As a digestive health company, we speak about the process of digestion A LOT. In my opinion, it’s essential for any health professional to know in addition to being useful for the average person who simply wants to know how their body works. Nobody is going to teach you otherwise! This topic of conversation has always fallen flat after we get PAST digestion to the absorption process which is arguably the whole point of speaking about digestion. We digest the food we eat to nourish our bodies, so today we are going to explore the process of WHAT happens with absorption. HOW each calorie is broken down, and WHY you knowing these things helps you make better choices for your; clients, family, and self.
The world of health has gotten so information-rich these days with trending topics which seem to be transient taking the focus and interest of those who are in the process of learning. While this is great for being informed of what is new, I do see one downside for those new to this world. They don’t have enough time to master the basics or even return to them because what is trending and what is useful is NOT often aligned. In saying this I now know what people who use the statement “back in my day” must feel like when they use it to explain a point that others don’t see. I say this because I was in school before the days of trending social media where I needed to really take time to learn and master the process of gathering information and committing it to memory. I find that is often the difference between successful practitioners and those who achieve less because no matter how much things evolve, knowledge of the human body is timeless!
In saying this, let’s quickly re-examine the point of the process of digestion; to mechanically and chemically turn large molecules of the food we eat in the form of carbs, proteins, and fats into smaller constituents ideally suited to absorption into the blood stream. This is where we are going to pick up the story to understand what happens once these little molecules are in our bloodstream and what they do and why. Let’s examine each macronutrient and examine its process of utilization.
Carbs are the easiest of all macronutrients to digest because the enzymes that break them down are primarily found in saliva and from pancreatic excretion. Long chains of carbohydrates are broken down into smaller and smaller units called monosaccharides of which glucose is the most important one to the human body as it is the main currency of energy the body uses to make ATP. This process requires the release of insulin in order to allow glucose to enter cells so that your mitochondria can get access to them and break them down so that cell is able to have enough energy to do what a cell needs to in order to be healthy. This pattern is extended into the various tissues and organs of the body and it’s why I say a cell without energy is sick and therefore the person lacking energy cannot heal.
Proteins have a similar process in where they are broken down into amino acids from peptides but have a much different utility once they have been absorbed. Protein is the major structural and functional macronutrient of the body and the body is always building things up and breaking things down to sustain its physical wellbeing. Therefore, there is a constant need for protein. The backbone of every tissue is protein and there are many essential ones that govern the growth and regeneration of metabolism. Without adequate protein, the body runs deficiency and it would be similar to trying to build a complete house with a lacking number of bricks; you’re going to notice a gaping hole in the wall.
Fats have a VERY different fate in the digestive process because there is a split in the process depending on the TYPE of fat being digested. Short and medium chain fats are digested and absorbed like a protein or glucose; right into the bloodstream. Long chain fats however are very different. They get broken down into free fatty acids, then reassembled into triglycerides before they go into the lymphatic system. This is a major reason lymph needs to flow because at some point, those fats are delivered back into the blood stream before they reach the cells. Fats play multiple roles in the body; energy production, material construction, and more. Making sure you don’t consume the WRONG kids are very important which we will talk about in further articles in this series.
The take away here is to extend the connection of just how important the digestive process is because what we eat HAS to be digested in a way where the body can utilize it. That utilization is the catalyst to health in SO many ways! Failure to do so only has negative consequences for the body which range from irritation to the gut and microbiome to immune activate and worse, malnourishment. In society we far too quickly shrug off digestive issues without understanding the import of what this may mean for our health which I hope you have a greater appreciation for now as someone who is more well informed. As a health professional I always do my best to explain how critical this process is and the utility of supporting it supplementally when it’s compromised. Additionally, I want people to “see the matrix: in what they eat so they can choose food for more than simply taste. Food is thy medicine and every time you eat, you have the opportunity to help or hinder yourself. As we go through this series, I will open you guys up to the practical nature of the matrix of nutrition, understanding diet selection, and as always supporting the processes with US Enzymes and Master Supplements products when indicated.
I hope you will all enjoy the process of nourishing your bodies and minds through the process.
-Roland Pankewich, U.S.Enzymes/Master Supplements Inc.