digestive system essay 500 words

Essay on Digestive System

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100 Words Essay on Digestive System

Introduction to digestive system.

The digestive system is a group of organs that work together to change the food we eat into energy for our bodies. It’s like a food processing factory. It includes the mouth, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, rectum, and anus.

Process of Digestion

Digestion starts in the mouth when we chew food. It then travels down the esophagus to the stomach. In the stomach, food is mixed with stomach acids to break it down into a liquid. This liquid then moves to the small intestine.

Role of Small Intestine

The small intestine plays a major role in digestion. Here, nutrients from the liquid food are absorbed into the bloodstream. The blood then carries these nutrients to all parts of the body. The leftover food, which the body can’t use, moves to the large intestine.

Role of Large Intestine

The large intestine is the last part of the digestive process. It absorbs water from the leftover food and turns it into waste. This waste then leaves the body through the rectum and anus. This whole process is known as digestion.

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250 Words Essay on Digestive System

What is the digestive system.

The digestive system is a group of organs that work together to change the food you eat into energy and basic nutrients to power your body. It is like a food processing plant that takes in raw materials (food) and turns them into something the body can use.

Parts of the Digestive System

The digestive system is made up of several parts. It starts with the mouth, where you chew and swallow your food. Then there’s the esophagus, a tube that carries food to your stomach. The stomach is like a mixer, churning and breaking down food into a liquid.

How Food Travels

From the stomach, the liquid food then goes into the small intestine. Here, it is broken down even more so your body can absorb the nutrients. Finally, what’s left goes into the large intestine, and then out of your body as waste.

The Role of the Liver and Pancreas

The liver and the pancreas also play important roles in digestion. The liver makes a juice called bile that helps to break down fats. The pancreas makes juices that help to break down carbohydrates, fats, and proteins.

Importance of the Digestive System

The digestive system is very important. Without it, our bodies wouldn’t get the nutrients they need. It keeps us healthy and gives us energy. So, remember to eat a balanced diet to keep your digestive system happy and healthy.

500 Words Essay on Digestive System

The digestive system: an introduction.

The digestive system is a group of organs that work together to change the food we eat into energy our bodies can use. It’s like a food processing factory inside our body. It includes the mouth, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, rectum, and anus. The liver and pancreas also play a big role in digestion.

Starting Point: The Mouth

Digestion begins in the mouth. When we eat, our teeth break down the food into smaller pieces. Our saliva, a liquid made by the salivary glands, mixes with these pieces, making them easier to swallow. Saliva also starts the process of breaking down the food chemically.

The Esophagus: The Food Pipe

The esophagus is a long tube that connects the mouth to the stomach. It uses a process called peristalsis to move food. This process is like a wave of muscle contractions that pushes the food down into the stomach.

The Stomach: The Mixing Pot

The stomach is like a mixing pot. Here, the food is mixed with stomach acid and enzymes, which break it down into a liquid. This liquid is then sent to the small intestine.

The Small Intestine: The Nutrient Absorber

The small intestine is where most of the digestion happens. It is a long, coiled tube where nutrients from the food are absorbed into the bloodstream. The liver and pancreas help in this process. The liver makes bile, a substance that helps break down fats. The pancreas makes enzymes, which assist in breaking down proteins and carbohydrates.

The Large Intestine: The Water Saver

The large intestine, also known as the colon, is the final part of the digestive system. Its job is to absorb water from the remaining indigestible food matter, and then to pass useless waste material from the body.

The End of the Journey: The Rectum and Anus

The rectum and anus are the last parts of the digestive system. The rectum stores the waste until it’s ready to leave the body. Then, it passes through the anus and out of the body as feces.

Conclusion: The Importance of the Digestive System

The digestive system is vital for our survival. It turns the food we eat into nutrients that our body needs for energy, growth, and cell repair. Without it, we wouldn’t be able to live. So, next time when you are eating your favorite food, remember the amazing journey it takes through your body!

Remember, eating a balanced diet and drinking plenty of water can help keep your digestive system healthy and working well. Regular exercise is also important as it helps keep food moving through the digestive system, reducing the risk of constipation.

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18.2: Introduction to the Digestive System

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• Suzanne Wakim & Mandeep Grewal
• Butte College

If you’re a dessert lover, then just the sight of this flan dish may make your mouth water. The “water” in your mouth is actually saliva, a fluid released by glands that are part of the digestive system. Saliva contains digestive enzymes among other substances important for digestion. When your mouth waters at the sight of a tasty treat, it’s a sign that your digestive system is preparing to digest food.

