The gut and stomach are both part of your gastrointestinaltract (GI). A healthy gut is vital for proper digestion, but it also plays animportant role in your overall health. It regulates your immune system, helpswith weight loss, and affects how your body feels. Your gut is an intricate network of tubes and ducts, made upof several different parts that all work together to help your digestiveprocess run smoothly. The guthealth is also influenced by your diet and lifestyle habits. A normal sized stomach can hold about 1.5 pounds of food andliquids. This size is determined by how much you eat and drink on a dailybasis, your height and other factors. During eating, the mucus lining of your stomach releasesacids and enzymes that break down incoming food. These are mixed with digestivejuices that your pancreas and liver make to help break down carbohydrates, fatsand proteins. When the right amount of food is eaten, your stomachcontracts and relaxes to digest it. During this process, the muscles of yourstomach are coordinated with hormones to help mix and release the ingested foodfrom the stomach and into your small intestine. This happens gradually over time as your body continues todigest and absorb the food. Once the contents of your stomach are ready to beabsorbed into your small intestine, the digestive juices are released from thepancreas and bile. These juices mix with the food and carry it to the duodenumof your small intestine, where the food is digested further by bacteria. The duodenum is the first part of your small intestine. It’snarrow and has 3 sections. It is the place where most of your food is absorbed. There are many parts of the small intestine, but the mainones include the duodenum, jejunum and ileum. These sections are responsiblefor the chemical breakdown of food and absorption of vitamins, minerals,lipids, amino acids and water. Your small intestine is about 6 to 8 feet long and is 2inches wide on average. It contains about six layers of cells calledendothelial cells. The cells use tiny blood vessels to deliver nutrients toyour intestines, where they’re absorbed through special structures calledmicrostructures. You primarily absorb the nutrients from food in your smallintestine, though some also pass through the large intestine. The majority ofvitamins, minerals, lipids, sugars and water are absorbed from the smallintestine. Your gut - also called your digestive tract - is home totrillions of bacteria that help you digest your food. They also contribute tothe function of your immune system by regulating inflammation, and theystrengthen the walls of your gut, which protects you from potential pathogens. A healthy gut is not just about keeping your digestiveprocesses running smoothly; it’s about promoting a healthy balance of goodbacteria and yeast that supports the rest of your body’s health and wellness.It’s this full spectrum of effects that makes the gut such an integral part ofyour overall health and wellness. |