Digestive system diagram
Digestion and Your Health - Learn about the human digestion process as a vital function to sustain life.
Digestion and Your Health - Learn about the human digestion process as a vital function to sustain life.
The digestive system or gastro-intestinal system is a complex and intricate system which plays a major role in our health and well being.
Old time Naturopathic doctors stated that all disease begins in the gut or digestive system. If one or all parts of the digestive system is not working properly, then the whole body's well being is affected. Let us take a look at the gastrointestinal system and see how it works to keep the body strong and healthy.
The major functions of the digestive system are:
1. To break down and digest the nutrients which we ingest and to transfer these nutrients into the rest of the body at the cellular level. There are many chemical and physical reactions which take place in the gut or gastro-intestinal system in order to break down the large particles of food which are ingested into smaller, more useable molecules which can be used by the cells at a cellular level.
2. To protect the body from various bacteria, viruses, parasites, and toxins which may be inadvertently ingested along with the nourishing food. Unless these toxins are inactivated or detoxified, then they potentially could cause great harm to the body.