What Is the Digestive System?

The digestive system consists of organs that break down food, absorb its nutrients, and expel any remaining waste. Organs of the digestive system are shown in Figure \(\PageIndex{2}\). Most of these organs make up the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Food actually passes through these organs. The rest of the organs of the digestive system are called accessory organs. These organs secrete enzymes and other substances into the GI tract, but food does not actually pass through them.

Functions of the Digestive System

The digestive system has three main functions relating to food: digestion of food, absorption of nutrients from food, and elimination of solid food waste. Digestion is the process of breaking down food into components the body can absorb. It consists of two types of processes: mechanical digestion and chemical digestion. Mechanical digestion is the physical breakdown of chunks of food into smaller pieces. This type of digestion takes place mainly in the mouth and stomach. Chemical digestion is the chemical breakdown (bonds are broken) of large, complex food molecules into smaller, simpler nutrient molecules that can be absorbed by body fluids (blood or lymph). This type of digestion begins in the mouth and continues in the stomach but occurs mainly in the small intestine.

After food is digested, the resulting nutrients are absorbed. Absorption is the process in which substances pass into the bloodstream or lymph system to circulate throughout the body. The absorption of nutrients occurs mainly in the small intestine. Any remaining matter from food that is not digested and absorbed passes out of the body through the anus in the process of elimination.

Gastrointestinal Tract

The gastrointestinal (GI) tract is basically a long, continuous tube that connects the mouth with the anus. If it were fully extended, it would be about 9 meters (30 feet) long in adults. It includes the mouth, pharynx, esophagus, stomach, and small and large intestines. Food enters the mouth and then passes through the other organs of the GI tract where it is digested and/or absorbed. Finally, any remaining food waste leaves the body through the anus at the end of the large intestine. It takes up to 50 hours for food or food waste to make the complete trip through the GI tract.

Tissues of the GI Tract

The walls of the organs of the GI tract consist of four different tissue layers, which are illustrated in Figure \(\PageIndex{3}\): mucosa, submucosa, muscularis externa, and serosa.

• The mucosa is the innermost layer surrounding the lumen, or open space within the organs of the GI tract. This layer consists mainly of the epithelium with the capacity to secrete and absorb substances. For example, the epithelium can secrete digestive enzymes and mucus, and it can absorb nutrients and water.
• The submucosa layer consists of connective tissue that contains blood and lymph vessels and also nerves. The vessels are needed to absorb and carry away nutrients after food is digested, and nerves help control the muscles of the GI tract organs.
• The muscularis externa layer contains two types of smooth muscle: longitudinal muscle and circular muscle. The longitudinal muscle runs the length of the GI tract organs and circular muscle encircles the organs. Both types of muscles contract to keep food moving through the track by the process of peristalsis (Figure \(\PageIndex{4}\).
• The serosa layer is the outermost layer of the walls of GI tract organs. This is a thin layer that consists of connective tissue and separates the organs from surrounding cavities and tissues.

Peristalsis in the GI Tract

The muscles in the walls of GI tract organs enable peristalsis, which is illustrated in Figure \(\PageIndex{4}\). Peristalsis is a continuous sequence of involuntary muscle contraction and relaxation that moves rapidly along an organ like a wave, similar to the way a wave moves through a spring toy. Peristalsis in organs of the GI tract propels food through the tract.

Divisions of the GI Tract

The GI tract is often divided into an upper GI tract and a lower GI tract. For medical purposes, the upper GI tract is typically considered to include all the organs from the mouth through the first part of the small intestine, called the duodenum. For instructional purposes, it makes more sense to include the mouth through the stomach in the upper GI tract and all of the small intestine as well as the large intestine in the lower GI tract. The latter approach is followed here. All organs of GI which are discussed in the text are illustrated in Figure \(\PageIndex{2}\).

Upper GI Tract

The mouth is the first digestive organ that food enters. The sight, smell, or taste of food stimulates the release of digestive enzymes and other secretions by salivary glands inside the mouth. The major salivary gland enzyme is amylase. It begins the chemical digestion of carbohydrates by breaking down starches into sugar. The mouth also begins the mechanical digestion of food. When you chew, your teeth break, crush, and grind food into increasingly smaller pieces. Your tongue helps to mix the food with saliva and also helps you swallow.

