Fascinating Digestive System Facts

Who knew eating could be accomplished by hanging upside down? Why does your stomach growl even when you are not hungry? Did you realize that your small intestine handles most of your digestion?

Here are ten interesting facts about your digestive system that you might not have known.

Proper digestion is essential for good health

You know that you need food to survive. However, did you know that proper digestion requires mindfulness to activate your parasympathetic nervous system? Through proper digestion, food is converted to nutrients and energy. It is highly crucial for nutrition, energy, and cell repair that you have a healthy digestive system.

Your stomach does not play an essential role in indigestion

The stomach starts the digestion process by churning the meal and breaking it down with the help of digestive enzymes. Mechanical digestion is the term used to describe this process. The small intestine then does most of the digestive job, utilizing enzymes and absorbing nutrients for absorption by the body.

It is possible to eat upside down

Gravity is not required for food to reach the stomach of a human being. Each time you consume something, the muscles in your esophagus constrict and release, creating a wave-like motion that propels the food up the esophagus and into the stomach. The wave-like movement is called peristalsis and occurs when you swallow something. It’s challenging to eat while standing on your head, but it is feasible.

The large intestine is responsible for much more than just waste elimination.

The large intestine is responsible for converting liquid waste into a solid stool. Aside from that, the large intestine is responsible for absorbing any remaining nutrients and water that the body requires. Undigested dietary components, as well as aged cells from the gastrointestinal tract, are examples of waste products. 1

Mucus secretion protects the stomach from its acid

The primary digesting fluid produced by the stomach, known as hydrochloric acid, is highly corrosive. A thick coating of mucus coats the stomach, which serves as a protective barrier. The stomach acid would digest the stomach if it didn’t have that protective coating.

The small intestine has an unexpectedly large surface area for its size

The average adult’s small intestine measures around 22 feet in length.

2 A result of the numerous folds and finger-like projections, known as villi, in the small intestine, the small intestine has a far bigger surface area than you might imagine. In addition, the high surface area of the small intestine is crucial since it is better constructed to absorb nutrients from meals, which is critical to your overall health.

Stomach growling can occur even when you aren’t feeling hungry

Stomach rumbling is the sound made by your stomach and small intestines as they work together to complete the digestion process. When your stomach is full, you cannot hear the sound due to the muted nature of the sound. Your stomach must contract to ensure no residual food in the stomach. When this occurs, you may feel a growling sensation and maybe hear a growling sound. Although that sound indicates that your stomach is empty, it does not necessarily mean hunger.

Your colon is capable of absorbing water from food

Meals account for a sizable portion of your water consumption. Your colon is essential to your overall digestive health and wellness because it prevents you from losing too much water during the digestion process.

You are providing food for your beneficial gut bacteria

The good bacteria in your digestive tract require nutrition just as much as you do to function correctly. Soluble fiber provides nutrients to beneficial gut flora, which in turn helps to maintain colon health. Several foods contain soluble fiber, including vegetables, fruits, cereals, seeds, and nuts. Additionally, a fiber supplement such as Benefiber can give soluble fiber, which is necessary to grow beneficial gut bacteria.

Fiber Is Beneficial to the Digestive System

Fiber is necessary to aid in the movement of food through the digestive tract, and particular forms of fiber can assist in the maintenance of regularity. The type of fiber soluble in water offers nutrition to beneficial gut bacteria, which play a crucial part in maintaining excellent digestive health.