Why Optimal Nutrition is so important to one’s Overall Health:

Why Optimal Nutrition is so important to one’s Overall Health:

Low gastric pH prevents bacterial growth in the gastric chamber and bacterial migration from the small bowel. The relationship between gastric pH and gastric colonization has been well established in several studies.

The standard breakfast takes the form of, “Thirty minutes before drug administration, each subject should consume a standardized, high fat content meal consisting of one buttered English muffin, one fried egg, one slice of American cheese, one slice of Canadian bacon, one serving of hash brown potatoes, eight fluid oz. (240 mL) of whole milk, six fluid oz. (180 mL) of orange juice.”84

Koziolek et al.85 describe the use of an “FDA standard breakfast,” the influence of this meal on gastric pH and emptying, and some of the implications on exposure. This account of the standard breakfast and gastric pH values read, “The intraluminal conditions of the fed stomach are critical for drug release from solid oral dosage forms and thus, often associated with the occurrence of food effects on oral bioavailability … intragastric pH and pressure profiles present after the ingestion of the high-caloric, high-fat … FDA standard breakfast were investigated … the standard breakfast impeded gastric emptying before lunch in 18 out of 19 subjects … [t]he median pH value … [initially] ranged between pH 3.3 and 5.3. Subsequently, the pH decreased … and reached minimum values of pH 0-1 after approximately 4 h.”86

Acute ingestion of H. pylori in humans leads to transient hypochlorhydria,31,32 but in untreated hosts, microbial-dependent inhibition of acid secretion resolves within several months and intraluminal pH decreases to within the normal range.32 In some individuals, acid production continues to increase, which is likely to result from a compensatory rise in serum gastrin and fall in mucosal somatostatin levels induced by gastric inflammation.33–36

What is pH and digestion pH

pH stands for Potential Hydrogen, degree of concentration of H ions in the substance or a solution.

• pH value of 0 (strongly acidic) to less than 7 (mild acidic) is acid, molecules that give off H (hydrogen) maintain an acidic pH.
• pH of 7 means neutral.
• pH of greater than 7 (mild alkali) to 14 (strong alkali) means base, molecules that attract H (hydrogen) maintain a basic (alkaline) pH.
• pH controls the speed of our body's biochemical reactions.
• Acid pH is hot & fast and alkaline pH is cool & slow.

Let food be your medicine.

Let medicine be your food. - Hippocrates

What we eat and drink will affect where our body's pH level falls, and our body's pH will control the activity of every metabolic function happening in our body.

pH is behind the body's electrical system and intracellular activity as well as the way our bodies utilize enzymes, minerals, and vitamins.

The pH varies in the digestive process from stage to stage:

• In the mouth, the pH is in neutral (or close to neutral),
• In the stomach, the pH is acidic at around two.
• In the small intestine, the pH is basic at around 8
• Finally, it reaches seven as it reaches the end (anus).

Esophagus pH - Near pH neutral Digestion process

The first digestion process starts at the mouth; it has a pH of 6.8 to 7.2 that is near neutral or mildly acidic/basic. This pH is causing by the salivary glands in the mouth; this pH range helps your food to start digestion from the mouth until it reaches the stomach through the esophagus by salivary enzyme amylase. It helps to break down carbohydrates into monosaccharide.

Stomach pH - Acidic pH Digestion process

At the time of food reaches the stomach, Stomach is at high acidic pH of 1.3, due to the secretion of hydrochloric acid. This helps to kill harmful microorganisms, denature protein for digestion, and help create a favorable atmosphere to the enzymes in the stomach. The stomach smashes the food into chyme and prepares it for the small intestine to further breakdown of food and absorption of nutrients.

Small Intestine pH - Alkaline (base) pH Digestion process

The chyme from the stomach moves down into the small intestine, secretes sodium bi carbonate to make it slightly alkali to the pH of 7 to 8. Further breakdown of protein and fat takes place, and absorption of nutrients takes place.

Parasympathetic Nerves

The digestive system is under supervision of the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS). The ANS supervise the automatic body process that is not under our conscious control. This means that when we consume food without our knowledge, our body digests it.

Parasympathetic Nervous System

The Autonomic Nervous Systems are the Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS) and the Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS). The SNS is in-charge for the flight or fight response of our body system. When we are fearful (flight) or anger (fight), the SNS signals to increases, our heart rate and provides more energy to our body in preparation to face the situation. In order to provide this extra energy to the heart, lungs and muscle, it inhibits (slows or stops) digestion by diverting blood flow from the digestive tract.

On the other hand, the PNS is in-charge of the digestion. It stimulates salivary gland secretion and peristalsis contractions by increasing blood flow to the digestive tract. Thus, PNS increases the digestion and absorption of food.