A lump of swallowed food is called a bolus. The bolus passes from the mouth into the pharynx and from the pharynx into the esophagus. The esophagus is a long, narrow tube that carries food from the pharynx to the stomach. It has no other digestive functions. Peristalsis starts at the top of the esophagus when food is swallowed and continues down the esophagus in a single wave, pushing the bolus of food ahead of it.

From the esophagus, food passes into the stomach, where both mechanical and chemical digestion continue. The muscular walls of the stomach churn and mix the food, thus completing mechanical digestion as well as mixing the food with digestive fluids secreted by the stomach. One of these fluids is hydrochloric acid. As well as killing pathogens in food, it gives the stomach the low pH needed by digestive enzymes that work in the stomach. One of these enzymes is pepsin, which chemically digests proteins. The stomach stores the partially digested food until the small intestine is ready to receive it. Food that enters the small intestine from the stomach is in the form of a thick slurry (semi-liquid) called chyme.

Lower GI Tract

The small intestine is a narrow but very long tubular organ. It may be almost 7 meters (23 feet) long in adults. It is the site of most chemical digestion and virtually all absorption of nutrients. Many digestive enzymes are active in the small intestine, some of which are produced by the small intestine itself, and some of which are produced by the pancreas, an accessory organ of the digestive system. Much of the inner lining of the small intestine is covered by tiny finger-like projections called villi, each of which in turn is covered by even tinier projections called microvilli. These projections, shown in Figure \(\PageIndex{5}\), greatly increase the surface area through which nutrients can be absorbed from the small intestine.

The small intestine is made up of three parts:

• The duodenum is the first part of the small intestine. It is also the shortest part. This is where most chemical digestion takes place.
• The jejunum is the second part of the small intestine. This is where most nutrients are absorbed into the blood.
• The ileum is the last part of the small intestine. A few remaining nutrients are absorbed in the ileum. From the ileum, any remaining food waste passes into the large intestine.

From the small intestine, any remaining nutrients and food waste pass into the large intestine. The large intestine is another tubular organ like the small intestine, but it is wider and shorter than the small intestine. It connects the small intestine and the anus. Waste that enters the large intestine is in a liquid state. As it passes through the large intestine, excess water is absorbed from it. The remaining solid waste, called feces, is eventually eliminated from the body through the anus.

Accessory Organs of the Digestive System

Accessory organs of the digestive system are not part of the GI tract, so they are not sites where digestion or absorption take place. Instead, these organs secrete or store substances that are needed for the chemical digestion of food. The accessory organs include the liver, gallbladder, and pancreas. They are shown in Figure \(\PageIndex{6}\) and described in the text:

• The liver is an organ that has a multitude of functions. Its main digestive function is producing and secreting a fluid called bile, which reaches the small intestine through a duct. Bile breaks down large globules of lipids into smaller ones that are easier for enzymes to chemically digest. Bile is also needed to reduce the acidity of food entering the small intestine from the highly acidic stomach because enzymes in the small intestine require a less acidic environment in order to work.
• The gallbladder is a small sac below the liver that stores some of the bile from the liver. The gallbladder also concentrates the bile by removing some of the water from it. It then secretes the concentrated bile into the small intestine as needed for fat digestion following a meal.
• The pancreas secretes many digestive enzymes and releases them into the small intestine for the chemical digestion of carbohydrates, proteins, and lipids. The pancreas also helps to lessen the acidity of the small intestine by secreting bicarbonate, a basic substance that neutralizes the acid.

• What is the digestive system?
• What are the three main functions of the digestive system? Define each function.
• Describe the GI tract.
• Distinguish between the upper and lower GI tracts.
• Relate the tissues in the walls of GI tract organs to the functions the organs perform.
• Identify accessory organs of digestion and their general function in digestion.
• Identify the points in the GI tract where food becomes a bolus, chyme, and feces, respectively.
• Does food pass through the pancreas? Why or why not?
• True or False. Absorption mainly occurs in the stomach.
• True or False. Some chemical digestion occurs in the mouth.

A. Gall bladder

C. Small intestine

D. Large intestine

b. Describe one way in which carbohydrates are at least partially chemically digested in the digestive system.

• If the villi in your small intestine were damaged and could not function normally, what effect might this have on your body? Explain your reasoning.

