The normal digestive process is crucial to our survival. If something were to interfere with this normal bodily function it would create a cascading effect of health decline. If we cant extract the vital nutrients our body needs from our food then our health and ability to function properly is compromised.
When we eat a meal our body immediately begins the process of digestion. This starts in the mouth where chewing breaks down food. The process continues when food is swallowed, travels down the esophagus and enters the stomach. When food hits the stomach, hydrochloric acid further breaks down the meal. After the food is broken down it travels into the small intestine. Throughout its length it has many folds, which helps to maximize its surface area for nutrient absorption.
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In the complicated process of breaking down a meal into living breathing tissue we fail to realize that there are a few helpers along the way, in fact about 100 trillion helpers. Our gut (digestive tract) is home to nearly 100 trillion bacteria. These bacteria out number our body cells nearly 10 to 1. Of these 100 trillion bacteria 85% are considered good and 15% are considered bad. It is a happy balance of these good and bad bacteria that keep us healthy. When the balance is thrown off the bad bacteria can reek havoc on our immune system and cause a great deal of problems. These problems range from chronic fatigue, joint pain, psoriasis, irritable bowel syndrome to autoimmune conditions and obesity. This irregular ratio of bacteria can result from illness, poor diet, aging and antibiotic use. Keeping the balance of bacteria through diet and if necessary probiotic supplementation is crucial to overall health and proper digestive function.
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