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I can remember when I could eat almost anything without having indigestion. I do not remember changing anything to cause it. I only grew older…humbug.
So how does this all work? Most of us understand the concept of chewing food and salivary gland secreted together in order for the food to be broken down into smaller pieces. The saliva contains an enzyme called amylase; this enzyme moistens the food and helps it pass through the esophagus as well as split starch and sugars. This starts the connection between the process of chewing and swallowing the food.
There are quite a few enzymes which are needed in the digestive system, but there are three enzymes specifically function based on molecules that help digest foods. Enzymes are one of the processes in your body that for some people do not work as well as when they were younger. The Enzymes work by breaking down large insoluble molecules of food into smaller molecules so they are easily absorbed by the body. There are three molecules in most people’s body that function at certain parts of the body and they are as followed:
Protein molecules are composed of many different amino acids and the protease enzyme’s break down these molecules. The protease enzymes begin in the stomach by breaking down the protein molecules. Amylases enzyme breaks-down the starch molecules, which are made up from many glucose molecules called the carbohydrates, which starts the digestive process in the mouth. Our fat molecules consist of not only our fatty acids but the glycerol molecules and needs the enzyme lipase to break down the fat molecules.
Of course there are other important processes needed for digestion. Hydrochloric acid’s role in digestion is to rid of any bacteria remaining in the food. There are eight major digestive enzymes when it comes to digesting food. And each one of them has a specific role.
By Linda Allen
