How does our digestive system work?
Our gut also known as our “second brain” is a complex but fascinating part of us. To understand how it works, we first need to take a close look at our digestive system. As we already know, our digestive system oversees processing the food we eat.
But how exactly does the digestive system work and what can happen if we don’t take care of it?
Source: Willis-Knighton Health System
What is the digestive system?
The digestive system is a long tube that extends from the mouth to the anus. Without digestion, our body is not able to stay healthy and function properly. Digestion is important because it breaks down and absorbs nutrients from food and liquids to provide us, in return, with energy, and the ability to grow and repair cells.
In this article, you will learn how the food we consume takes an incredible journey through our bodies.
How does the digestive system work?
Each part of the digestive system helps move liquid and food through our GI tract. The main organs that make up the digestive system are the mouth, oesophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, rectum and anus. Here is a brief explanation of how these organs work.
The digestive system
Source: Ferrocalm
1. Mouth: the mouth is where the process begins. In fact, the digestive process starts even before that, when your salivary glands get active as you see and smell food. After you start eating, you chew your food into smaller pieces. When you swallow the smaller pieces, your tongue passes the food into your throat and into your oesophagus.
2. Oesophagus: the oesophagus is located in our throat and receives the food after we swallow it. A sequence of muscular contractions called peristalsis delivers food to our stomach. A ring of muscle at the end of the oesophagus relaxes and contracts to prevent stomach contents from escaping back up the oesophagus.
3. Stomach: the stomach or “container” holds the food while it is being mixed with stomach enzymes. These enzymes help break down the food into a working form. Once the food is processed enough, they are released into the small intestine.
4. Small intestine: the small intestine makes digestive juice using enzymes and bile from the liver to help continue break down the food. More specifically, this is where we break down protein into amino acids and fat into fatty acids. Once the nutrients have been absorbed and the leftover food residue liquid has passed through the small intestine, it then moves on to the large intestine.
5. Large intestine: the large intestine or “colon” is responsible for processing waste. Here, bacteria help break down remaining nutrients and make vitamin K. All the waste products of digestion become stool which is passed through the colon first in a liquid state and eventually in a solid form. On average, it takes about 36 hours for stool to get through the colon. When the colon becomes full of stool, it empties into the rectum.
6. Rectum: the rectum has the responsibility to receive the stool from our colon or large intestine, alert our bodies that there is stool to be evacuated, and to hold the stool until this happens.
7. Anus: the anus is the last part of the digestive tract, and it is surrounded by sphincter muscles (inner and external) that allow control of stool.
Watch this video for more details: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Og5xAdC8EUI
How to improve our digestive system?
Trillions of bacteria, viruses, and fungi form our gut microbiome and a rich and diverse gut microbiome is linked to good gut health. That is why, keeping a good and balanced relationship with them is to our benefit. Unfortunately, many factors affect our microbiome including: our environment, antibiotics, and diet.
Even though we can’t control everything, we can pay attention to what we eat. Some general guidelines to improve our digestive system include:
- High fibre and low-fat diet: consuming whole grains, vegetables, fruits, and legumes.
- Minimally processed and fresh food: include more lightly steamed, sautéed or raw foods rather than fried.
- Include more probiotics or “good bacteria”: probiotics can improve nutrient absorption and strengthen our immune system.
- Eat mindfully and on a schedule: consume meals around the same schedule every day and aim to sit down with no distractions while eating.
- Stay hydrated: drink plenty of water (about 2 litres) daily. However, you may need more if you exercise or theor the weather is hot.
Learn more about how the food you eat affects your gut here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1sISguPDlhY
Tips to improve our digestive system
Source: Ferrocalm
How our gut affects our whole body and common digestive problems
If our digestive system doesn’t function quite how it should, it can have a negative effect on our body. More specifically, if our gut or microbiome is not functioning well, this can send a signal to our brain. Consequently, these signals may affect our mood and other characteristics of our health.
An unhealthy gut can be considered as one that is out of balance. When the gut microbes are out of balance, your gut walls become more porous, which allows more toxins to enter the bloodstream. An unbalanced gut microbiome is associated with gut conditions, such as:
- Crohn’s disease
- Ulcerative colitis
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome
To keep us feeling our best, we need to maintain a diverse gut microbiome. In our next article, we will dig in deeper about common digestive disorders. In the meantime, improve your gut health, and in turn, it will take care of you.