Our bodies are often unable to actually make use of the nutrients we ingest from the foods we eat. Hormonal issues, digestive issues and toxins all contribute to the problem.
In addition, our foods are less nutrient-dense due to poor soil quality and the typical American diet is low in important nutrients. As a result, many of us have significant micro-nutrient deficiencies. These deficiencies can lead to fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, asthma, migraine, headaches, and sinus problems among others. Generally speaking, these conditions cause us to be less mentally and physically alert.
Let’s take a look at the process food had to go through before the nutrient actually gets into the blood stream. Many of us think that as soon as we eat, all of a sudden the food is just there in the bloodstream.
Step one of the nutrient absorption process
Requires us to chew the food. Due to chronic stress, many of us don’t chew adequately. This critical first process is important because the food must be broken down by our teeth and mixed with our saliva.
Second step of the nutrient absorption process
The food goes into the stomach to be mixed with hydrochloric acid, which is crucial to enable our bodies to break down the food and make protein and minerals available. Many people have been prescribed acid-reflux medication by a doctor, which actually prevents the hydrochloric acid from being secreted, and causes interruption in support for digestion of the food. Next, the pancreas secretes digestive juices (including insulin, needed for processing carbohydrates) which are necessary for processing of food that is entering into the smaller intestines.
The liver produces a liquid called bile (for fat digestion), which is stored in the gallbladder, which then is secreted through the bile duct and into the smaller intestines.
In the smaller intestines, these juices are working on breaking down the food we’ve consumed. From the smaller intestines, the food is absorbed through the bloodstream, into the liver. The liver converts and breaks the food further. It is not until this stage that the food we’ve eaten will be completely broken down and is able to enter our bloodstream.
Looking at this process, we can see that there are many steps where if something is not working properly or one of these steps is not happening, this complex digestive process can go wrong.
There is a solution where we can bypass all these obstacles:
- If we don’t chew properly
- If we don’t have enough hydrochloric acid
- If the pancreas does not produce enough digestive juices
- If there is bad bacteria (fungus)
- If we have issues with the liver
- If there is a problem with the gallbladder
- If there is a problem with the bile duct
- If there is a compromise in the lining of the intestinal tract
All these scenarios can put us in a position that causes the food we consume to not be beneficial to us – and that can even be true even if the food we consume is indeed healthy – where we find ourselves unable to absorb the nutrients from the food – especially if our immune system is also compromised, if we are elderly, or if other problems are present.
Learn More About Nutrients, Enzymes and Digestive Health
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Photo by Kalen Emsley on Unsplash.