A. An accessory organ of the digestive system

B. Part of the upper GI tract

C. Part of the lower GI tract

D. The longitudinal muscle

Explore More

Check out this 3D animation video to see peristalsis in the Large Intestine:

Why do we feel hungry? Check out this video to learn more:

Attributions

• Caramel cream flan by RitaE via Pixabay license
• Digestive system diagram by Mariana Ruiz, Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons
• Mucosa by National Institute of Health, Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons
• Peristalsis by Zachary Wilson , CC BY NC 3.0 via CK12.org
• Small Intestines from Microbiology by Open Stax CC BY 3.0
• Gallbladder-Liver-Pancreas Location by Blausen.com staff (2014). " Medical gallery of Blausen Medical 2014 ". WikiJournal of Medicine 1 (2). DOI : 10.15347/wjm/2014.010 . ISSN 2002-4436 . licensed CC BY 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
• Text adapted from Human Biology by CK-12 licensed CC BY-NC 3.0

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Human Digestive System | Essay for Children & Students

December 16, 2017 by Study Mentor Leave a Comment

The digestive system is a system of organs working together for the uptake of food, its digestion and to eliminate the indigestible waste products out of the body. It is also known as the Alimentary canal.   

Table of Contents

What is digestion? 

Digestion is defined as the breakdown of complex organic food materials into simpler compounds and thus process, releasing energy required by the body.

The complex food substances are carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, minerals etc.  Digestion involves two processes: Mechanical digestion in which food is broken down by the peristaltic movement of the organs involved in digestion and chemical digestion in which digestive juices act on the complex food materials to convert it into simpler compounds.   

Essential compounds of diet

• Water : Water is a very important compound which can be obtained from all food and drinks and is also released in the body due to oxidation of food. The optimum requirement of water for an adult is 2,000ml.  
• Carbohydrates : Carbohydrates can be obtained from food sources like cereals, bread, fruits etc. They help in providing energy.  
• Protein : Proteins help in growth and maintenance of the body. It also helps in formation of enzymes. Proteins can be obtained from pulses, milk, meat, eggs, cheese etc.  
• Fats/Lipids : It also helps in providing energy. It can be obtained from milk, butter, ghee, oil, creams, nuts etc.  
• Vitamins : Vitamins help in prevention of deficiency diseases and regulation of metabolic activities. The vitamins required by our body are A, B, B6, B12, C, D, E and K.  
• Minerals : Different minerals have different functions in the human body. Some of the important minerals are-  
• Sodium : Helps in osmotic balance, muscle contraction and nerve impulse conduction. It can be obtained from table salt and vegetables.  
• Iron : Oxygen transport as part of haemoglobin. Can be obtained from leafy vegetables and iron supplements.  
• Iodine : It helps in metabolic control of hormone thyroxine.   
• Potassium : Helps in muscle contraction and nerve impulse conduction. Can be obtained from vegetables.  

The human digestive system consists of the alimentary canal and associated digestive glands.  

Alimentary canal  

Histology.  The alimentary canal is lined with muscular layers. It consists of four layers.  

• Serosa: It is the outermost layer. It is formed of a single layer of cells.  
• Muscularised: It is formed by two layers of cells and consists of a network of nerve cells. It controls the muscular contractions.  
• Submucosa: It consists of highly vascular connective tissue. It also has another network of nerve fibres, it controls the secretion of intestinal juice.  
• Mucosa: It is the innermost layer and consists of further 3 layers. It forms the digestive juices.   

  Parts of the alimentary canal

Buccal cavity: It is the space which is bounded to the sides by jaws, top by the palate and below by the throat. The buccal cavity consists of the tongue which is a highly muscular organ and consists of papillae. The tongue helps in mixing saliva with food and facilitates in swallowing. It also helps in telling the taste of the food.  

Teeth : Teeth are embedded in both the upper and lower jaw and helps in chewing, cutting and piercing the food. There are four types of teeth present in humans – Incisors, canines, premolars and molars. Adult human being consists of 32 teeth in the permanent set.

A tooth consists of 3 regions- Crown, neck and root. The root is embedded completely in the jaw and consists of nerve endings and blood vessels. The neck is surrounded by the gum which is soft and fleshy skin. The crown is the exposes part of the tooth and is covered by a shiny material called enamel.  

Pharynx : The food and air crosses the pharynx to reach the oesophagus. It has voluntary muscles which contract and help in swallowing.  

