Digestive Process
There are good foods available in all places on earth. To benefit from eating well and consuming the right kind of foods, the human body as of necessity must properly digest and absorb the vital nutrients from the consumed food. You must bear in mind always that as a person ages their digestion and metabolism decreases, leading to discomforts that include bloating, indigestion, flatulence or gas and pain.
As you age or are sick your body’s enzyme production reduces, hence affecting proper digestion of food and makes it impossible for the small intestine to absorb the needed nutrients. This low or lack of necessary digestive enzymes is a breeding ground for sickness and discomfort. These conditions accompany poor digestion that emanates from low or absence of enzymes. This allows gas and bad bacteria to thrive in the colon, parasites increase, constipation, indigestion, bloating, belching and several other issues.
Generally, digestion starts from the mouth with saliva breaking down carbohydrates and some fat in the food you consume. Proper mastication is crucial in the process of digestion. The longer you masticate your food in the mouth the more properly it is mixed with saliva, the longer the time given for the stomach to produce digestive enzymes. Mastication of food begins the production of the digestive enzymes.
Enzymes produced in the stomach further break down the foods. Carbohydrates and protein are broken down and bile from the liver down in the alimentary canal mixes with fat for better absorption. Know that:
(a) Liquids can dilute these enzymes.
(b) Too, hot, cold or spicy foods affects these enzymes.
(c) Foods not properly masticated in the mouth does not allow these enzymes to function properly and in a timely manner, because nature dictates the length of time food can stay in the stomach before being moved by peristalsis.
Suggested Solutions
(a) Drink your water 30-45 minutes before any meals and 45-60 minutes after meals. If for any reason you have to drink during meals, let it be sips. Helps prevent enzyme dilution in the stomach.
(b) Follow the weather of the day and regularly know the temperature of your body; do not eat foods too hot or cold, they shock the stomach and affect enzyme production and action.
(c) Generally if you properly masticate your food in the mouth, your food mixes properly with enzymes like ptyalin in your saliva, to begin the digestive process.
The food is crushed by proper chewing and slides down into the stomach where the digestive enzymes mix properly with the food. Imagine food the size of a sugar cube going down the throat to the intestine. This cube is about 3/10” of an inch square. The enzyme may not be able to penetrate the entire cube before peristalsis will move the food down the intestine undigested. This is bad for the individual. One more crucial factor that stands alone on its own is proper food mixtures. This include:-
(1) Which foods can be eaten together?
(2) Which foods should be eaten first or last?
(3) Which foods should be eaten alone e.g. watermelon.
As a general rule:
(a) Always eat one fruit alone, maximum two. Eat sweet fruits together and bitter fruits together. If possible do not mix, bitter with sweet fruits; e.g. mango is sweet, lemon is bitter. Lemon may be used in water or vegetable salad.
(b) Always avoid fruits and vegetable in the same meals. Fruits cleanse the body, vegetables rebuild the body cells. This is a simple way to look at it. The body requires both fruit and vegetables but at different times.
(c) You may eat 2-6 vegetables in the same meal, but never one vegetable alone. Salad is good (Vegetables only). Fruit salad sounds good but (must not contain more than two fruits inside the mixture).
(d) Always eat watermelon on its own, mixing it with any food may cause stomach upset. Some people may not experience anything because the stomach is already messed up and the person thinks all is well. The consequences for wrong eating do not show up early except in people who have trained themselves to eat right.
The sooner the consequence for wrong eating, is corrected the better the future for you; because you will correct the situation and eat right. The ultimate result of proper digestion, is the proper absorption of the end-product of foods, for repair and build-up of the human-body. These include, fatty acids, amino acids and sugars.
The decline of enzymes, starts at any age depending on your level of malnutrition, but generally decline, start between ages 25-35 years. A good balance in the food groups produce a healthy person as well as enough enzymes from the foods consumed. In cases of enzyme decline, supplements are readily available with medical advice, but this method is always the third source to God’s own human body enzymes. The second source is God-given plant sources and some animal sources. The natural sources (raw) include fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts and animal flesh, including eggs, come as first source.
Water is an important liquid in human body operations. Water is needed to wash out poisonous substances out of our body, keep the kidney clear and functioning at full capacity. Needed water is reabsorbed by the large intestine. The human body is designed such that the brain can tell the large intestine, to reabsorb needed water, depending on the level of dehydration of the individual. The brain can also ask the kidney to conserve water. This is the work of the master designer; God, Jesus Christ. Remember that you are fearfully and wonderfully made.
Important Enzymes Involving Digestion
The enzyme Ptyalin starts the breaking down of carbohydrate into small substances during mastication. By peristalsis the food slowly in a wavelike motion, continues its journey to the anus through the stomach, duodenum, small and large intestine, to the sigmoid colon and out through the anus.
Starch digestion continues in the small intestine, not stomach, by the enzymes amylase.
Major digestion of proteins takes place in the stomach in an (HCL) acid condition. Enzymes that digest proteins need an acid environment to do major digestion. These enzymes include pepsin which digest protein and further passes into the small intestine. That is why it is good to eat meat or protein alone or eat protein before eating carbohydrates. In the small intestine the already acid treated protein is broken down into amino-acids as the pancreas secrets the enzymes protease to do the job.
