digestion, absorption, assimilation, UTILIZATION
Words matter, functions perform, good structure is created when good food is the norm.
image by bodymybody - pixabay
Every prudent man acts with knowledge, but a fool displays folly. Proverbs 13:16
Time to explain in relatively easy ways what the above title means.
Digestion — “Stomach don’t have teeth”. It is true. Chew your drink, drink your food. Chew your food AT LEAST 15xs before swallowing. Digestion involves:
maceration (chewing), swallowing, stomach churning, food content (aka chyme) emptying into the upper portion of the Small Bowel,
pancreatic enzymes emptying from the pancreas (in illustration, pancreas is located on the upper left, not depicted) into the upper portion of the Small Bowel,
bile emptying from the Gall Bladder (on the upper right not depicted) into the Upper portion of the Small Bowel.
We chew our drinks because of the enzyme amylase in our saliva which begins the breaking down of carbohydrates. The stomach contains mucous, pepsin, and hydro-chloric acid which breaks down proteins and minerals (literally makes them much smaller and affects ionic charge [positive & negative]). The pancreas secretes enzymes which further break down carbohydrates and proteins. Fats are acted upon by the bile (basically emulsification) released from the Gall Bladder. This is basically the nutshell of digestion. Remember this when reading stuff about your “digestion”.
Absorption — The Small Bowel is about 3x’s longer than the your height. Absorption takes place through-out the entire length 15-20 feet of this phenomenal organ which is about the circumference of your middle finger AND which accounts for approximately 70% of immune system function. The now macerated, broken down, and emulsified (in the case of fats AFTER these fats have circulated in the lymph [another immune organ]) nutrients are absorbed though what is known as the Hepatic Portal Veins from the entire length of the Small Bowel directly to the Liver for further processing (catabolism and anabolism) of ingested nutrients [see 12/11/2022]. This is basically the nutshell of absorption. Remember this when you read stuff about “absorption”.
Assimilation — So what happens in the Liver does not stay in the Liver! haha. As nutrients move their way through through the Liver’s circulation being catalyzed and anabolized, when chemical processes are completed, these now minute molecular structures subsequently waft (via ionic charge) into the general blood circulation [see 10/9/2022]. These now ready nutrients find their way to the capillaries which are the vessels connecting to and feeding organs, muscles, nerves etc. In the capillaries, these nutrients are assimilated (via ionic charge) into the cell as the cell has need. This is basically the nutshell of assimilation. Remember this when you read stuff about “assimilation”.
Utilization - This is where the proverbial rubber meets the road. Ideally, the cell utilizes the nutrient it assimilated basically — either for —
making of energy,
making new cells,
getting rid of waste out of the cell.
Cells have to be able to utilize the nutrients assimilated. If the cell is not able to utilize said nutrient, it is not able. Then what? See below! There are numerous reasons why the cell is not able to utilize said nutrient.
SO, when you read correct and incorrect malarkey about the best-digestable-absorbable-nutrient-and-why-you-should-buy-THIS-one, remember each of these words has a function AND place in your GI tract.
About utilization, next week’s post will speak to a few of the most common reasons cells are not able to utilize nutrients properly.
It all begins with — chew your food! Stomachs don’t have teeth. It will take a life time of relearning to eat if you are an “inhaler”!
There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death. Proverbs 14:12