How Your Digestive System Works Will Impact Your Overall Digestive Health.
Do you have gas, bloating and inconsistent bowel movements? The Digestive System is one of the top systems that come up stressed on our CBH Energetics Reports. We live in a stressful world, and since the Nervous System has a very specific tie to the Digestive System through the vagus nerve, it makes sense that when one is stressed, the other may be.
Before you start to support your Digestive System, it’s helpful to understand how your digestive system works. Digestive problems keep many people from enjoying social gatherings and day to day life. How can you focus on those you love when you are cramping, running to the bathroom, or are constipated and bloated?
Besides, your digestive system has to supply nutrients and energy to your entire body.
The parts of your Digestive System can be divided into an overview of the basic parts, as well as a detailed look at each part.
On our Full Scan Sample Report, you can click on the Digestive dial and see all the points of the Digestive System dial that we assess.
Your digestive system is an integral part of your body and overall health.
All the nutrients you take in have to go through the digestive process to be broken down and assimilated, so each cell can get what it needs to function optimally. Understanding the basic workings of your digestive system can be a daunting task, but it’s fundamental to understanding how your body functions and maintains your overall health.
The Digestive System is a group of organs that work together to convert food into energy and basic nutrients to feed the entire body. It’s an incredible process that happens every time you eat something, and it’s essential to your survival. Without a functioning digestive system, your body wouldn’t be able to extract the nutrients it needs to function.
This article will guide you through six main parts of the digestive system, their roles, and common problems that can occur. With this knowledge, you can better understand your body and take steps to maintain a healthy digestive system.
Overview of Your Digestive System and Process
Your digestive system process starts when you take your first bite of food. The process continues as the food you’ve eaten journeys through your body, being broken down and absorbed along the way, until what’s left is expelled. We all think of this process when we think of digestion.
It’s a complex process that involves a series of mechanical and chemical actions. From your mouth to your anus, every part of your digestive system plays a distinct role in this process. Each organ has a specific job to do, and each job is essential in processing the food you eat into nutrients your body can use.
The digestive system process is a journey that takes about 24 to 72 hours, depending on what you’ve eaten and your individual metabolism. It also can depend on your Nervous System.
Now let’s delve deeper into the main parts of this complex system.
How Your Digestive System Works: The Nervous System
Many experts do state that digestion starts in the mouth. This is only partly true. For digestion to be optimal, your Nervous System needs to be in a certain state. Some call it the rest and digest state, or the Parasympathetic State of the Nervous System. The Parasympathetic Nervous System is part of the Central Nervous System, or the CNS. In fact, it is a branch of the Autonomic Nervous System. On your CBH reports you may see your Central and Peripheral Nervous System resonate with stress.
This state of the body is where optimal digestion can occur. When the parasympathetic state is active, blood flow is moving to the digestive tract, and the body is in a relaxed state. Digestion is turned ON.
If you are one of those people who cannot eat when stressed, this is because the OTHER part of your autonomic nervous system is stressed. That is the Sympathetic Nervous System branch (SNS) and your digestion is turned OFF.
This is why we say that digestion begins in the nervous system! You need the switch to be on for the rest of the parts to work!
Our practitioner Amanda uses her background as a licensed mental health counsellor and functional medicine expert to help clients and practitioners with Nervous System Support.
The Mouth: The Next Stop of Your Digestive System
The next stop in your Digestive System is your mouth.
Here, digestion begins before you take your first bite of food. The smells of your food, the sight of your food should have activated parts of the Nervous System signals to start salivary flow, and along with saliva, digestive enzymes like amylase. Amylase, one of the enzymes e energetically test for, starts the breakdown of carbohydrates in your food. When you think of digestion, you may not consider your mouth as a significant player.
However, the mechanical and chemical processes that begin in your mouth are essential first steps in the digestive process.
When you start to chew, your teeth are breaking down the food into smaller pieces, mixing that with saliva, to begin this mechanical and chemical process of digestion. Our practitioner Tanya is a retired Dental Hygienist who advocates for keeping your dentition, your teeth, intact. Paying attention to your hydration, along with mindful eating, helps your digestion to be supported on a foundational level.
A healthy oral cavity supports the entire body!
Swallowing is the next step in the process. you need saliva for this, so that the tongue can maneuver and push the chewed food into the throat, where it’s ready to enter the next stage of digestion – the esophagus.
The Esophagus: The Pathway to the Stomach
The esophagus is a key part of your digestive system that is a muscular tube that connects your throat to your stomach. When you swallow, the chewed food (now called a bolus) moves into your esophagus through the action of peristalsis – a series of wave-like muscle contractions.
The esophagus’ primary function is to transport the bolus from your mouth to your stomach. It’s a simple but critical part of your digestive system. Without it, the food wouldn’t be able to reach the stomach for further digestion. If you ever have had a bolus of food stuck in your esophagus, you will know first hand how much you need saliva to keep these mucous membranes moist for traveling!
At the lower end of the esophagus is a ring-like muscle called the lower esophageal sphincter (LES). The LES’s function is to prevent stomach acid and partially digested food from traveling backward into the esophagus. When this happens, it is known as GERD or gastroesophagealreflux disease (1). Otherwise known as acid reflux, there are different root causes to this.
