How Digestive Tract Microbes Can Shape Our Health

How Digestive Tract Microbes Can Shape Our Health 

The digestive system essentially converts the foods that we eat into the energy needed to support processes critical to the body. The anatomy of our digestive system involves a complex series of organs and glands that work in concert to break down consumed foods into smaller molecules so that they can be utilised by the body.

Where Digestion Begins

Digestion begins in the mouth where food is partially broken down by the process of chewing and by the enzymatic action of the carbohydrate-digesting amylase enzymes present in the saliva. Food is then swallowed and propelled down the oesophagus to the stomach.

In the stomach, food is mixed, ground and digested by gastric acid and a protease enzyme called pepsin. Gastric acid consists mainly of hydrochloric acid (HCl), and it efficiently breaks down food material, particularly protein. If production of gastric acid decreases, as is often the case with advancing age, digestion is less efficient. Researchers have found that over 30 percent of men and women past the age of 60 suffer from atrophic gastritis, a condition marked by little or no gastric acid.  Fortunately, natural approaches and nutritional supplements help support optimal digestion in the stomach.  

The partially digested food leaves the stomach and enters the small intestine, a tubular structure composed of the duodenum, jejunum and ileum. The duodenum continues the process of breaking down food with the aid of bile from the gallbladder and enzymes released by the pancreas and the duodenal walls.  Bile converts large fat globules into smaller ones.  Further digestion of fats, protein and carbohydrates takes place with the help of the pancreatic enzymes lipase, trypsin and amylase, respectively.  Certain nutritional enzyme supplements help support the digestive action in the small intestine.
Digestion is basically complete once food passes through the duodenum.  In the jejunum and ileum, nutrients are absorbed into the bloodstream.  Then the blood is purified by the liver to remove harmful substances. The liver also stores fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E and K) and excess glucose for future use.  Nutritional supplements can help support these valuable liver functions.  The large intestine receives mostly indigestible material and water from the small intestine. Excess water and any residual minerals are absorbed here. Fibre helps move the remaining debris through the large intestine, thus easing the passage of waste. Fibre also helps to support friendly bacteria. About 100 trillion bacteria reside in the digestive system and perform several essential functions.

Friendly Bacteria, or Probiotics

Probiotics, as these bacteria are called, promote efficient digestion, support the immune system, inhibit the growth of pathogenic microorganisms, and produce several vitamins. Many fibre supplements (soluble and/or insoluble) are available from a variety of plant sources. Different bacterial species are available as probiotic (friendly flora) nutritional supplements.  Probiotics have long been known to provide many benefits to human health. 

Probiotics Affect More Than The Gut.  Just a few years ago, most scientists believed that probiotics only acted locally in the gut. However, this study suggests that gut bacteria could play a role in various brain and psychiatric disorders as well as being involved with individual behavioural differences.  In previous papers, we have addressed the important concept of how the microbial composition of the gastrointestinal tract (micro-biome) affects weight loss/gain. The idea that changes in gut microbial populations can occur when an individual loses (or gains) weight was the subject of a recent research publication.
It has been known for quite some time that gastric bypass surgery reduces the quantity of food that can be processed by the stomach, and this usually results in weight loss. The microbial composition of the digestive tract also changes with the loss of body weight. This change in the micro-biome that occurs during gastric bypass-induced weight loss gradually approaches the gut flora composition of normal weight people. 
Digestive tract microbes can shape and influence our precious health. Research work on the function and diversity of the micro-biome is extremely robust, and valuable therapies will continue to emerge. We will also gain a greater understanding of the relationship between digestive function and health.

For products to help you with digestive health please search "Digestive" on my website here  www.kerryhealth.co.uk