One of the most important chemical processes of a body is digestion. Digestion is how a body converts consumed food into nutrients that are used to restore energy, muscle and body development, and cell repair.
This digestive process uses the digestive tract, liver, pancreas, and gallbladder found in the digestive system. The digestive system is made up of small intestines, large intestines, mouth, stomach, esophagus, and anus. How digestion works depend entirely on critical organs.
Still, these are all parts of the digestive tract and referred to as the “hollow organs” of the digestive system. In contrast, the tract itself, liver pancreas and gallbladder are referred to as the “solid organs” of the digestive system! The hollow organs are twisted together in a tube-like shape to form the digestive tract.
These organs are very important for the digestive process, but how do they work? Well, each organ in the digestive system has a specific movement to execute.
For example, the mouth’s movement is chewing. In contrast, the esophagus, large and small intestine have the job of peristalsis, which essentially is the contraction of muscles to squeeze the food through the body’s digestive tract.
The stomach is responsible for two movements that relax the upper muscle so food can enter while lowering the lower muscle to mix the food. All these processes involve chemical reactions, and there are almost infinite ways to speed up the chemical and digestion process of a body for a healthier lifestyle!
Hydration is Key!
First things first, staying hydrated helps digest the solid food and adequately absorb the nutrients. If you are not hydrated, the metabolism of the body decreases, which may lead to a drastic decrease in blood pressure. Staying dehydrated during the digestion process is also cause for constipation, so make sure you drink loads of water while eating.
Increase Stomach Acid
The most critical organ in the digestive system is the stomach because that is where all the food is mixed and released to the small intestine, which is responsible for all sorts of digestion and absorption of nutrients! The stomach mixes the food by using hydrochloric acid. The amount of this acid used can increase drastically by adding lemon to the water you drink to keep yourself hydrated. One unusual way to increase the acidity in the stomach is by chewing your food as much as possible, probably about 20 chews per bite!
Consume More Fiber
The best way to ensure that your digestive system is working to the best of its abilities is by eating more fiber. Not only does it help speed up the digestion process, but it also lowers the cholesterol level in your blood, which minimizes the risk of heart disease. Common sources of fiber include fruits such as bananas, whole grains, and beans.
Combining all these techniques will not only help you in terms of digestion but will also keep you healthy and fit!
