NUTRITION AND DIET THERAPY

Process of Digestion

Digestion is the process of breaking down food into

substances like carbohydrates, proteins, fats, and vitamins
that aid the body in its different functions. The digestive
system is made up of the gastrointestinal tract also called GI
tract or digestive tract, the liver, pancreas, and gall bladder.
The GI tract is a chain of hollow organs connected in a long,
twisting tube from the mouth to the anus. The hollow
organs that make up the GI tract are the mouth, esophagus,
stomach, small and large intestines, and anus. The liver,
pancreas, and gall bladder are the solid organs of the
digestive system.

Why is digestion important?

Digestion is important because your body needs nutrients from food and drink to work properly and stay healthy.
Proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins NIH external link, minerals NIH external link, and water are nutrients. Your
digestive system breaks nutrients into parts small enough for your body to absorb and use for energy, growth, and
cell repair.
 Proteins break into amino acids
 Fats break into fatty acids and glycerol
 Carbohydrates break into simple sugars

The Digestive Process

The digestive process starts when you put food in your mouth.

1. MOUTH- The mouth is the entry point for food, but the digestive
system often gets ready before the first piece of food even enters our
mouth. Saliva is released by the salivary glands into our oral cavity
when we smell food. Once the food enters the mouth, chewing
(mastication) breaks food into smaller particles that can be more
easily attacked by the enzymes in saliva.

2. PHARYNX- also known as throat. It transfers food from the mouth

to the esophagus and warms, moistens, and filters air before food is
moved into trachea.

3. ESOPHAGUS- is a muscular tube extending from the pharynx to the

stomach. It contracts in a synchronized manner (peristalsis) to move
food down towards the stomach.
4. STOMACH- is a sac-like organ that holds, mixes, and grinds food. It secretes acid and powerful enzymes that
carry on the process of breaking down food.

5. SMALL INTESTINE-- The muscles of the small intestine mix food with digestive juices from the pancreas, liver,
and intestine, and push the mixture forward for further digestion. The walls of the small intestine absorb water
and the digested nutrients into your bloodstream.

The small intestine has three segments. The first segment is the duodenum where
further breakdown of the food takes place. The next two parts of the small
intestine (jejunum and ileum) are mostly responsible for the absorption of
nutrients from the processed food into the bloodstream through the walls of the
intestine.

Stomach and small intestine are supported by three organs in digesting food:

PANCREAS - secretes enzymes into small intestine which break down protein, fat. and carbohydrates
from food.

LIVER- produces and secretes bile which helps in digestion and the absorption of fats and fat soluble
vitamins. The liver also cleanses and purifies the blood that comes from the small intestine which
contains the nutrients absorbed from food.

GALLBLADDER- is a pear-shaped reservoir located just under the liver. Bile made in the liver travels to
the gallbladder through a cystic duct for storage. During meals, gallbladder contracts and sends bile to
the small intestine. After the nutrients have been absorbed and the left over fluid has passed through
the small intestine, wastes are passed to the large intestine, or colon.

6. LARGE INTESTINE - Waste products from the digestive process include undigested parts of food, fluid,
and older cells from the lining of your GI tract. The large intestine absorbs water and changes the waste
from liquid into stool

The large intestine (colon) has four parts:

ascending colon, transverse colon, descending colon and, sigmoid

colon.

7. RECTUM-stores stool until it pushes stool out of your anus during a

bowel movement

8. ANUS- end of the digestive tract which consists of the pelvic floor muscles and the two anal
sphincters.

Reference:

 Nutrition and Diet Therapy by Maria Lourdes Cruz-Caudal, RND, MEM

 https://www.medicinenet.com/the_digestion_process_organs_and_functions/article.htm
 https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/digestive-diseases/digestive-system-how-it-
works