Oesophagus : It is the long, muscular straight tube which connects the pharynx to the stomach. The major function of the oesophagus is to pass the food from pharynx to the stomach by peristaltic movement.  

Stomach . The stomach is a J shaped muscular sac which stores the food for some time. It is also involved in mechanical churning of food, partial digestion of food by gastric juices and regulation of passage of food in the small intestine.

It has 3 parts- The cardiac, fundic and pyloric. The inner surface of the stomach consists of various folding known as gastric rugae which help in increasing the surface area for maximum storage of food. Stomach also secretes the hormone gastrin.  

Small intestine: Divided into 3 major parts- duodenum, jejunum and ileum, the major function of the small intestine is absorption of food. It also consists of microscopic finger like projections known as villi which increases surface area for effective absorption. Small intestine also secretes some hormones.  

Large intestine: The large intestine is divided into 3 major parts- Caecum, Colon and Rectum. Its major role is absorption of water, formation of faeces, and production of mucus for the lubrication of mucosa.  

Anus : The function of the anus is elimination of faeces. It consists of two anal sphincters: the internal anal sphincter and the external anal sphincter.  

Digestive glands

Human digestive glands include salivary glands, gastric glands, liver, pancreas and intestinal glands.  

• Salivary glands: The function of salivary glands is to secrete saliva which is digestive in function. Saliva is secreted by 3 pairs of salivary glands-  
•  Parotid glands which lie on the sides of the face. The saliva produced by these glands is carried by Stensen’s duct.  
• Submaxillary glands which lie at a certain angle of the lower jaw. It has submaxillary ducts which open under the tongue.  
• Submandibular glands: These glands are present under the front part of the tongue. Ducts of Rivinus which carries the saliva produced by these glands open under the tongue.  
• The Saliva secreted by the salivary glands has a pH of 7 and contains salivary amylase which is an enzyme. Saliva also contains lysozyme which is anti bacterial in function.  
• Gastric glands: gastric glands are present in the stomach and is acidic having a pH of 2. There are 3 types of gastric glands present in the stomach:  
• Mucous cells which secrete mucus that helps in protection of the internal wall of the stomach from the gastric acid.  
• Peptic or chief cells which secrete pepsinogen which is the precursor of enzyme pepsin.  
• Oxyntic cells which secrete hydrochloric acid.  

Liver : It is the largest gland of the body consisting of hepatocytes, bile canaliculi and hepatic sinusoids. The liver weighs 1.6kg. There are two lobes in the liver. Right and left lobe.

The liver forms bile which is stored in concentrated form in the gall bladder. Liver also has a function in detoxification of poison or toxic substances in the body.   

Pancreas : The pancreas is a gland which is both endocrine and exocrine in function. The endocrine part secretes hormones namely, insulin, glucagon and somatostatin.

The exocrine part secretes pancreatic juice which consists of proenzyme trypsinogen, chymotrypsinogen and procarboxypeptidase. There are other enzymes also such as pancreatic lipase, nucleases and pancreatic amylase.  

Intestinal juice : the wall of villi present in the small intestine contains small, microscopic glands, Brunner’s glands and Crypts if Lieberkühn.

The both secrete enzymes, mucus and alkaline watery fluid. The mixture of all these secretions is known as the intestinal juice or succus entericus.   

Digestion of food

The organs churn the food by mass peristaltic movement and the digestive glands pour their secretions to facilitate the process of digestion. The processes of digestion in various organs are as follows:  

Mouth and buccal cavity: Digestion of starch starts in the mouth where starch is converted into maltose by the action of enzyme, salivary amylase. The saliva also contains various electrolytes such as sodium, potassium, chlorine etc. 30% of starch is hydrolysed here and the food is converted into a bolus which is further passed down to the Oesophagus.  

Oesophagus : It does not contain any digestive gland so it does not aid in digestion. It only helps in passage of food from the buccal cavity to the stomach.  

Stomach . The stomach consists of Gastric glands which secrete gastric juice. The gastric juice gets mixed with the bolus by the churning movements of the stomach. HCl helps in conversion of proenzyme pepsinogen into active form, pepsin. Pepsin helps in hydrolysis of proteins into peptides. Digestion of casein present in milk also takes place in the stomach by the action of enzyme rennin.   

