Rice, pasta, pretzels, bagels or doughnuts are more harmful to the body as they are intensely carb-rich. For example, potatoes might be considered carb-dense food but they are predominantly made of water. Carb-Dense FoodsĬonsuming carbohydrate-rich food can lead to long-term health damage as it causes an increase in inflammation and transforms the gut flora. Not eating right can lead to many problems like Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Gastroesophageal Reflux (GERD), constipation or diarrhoea.Īnd this ‘not eating right’ phenomenon worsens during the festive season! As the New Year approaches, all healthy diets will be forgotten as party plans arise! Nevertheless, let’s take a look at: 13 Hard To Digest Foods 1. And what we eat has more repercussions than we can imagine. How much you weigh, the presence of acid reflux and digestive issues are all decided by the bacteria in the gut. The gut flora is responsible for assimilating our food in our bodies but it also decides the levels of inflammation and immunity we will have. The digestive tract starts at the mouth and ends at the anus.Our stomach is the prime indicator of our health.Food is broken down by the digestive system to give energy to every cell in the body.ulcer – a hole in the mucous membrane lining the stomach or duodenum.heartburn – when the contents of the stomach back up into the oesophagus.gastroenteritis – an infection that causes vomiting and diarrhoea.diverticulitis – inflammation of pouches lining the small intestine.It can then be passed out of the body through the anus. Water is removed and the waste (faeces) is stored in the rectum. Once all the nutrients have been absorbed, the waste is moved into the large intestine, or bowel. generation of glucose for short-term energy needs from other compounds like lactate and amino acids.filtering and processing impurities, drugs and toxins.breaking down fats, using bile stored in the gall bladder.The liver has a number of different roles in the body, including: Diabetes is a condition caused by problems with insulin production. Insulin helps to regulate the amount of sugar in the blood.

As well as digestive juices, it secretes a hormone called insulin. The pancreas is one of the largest glands in the human body. This is how nutrients pass into the bloodstream. Each villus is connected to a mesh of capillaries. Nutrients are absorbed from the ileum, which is lined with millions of finger-like projections called villi. Food is then squeezed into the lower parts of the small intestine, called the jejunum and the ileum. Once in the duodenum, the food is mixed with more digestive enzymes from the pancreas and bile from the liver. The food is then squeezed through a second sphincter into the first part of the small intestine, called the duodenum. The stomach is a muscular bag and it churns the food to help break it down mechanically as well as chemically. The food passes through a sphincter, or small muscle ring, into the stomach. Once swallowed, muscular contractions of the oesophagus massage the ball of food down into the stomach. Saliva also has a special chemical, called an enzyme, which starts breaking down carbohydrates into sugars. The food is ground up by the teeth and moistened with saliva to make it easy to swallow.

The mouth and oesophagusĭigestion begins in the mouth. Other factors that influence the type of bacteria in your digestive system include where you live in the world, what health conditions you have and what medications you have received.

The exact types of bacteria are particular to each person. These bacteria play an important role in healthy digestion. It is like a long muscular tube, up to 10 metres long, with digestive organs attached along the way.Ī large reservoir of microbes, such as bacteria, live within the large intestine and, to a lesser degree, in vthe rest of the digestive system. The digestive tract begins at the mouth and ends at the anus. The broken-down food is then absorbed into the bloodstream from the small intestine and the nutrients are carried to each cell in the body. The digestive system converts the foods we eat into their simplest forms, like glucose (sugars), amino acids (that make up protein) or fatty acids (that make up fats). We need food to fuel our bodies for energy, growth and repair.

Digested food