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The health library is currently experiencing some technical difficulties. We are working to resolve the issues now and apologize for the inconvenience. Digestion is a several-step process that begins the moment you put a piece of food in your mouth or sip a drink. Breaking it downWhen you begin chewing, glands in your mouth and throat begin to secrete saliva. This process can start with the sight or smell of food. The liquid aids digestion, moistens your mouth, reduces infections in the mouth and throat, and helps protect your teeth and gums. You have 3 major pairs of salivary glands:
Your upper digestive tract and your esophagus also contain smaller clusters of salivary glands. Saliva contains special enzymes that help digest the starches in your food. An enzyme called amylase breaks down starches (complex carbohydrates) into sugars, which your body can more easily absorb. Saliva also contains an enzyme called lingual lipase, which breaks down fats. A condition known as dry mouth (xerostomia) occurs when you don’t have enough saliva in your mouth. This can make it difficult for you to chew and swallow food. Stress or dehydration can cause occasional xerostomia. Certain medicines or more serious conditions such as diabetes and Sjogren syndrome can also cause it. To reduce the symptoms of dry mouth, drink plenty of water, take sips of water while eating, and don't have caffeinated or alcoholic beverages. These can make dry mouth worse. How does it taste?When your saliva begins to break down your food, the taste buds on your tongue and on the roof of your mouth sense how the food tastes. Taste buds contain gustatory cells, which send taste signals to the brain. This is how you sense the 5 basic tastes of food: sour, sweet, salty, bitter, and savory. Nerves in your nose, mouth, eyes, and throat let you experience the other qualities of food, like the heat of spicy foods and the coolness of peppermint. The role of your teethYour teeth are also part of the digestive process. Teeth break down food for swallowing and further digestion. The incisors, located in the middle front of the lower and upper jaws, cut and gnaw pieces of food. The molars, in the back of the mouth, grind and chew. To keep your teeth at their healthiest, follow these simple preventive measures:
On to the stomachAfter you chew and swallow your food, it enters your esophagus. This tube connects your throat to your stomach. A series of muscular contractions, known as peristalsis, pushes your food downward and into your stomach. There, it mixes with more digestive enzymes to continue the breakdown process. Hospital NewsThe health library is currently experiencing some technical difficulties. We are working to resolve the issues now and apologize for the inconvenience. Alton Memorial Hospital Back to Top Digestive enzymes play an indispensable role in your gut health. They facilitate the proper breakdown of food, allowing your body to absorb the nutrients it needs in order to function properly. Digestive enzyme deficiency can prevent your body from getting the essential nutrients, resulting in a
variety of gastrointestinal problems, including bloating, stomach cramps, and excessive gas. Let’s delve deeper into the role of enzymes in keeping your gut healthy and fully functional. The digestive system consists of organs
that are responsible for taking in the foods and liquids you consume and breaking them down into substances that your body can use for energy, growth, and tissue repair. The digestive system comprises your mouth, throat, esophagus, stomach, small and large intestines, rectum, anus, pancreas, gallbladder, liver, and salivary glands. The whole digestive process starts in your mouth, wherein salivary glands secrete digestive enzymes. As has been established, digestive enzymes are
responsible for the breakdown of food and liquid into smaller molecules, allowing them to be absorbed into your body. Your stomach produces digestive juices that render food particles soluble, initiate digestion (particularly of proteins), and convert these food particles into one semiliquid mass, thereby preparing it for further digestion in your small intestine. Your gallbladder works with your liver and pancreas to send bile and digestive enzymes to your small intestine. The nutrients are absorbed through the wall of your small intestine and distributed all around your body through your bloodstream. Without enzymes, nutrients in food would just come out as waste products, which will then be excreted when you move your bowels. There are different types of digestive enzymes, but the main types are the following: · AmylasesThey convert complex carbohydrates into simple sugars. · LipasesThey process and absorb fats, converting them into fatty acids—which are important for the health of cell membranes—and glycerol. · ProteasesThey break down proteins into amino acids, which are needed to repair body tissues and perform a number of other functions. Lack of Digestive Enzymes = Poor Digestive HealthDigestive enzyme deficiency can lead to a condition called exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI), which is a culprit in slow and uncomfortable digestion. This causes diarrhea, abdominal cramps, unexplained weight loss, and unusual stools—which are yellow, greasy, and/or foul-smelling (caused by steatorrhea, a condition characterized by the presence of excess fat in feces). Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI) is a common complication of celiac disease. This is an inherited autoimmune disorder, which prompts your immune system to attack itself when you consume foods that contain gluten. Celiac disease causes damage to your small intestine and prevents nutrients from being absorbed properly into your body. This malabsorption eventually leads to malnutrition. Digestive Healthcare in Greater AustinAt Austin Gastroenterology (AG), we specialize in the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of gastrointestinal diseases and liver disorders. We use the latest medical and diagnostic technologies to determine the best healthcare solutions for all your GI needs. We are the largest physician group in central Texas and see patients from 18 offices throughout the greater Austin area. If you would like to find out more about the services we provide or to schedule an appointment, you can call us at the location most convenient to you, or alternatively, use our online appointment request form. What are the 4 main digestive enzymes?The most important digestive enzymes are: Amylase. Maltase. Lactase.. Pepsin: Pepsin is secreted by the stomach to break down proteins into peptides, or smaller groupings of amino acids. ... . Trypsin: Trypsin forms when an enzyme secreted by the pancreas is activated by an enzyme in the small intestine.. What are enzymes used for in the digestive system?Digestion is the process of turning the food we eat into energy. For example, there are enzymes in our saliva, pancreas, intestines and stomach. They break down fats, proteins and carbohydrates. Enzymes use these nutrients for growth and cell repair.
What 5 enzymes are involved in digestion?Examples of digestive enzymes are:. Amylase, produced in the mouth. It helps break down large starch molecules into smaller sugar molecules.. Pepsin, produced in the stomach. ... . Trypsin, produced in the pancreas. ... . Pancreatic lipase, produced in the pancreas. ... . Deoxyribonuclease and ribonuclease, produced in the pancreas.. What are digestive enzymes in short?Digestive enzymes are a group of enzymes that break down polymeric macromolecules into their smaller building blocks, in order to facilitate their absorption into the cells of the body.
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What are enzymes in the digestive system
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