Small intestine : The small intestine plays a major role in both digestion and absorption of food. The pancreatic juice and bile from the gall bladder are released into the small intestine. Bile juice helps in emulsification of fats. It also coats each small fat droplet to avoid their merging together. The Pancreatic amylase hydrolyses starch and glycogen into maltose and dextrin’s.  

Enzyme trypsinogen gets activated into trypsin by enterokinase. Trypsin converts proteins to peptides. It also converts chymotrypsinogen to chymotrypsin. Trypsin also helps in activation of procarboxypeptidase into carboxypeptidases which further converts peptides into amino acids.   

After digestion, food is absorption of nutrition from food and its passage into the blood and the lymph. In mouth, very little absorption takes place. Absorption of few drugs takes place in the mouth into the buccal mucosa. Absorption of simple sugars, water, and alcohol takes place in the stomach.

Major absorption takes place in the small intestine. The final products after digestion such as glucose, fatty acids, amino acids etc. get absorbed into the blood lymph. The large intestine is also not much involved in absorption. It only absorbs some minerals and water.  

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Home — Essay Samples — Nursing & Health — Digestive System — An Introduction to the Analysis of the Digestive System

An Introduction to The Analysis of The Digestive System

• Categories: Digestive System

About this sample

Words: 1843 |

10 min read

Published: Dec 11, 2018

Words: 1843 | Pages: 4 | 10 min read

Table of contents

The digestive system, works cited, the throat and stomach, the intestines.

• Ehrlich, S. D. (2013). Microbes in the gut: probiotics, prebiotics, symbionts to control inflammatory conditions. Immunity, inflammation, and disease, 1(2), 109-123.
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• Falk, P. (2014). The human microbiome: how bacteria, viruses, fungi, and other microbes are changing our lives. John Wiley & Sons.
• Freeman, S., Quillin, K., Allison, L. (2019). Biological science, 7th edition. Pearson Education, Limited.
• Guyton, A. C., & Hall, J. E. (2020). Textbook of medical physiology. Elsevier Health Sciences.
• Hammer, M. J., & McPhee, S. J. (2014). Pathophysiology of disease: an introduction to clinical medicine. McGraw-Hill Education.
• Jones, R. M. (2014). The human microbiome: past, present, and future. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Developmental Biology, 3(3), 171-180.
• Kleinman, R. E., Greer, F. R., & Van Belle, G. (2015). Pediatric nutrition. American Academy of Pediatrics.
• Saladin, K. S. (2018). Anatomy & physiology: the unity of form and function. McGraw-Hill Education.
• Tortora, G. J., Derrickson, B. H. (2016). Principles of anatomy and physiology, 15th edition. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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The Role Of Digestive System And Respiratory System In Environmental Exchange

Nutrition, Gastrointestinal Tract and Digestion Essay

Nutrition is a key aspect of a healthy lifestyle and development that cannot be overlooked. Better nutrition is associated with better child and maternal health, stronger immune systems, safer pregnancy and delivery, a decreased risk of noncommunicable illnesses (such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease), and longer life. Malnutrition, in all of its forms, poses serious risks to human health. Today, the globe is dealing with a twin burden of malnutrition, which comprises both undernutrition and obesity, particularly in low- and middle-income nations.

Nutrients are substances that the body needs to accomplish its fundamental activities. The majority of nutrients must be received from the food because the human body does not synthesize or create them. Nutrients provide people with energy, contribute to body structure, and/or control chemical processes. These fundamental functions allow individuals to perceive and respond to their surroundings, move, expel waste, breathe, develop, and reproduce (Chen et al., 2018). There are six types of nutrients that the body needs in order to operate and sustain general health. Carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, water, vitamins, and minerals are all groups of nutrients. Non-nutrients can be found in a range of foods together with nutrients and also affect the efficiency of diets (Thompson & Friendship, 2019). Some non-nutrients, such as antioxidants, which are usually found in edible plants, are helpful to the body, while others, such as toxins or additives like some colors and preservatives found in processed foods, can be detrimental.

The digestive process is utilized by the human body to break down food into a form that can be absorbed and used as fuel. It performs three primary functions: combining food, pushing food through the digestive tract (peristalsis), and breaking down food into smaller molecules utilizing chemicals. The related organs include the mouth, esophagus, stomach, pancreas, liver, gallbladder, small intestine, large intestine, and anus. This portion of the process is known as “motility” because it includes moving or emptying food particles from one area to the next. The activity of a vast network of hormones, neurons, enzymes, and muscles is critical to this process. Problems with any of these components can result in a wide range of diseases.

