayurveda calls the entire activity in this section of the digestive system AGNI, or 'digestive fire' which 'cooks' the
food further in order to make its nutrients available for the cells and tissues at a later stage.
Specific sections of the small intestine perform specific functions. For example, the duodenum plays an important
role in coordinating how the stomach empties and at what rate bile needs to be secreted into the intestine to
optimize the digestive process. The duodenum is also a major site for the absorption of iron. The jejunum is a
major site for the absorption of the vitamin, folic acid, while the lower part of the intestine is the most important
site for the absorption of vitamin B12 and bile salts. The blood takes up all the nutrients and moves them to the
liver for further processing.
The ingested food can be broken down into its basic nutrient components and made available for the complex
metabolic processes in the body only when the "digestive fire" is strong. It is fueled by bile, without which none of
the other digestive juices would be sufficiently effective to break down food into its nutrient components.
As long as bile secretion from the liver's bile ducts and the gallbladder remain unimpeded by gallstones, good
digestion is almost guaranteed, provided that the ingested food is fresh and wholesome.
The combination of nutritious food and strong digestion forms the ideal partnership to help the body make
sufficient amounts of amino acids, fatty acids, minerals, vitamins, glucose, fructose, trace elements and other
vital substances available to all its parts. This, in turn, produces healthy blood, vital tissues and a youthful body.
The quality of the blood and the tissues of the body, including those that make up the skin, mostly reflect
the condition of the liver and the small intestine.
Nicos Pavlides
Ayurvedic Consultant & Educator
AyurvedaHarmonia