Liquids empty from the stomach if alone, real fast, followed by fruits, vegetables, starches (carbohydrates) protein (egg, beans, meat) and the longest in the stomach is fat. Here again nature maker, God, created a situation no human can balance; the stomach produces the acid HCL and mucus, in such balance that none of these two are out of order or quantity. Too much acid will lead to ulcer and irritate the stomach, and too much mucus will create a home for bacterial growth. A balance is absolutely necessary in situations of bad diet and harmful habits such as, much coffee, smoking, too much salt, abuse of antibiotics, alcohol, and bad food combinations etc.
Fat from the stomach, passes into the duodenum, where the pancreas secrets enzymes that work on the fat. Bile from the liver which is a product of cholesterol is released. Bile breaks the fat globules into small droplets, while lipase enzyme, from the pancreas, breaks it further into fatty acid. Here also it is good to know that if bile contains large amounts of cholesterol, stones form in the gall bladder which may block the bile duct and prevent fat digestion in the small intestine. These stones may hinder bile flow, cause pain and jaundice. Good and regular bowel movement is important to flush our excess bile from the body.
Absorption of nutrients occurs mainly in the small intestine. Nutrients are absorbed by millions of villi through our blood vessels into the main blood stream to different parts of the body. The colon is mainly for elimination and contains numerous amount of bacteria. Water is reabsorbed here, and fiber is broken down by bacteria residing in the colon, God placed, to do a good job-Amen.
This is where you have a war between good and bad bacteria. Good bacteria, detoxifies and neutralizes harmful substances present; whereas bad bacteria if greater in number in a toxic environment will cause, infection, irritation, bleeding, cancer, etc.
A deficiency of enzymes can be devastating, for instance any deficiency of amylase, lipase or protease which are all pancreatic enzymes, may lead to digestive problems, and assimilation is affected. People say you are what you assimilate. When assimilation is affected malnutrition will become evident and disease condition will definitely appear, sooner or later.
Some Good Sources of Enzyme
It is important to bear in mind that heat of about 110 degrees Fahrenheit and above destroys most food enzymes. This is one reason to eat raw fruits, vegetables and nuts. These raw foods help the body maintain and sustain the necessary level of enzyme requirement for optimal body functioning.
This write up is looking at plant sources of enzymes. There are also animal sources but the focus here is plant source which people can readily grow and afford; even in poverty. These plant sources, include, papaya (Pawpaw), pineapple, avocados, bananas, guava, etc. Although seed sprouts are the most potent sources. Good sprouts include, alfalfa, broccoli, wheat grass, green plant, etc.
Enzymes from pineapple – (bromelain) and papaya (pepsin) are good proteolytic enzymes. (Protein-breaking-enzymes). When buying enzyme supplements, make sure they contain the 3 major digestive types amylase, lipase and protease. For the common man you may dry papaya (pawpaw) properly, grind them to powder or near powder, apply it to your food before eating, this will give you some digestive enzymes, cheap and affordable. Canned fruits like pineapple do not contain any bromelain enzymes compared to the fresh raw pineapple. Heating destroys virtually all the enzyme in our food.
Dysentery is an intestinal problem that causes loss of fluids, electrolytes, and nutrients from the body. If not treated well could cause death. Surprisingly apple is a natural solution; give the person apples to eat. The apple contains substances that include, minerals, acids, tannic acid and pectin. Pectin helps blood to congeal and improves, mucus membrane situation in cases of dysentery. The apple soaks up toxic substances in the gut for excretion as the healing process is in progress.
The Colon
The large intestine comprises of the ascending colon, from the appendix, the transverse colon the descending colon, sigmoid colon and the rectum, and out to the anus. This is considered the sewage system of the human body. This part of the human canal is full of micro-organisms both good and bad bacteria types. It is considered a breeding place for micro-organisms. The good bacteria in the colon help to prevent toxic conditions by breaking down destructive substances that accumulate here, neutralize toxic chemicals and prevent development of disease conditions. The use of antibiotics too frequently destroys these bacteria. The good bacteria, consume these toxins, break them down from the dangerous substance they form. The bad bacteria or pathogenic types cause diseases.
There is a kind of war between the good and bad bacteria in the human colon, if the good ones in the colon win, the person remains healthy, but if the bad ones win disease occurs. Generally, in a well maintained colon (with good diet) the good bacteria will police and control the bad type. Acidophilus, bacteria is a good dietary addition to your food habit. It supplies more of the good bacteria and re-inforce the good bacteria. It is also good to consume some plain yogurt that contain some acidophilus bacteria about 2-3 hrs. before a meal or before going to bed.
An abused or unregulated colon is a recipe for sickness, disease and death. Overuse of laxative is an abuse and is indicative of a colon in trouble. Eat natural life-giving fruits to improve the quality of your colon and health. You may eat all the good food you can, but you need to clean your colon and experience regular bowel movement
Generally, pathogenic organisms dominate the colon and result in disease condition. This is because so much fermentation and putrefaction exists, due to so much waste or fecal matter. Sometimes the meal you ate 72hrs ago is still lodged in the colon, especially meats.
Evacuation or bowel movement is very important, when two to seven meals are eaten in a day. It is certain that some undigested food particles will remain in the system: Half-digested materials and protein, from wear and tear of colon walls, which are highly toxic. If not evacuated, further fermentation and putrefaction will occur, to the detriment of the individual due to longer stay and re-absorption of toxic substances. The primary goal of the colon is to eliminate waste materials, reabsorb needed water, and produce good micro-organisms in the colon.