The Stomach: The Churning Machine of Your Digestive System
The stomach is a muscular organ located on the left side of the upper abdomen. The stomach receives the bolus from the esophagus and continues the process of digestion. Inside the stomach, the food is mixed with stomach acid and digestive enzymes to break it down into a liquid substance called chyme.
Many times, our clients see imbalanced hydrochloric acid on their Full Scan report.
This can be imbalanced due to many reasons, including age, chronic illness, stress, and even mold toxicity. If hydrochloric acid is imbalanced, other enzymes needed to process protein, carbohydrate and fats may not be produced.
The stomach’s walls contain three layers of strong muscles that churn and mix the food with digestive juices. This mechanical action, combined with the chemical action of the stomach acid and enzymes, breaks down proteins in your food and kills bacteria.
Once the food has been sufficiently broken down, it’s ready to move into the small intestine for the next stage of digestion. Before we move on to the next phase of your digestion, there are some key things that need to happen in the stomach for digestion to occur. These are just examples and not the complete picture.
Hydrochloric acid: this is known as stomach acid. Your digestive system need stomach acid to signal enzymes in the stomach. One example is pepsinogen, which turns to pepsin. Pepsin works on proteins. Many people have the belief that stomach acid destroys enzymes, but this is not true! If your report shows a resonating energetic imbalance in pepsin, you may need to address stomach acid or support your stress level.
Intrinsic factor: This is a glycoprotein that is secreted by the parietal cells of the stomach. Without this factor, Vitamin B12 will not be transported or absorbed. If your report shows a resonating energetic imbalance in Vitamin B12, you mat still need to address your stomach acid and support your stress level.
A lot can happen on the way to the small intestine.
The Small Intestine: Where Absorption Happens
The small intestine is a long, coiled tube where most of the absorption of nutrients occurs. It’s divided into three parts: the duodenum, the jejunum, and the ileum. When the chyme enters the small intestine, it mixes with digestive enzymes from the pancreas and bile from the liver. Not all enzymes are in the stomach.
The walls of the small intestine are lined with tiny finger-like projections called villi. These villi increase the surface area of the intestine and absorb the nutrients from the food into the bloodstream. Microbes like bacteria, virus, and even foods may cause inflammation in the small intestine (1). This is called villous atrophy, and can affect absorption of nutrients.
The small intestine plays a critical role in the digestive system and your Immune System. Nurturing the lining of the gut, preventing leaky gut, and supporting a healthy microbiome will support overall health.
The Large Intestine: The Final Stage of Digestion
The large intestine, also known as the colon, is the final part of the digestive tract. It’s primarily responsible for processing waste and absorbing water from the remaining indigestible food matter.
The large intestine houses a large number of bacteria that ferment some of the indigestible food matter and produce vitamins like vitamin K and some B vitamins. These vitamins are also absorbed into the bloodstream.
Once all the water and vitamins have been absorbed, the leftover waste material is passed into the rectum. From here, it’s expelled from the body through the anus. This marks the end of the digestive process. While it is the end, it is a critical step in your drainage pathways. Your own endotoxins (breakdown of body processes and beneficial bacteria) and exotoxins (from the outside world) need to be eliminated through your drainage pathways, with the digestive system being an important one.
All of these parts depend on the supporting characters in the next section!
The Liver, Gallbladder, and Pancreas: The Supporting Characters
While not part of the digestive tract, the liver, gallbladder, and pancreas play essential roles in your digestive system. These three organs produce and store substances that help break down food in the digestive tract.
The liver produces bile that helps break down fats. The liver also stores glycogen as an energy source for the body. It works to detoxify your hormones, and outside toxins too.
The gallbladder stores the bile produced by the liver and releases it into the small intestine when needed. The hormone CCK or cholecystokinin triggers the gallbladder to do this. If you see cholecystokinin energetically imbalanced on your CBH results, this may be linked to your liver and gallbladder.
The pancreas, which is called an exocrine gland, produces digestive enzymes that help break down proteins, fats, and carbohydrates in the small intestine.
Each of these organs plays a critical role in digestion, even though they’re not part of the digestive tract itself.
Learn more about the liver here.
Common Problems with the Digestive System
Like any complex system, the digestive system can experience problems. These can range from minor annoyances to serious health conditions.
Common digestive problems include heartburn, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), peptic ulcers, gallstones, lactose intolerance, diverticulitis, and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Some of these conditions can be managed with dietary changes, while others may require medication or even surgery.
If you’re experiencing persistent digestive problems, it’s important to seek medical advice. Your doctor can help determine the cause of your symptoms and recommend the appropriate treatment.
Takeaways For Maintaining Your Digestive System
Maintaining a healthy digestive system is essential for your overall well-being. By understanding the six crucial parts of the digestive system and their functions, you’re better equipped to recognize potential problems and seek appropriate treatment if necessary.
Eating a balanced diet, drinking plenty of water, and getting regular exercise can all contribute to a healthy digestive system. Avoiding unhealthy habits like smoking and excessive alcohol consumption can also help keep your digestive system in good shape.
Remember, your digestive system is a complex and vital part of your body. Take care of it, and it will take care of you.