Understanding digestion requires understanding how these organs work together to digest food. Digestion is a complex process that focuses on the conversion of food one consumes into nutrients that a body can utilize for energy, development, and cell repair. The digesting process also generates trash that must be removed. The mouth is the starting point for the digestive system, and digestion begins here before you even take the first bite of food. The scent of food causes the salivary glands to release saliva, causing the mouth to be wet. The saliva production rises as a person eats their food, thus enticing the gastrointestinal tract into action. In the mouth, the digestive process begins. Even before dining begins, the prospect of eating increases saliva glands in the mouth.

A well-balanced approach to dieting accounts for a person’s needs and bodily characteristics. People require a certain amount of calories and nutrients to maintain their health and cannot adequately sustain themselves otherwise. It delivers all of the nutrients a person needs without exceeding the daily calorie limit. People can receive the nutrients and calories they need by eating a balanced diet and avoiding junk food or food with little nutritious value. Furthermore, it is often not enough to simply consume the required food groups as a whole: to pursue a healthy diet; people must consider the internal distinctions within the established groups of nutrients. These distinctions are the most evident with, arguably, the most controversial food group: controversial. Starchy carbohydrates should make up less than one-third of a person’s total food consumption. Among them are potatoes, pasta, bread, white rice, and cereals. Options with more fiber or whole grains, such as wholewheat pasta, brown rice, or skin-on potatoes, are generally considered to be healthier. They include more fiber than white or refined starchy carbohydrates and may help you feel satiated for longer.

As nutrition is an elaborate discipline that evidently changes depending on the individual requirements and circumstances of each person, one must also consider diseases and chronic conditions associated with incorrect diets. The relationship between food and health is highly complex, and many issues concerning how nutrition affects human health remain unanswered. Given the complex nature of chronic illnesses and the wide variety of diets, proving a causal function of a single dietary ingredient in disease development is extremely challenging (Cena & Calder, 2020). Dietary illnesses include nutritional deficiencies or excesses, obesity, and eating disorders, as well as chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, hypertension, cancer, and type 2 diabetes. Hereditary metabolic illnesses that respond to dietary therapy, the interaction of foods and nutrients with medications, food allergies and intolerances, and congenital malformations that can be avoided by diet are all examples of nutritional diseases.

In conclusion, the nutritional value of foods an individual consumes has to be considered on a regular basis for them to remain healthy and for the maintenance of general well-being. In many cases, this is a rather complex task due to financial or organizational limitations, as well as taste-related preferences. It is generally harmful health-wise to disregard how healthy one’s diet is, but the opposite extreme might be almost as unhealthy. Thus, dietary restrictions might be a useful tool in better understanding one’s food intake but should be used in moderation and with due attention to a person’s mental health.

Cena, H., & Calder, P. C. (2020). Defining a healthy diet: Evidence for the role of contemporary dietary patterns in health and disease. Nutrients , 12 (2), 334., Web.

Chen, Y., Michalak, M., & Agellon, L. B. (2018). Focus: Nutrition and food science: Importance of nutrients and nutrient metabolism on human health. The Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine , 91 (2), 95. Focus: Nutrition and Food Science: Importance of Nutrients and Nutrient Metabolism on Human Health (nih.gov).

Thomson, J. R., & Friendship, R. M. (2019). Digestive system. Diseases of Swine , 234-263. Web.

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IvyPanda. (2022, December 22). Nutrition, Gastrointestinal Tract and Digestion. https://ivypanda.com/essays/nutrition-gastrointestinal-tract-and-digestion/

"Nutrition, Gastrointestinal Tract and Digestion." IvyPanda , 22 Dec. 2022, ivypanda.com/essays/nutrition-gastrointestinal-tract-and-digestion/.

IvyPanda . (2022) 'Nutrition, Gastrointestinal Tract and Digestion'. 22 December.

IvyPanda . 2022. "Nutrition, Gastrointestinal Tract and Digestion." December 22, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/nutrition-gastrointestinal-tract-and-digestion/.

1. IvyPanda . "Nutrition, Gastrointestinal Tract and Digestion." December 22, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/nutrition-gastrointestinal-tract-and-digestion/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Nutrition, Gastrointestinal Tract and Digestion." December 22, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/nutrition-gastrointestinal-tract-and-digestion/.

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