Functions of Parasympathetic nervous system

Some of the functions of parasympathetic nervous systems are:

• Stimulates the flow of saliva,
• slow down heartbeat,
• constricts bronchi,
• stimulates peristalsis movement of the stomach,
• stimulates stomach secretion,
• stimulates liver to release bile acid,
• Contract’s bladder

Parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) increases; digestion, intestinal motility, insulin activity, resistance to infection, rest and recuperation and endorphins ('feel good' hormone). In addition, it decreases; heart rate, blood pressure, and body temperature.

Vagus Nerves

The main nerves of the parasympathetic nervous system are the vagus nerves (tenth cranial nerves). PNS originates in the medulla oblongata; other parasympathetic neurons also extend from the brain and from the lower tip of the spinal cord.

Vagus nerves, which emerge from the back of the skull to the way through the abdomen, with numerous branching nerves linking the heart, lungs, voice-box, stomach, and ears. The vagus nerve carries information between the brain and the body; it collects information about what the body is doing, and governs a range of reflex responses.

The vagus nerve regulates the heartbeat, control muscle movement, manage breathing, and transport various chemicals throughout the body. It manages the digestive tract in working condition; contracting the stomach and intestinal muscles to help digest food, and send information about what is digesting and what are the nutrients get out of it.

Two types of Nerves help control the digestive system

Extrinsic (outside) are nerves from the brain (or spinal cord) to the digestive organ release two chemicals acetylcholine and adrenaline. Acetylcholine helps faster digestion by increasing the contraction of the digestive organs to squeeze with more forcefully and push the food through the digestive tract. It also stimulates the stomach and the pancreas to secrete more digestive-juice.

Adrenaline, on the other hand, has the opposite effect of acetylcholine. It relaxes the stomach muscle & intestine, also decreases the blood flow to these organs, which in-turn slow down or stop digestion.

The intrinsic (inside) nerves are embedding in the walls of the esophagus, stomach, small intestine, and colon. The intrinsic nerves are stimulated when the walls of the organs are stretch by the entry of food. They release chemical substances that speed up or delay the food movement and the secretion of juices by the digestive organs.

In co-ordination nerves, hormones, blood, and the organs of the digestive system carryout, the complex tasks of digestion and nutrient absorption from the foods we consume every day.

Nutrients

What are Nutrients? Macronutrient and Micronutrient provide nourishment or aliment to cells and for the entire body.

What are Nutrients?

Getting nutrients involves absorption and utilization of food; by which growth, maintenance, and daily activities of the body are accomplished.

“Let food be thy (your) medicine, and medicine be thy (your) food” ~ Hippocrates

Nutrients are otherwise call as nourishment or aliment to cells and organisms utilizing the food to support life. Many commonly caused health conditions can prevent with a healthy diet.

On the other hand, a poor unhealthy diet can lead to an injurious impact on health, shortage of particular nutrient cause’s deficiency diseases and too much cause over nutrition diseases like obesity, metabolic syndrome.

Eating varieties of fresh completely unprocessed foods is favorable in our health, instead monotonous processed foods is unfavorable in our health. Fresh whole food is well supporting by our digestion system, and it allows efficient absorption of nutrients.

Classification of Nutrients

Nutrients are classifying into two major groups; they are:

• Macronutrients – they are required in large quantities,
• Micronutrients – they are required in smaller quantities.

Macronutrients are Carbohydrates, fats and proteins.

Micronutrients are Minerals and vitamins.

There are six major classes of nutrients; they are carbohydrates (starches & sugars), fats (all lipids - saturated fats, monounsaturated fats, polyunsaturated fats, & essential fatty acids), proteins (amino acids), vitamins, minerals, and water.

Some common vitamins are Vitamin A, Vitamin B complex, Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, Vitamin K, Biotin, and Carotenoids.

Some common minerals are macro minerals (Calcium, Chloride, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium, Sodium, and Iron) and trace minerals (Boron, Cobalt, Chloride, Chromium, Copper, Fluoride, Iodine, Iron, Manganese, Molybdenum, Selenium, and Zinc).

Energies are often a measure in Joules or Calories. Energies provided by some of the macronutrients are:

• Carbohydrates and proteins which provide approximately 17 kJ (4 kcal) of energy per gram,
• Fats provides approximately 37 kJ (9 kcal) per gram.

The net energy produces depends on how effective is the digestion, and the absorption processes are? This may vary considerably from one instance to the other.

Vitamins, minerals, fiber, and water do not produce any energy, but they are required for some other purpose. The fiber is non-digestive materials, which are required for mechanical and biochemical purposes. Vitamins and minerals are need in small quantities not for providing energy, but they are requiring for proper metabolism, boost the immune system, support growth, and development.

Carbohydrate and Fat molecules have carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms. Carbohydrates are of simple monosaccharide (glucose, fructose, and galactose) to complex polysaccharides (starches). Fats are triglycerides, made of fatty acid monomers bound to glycerol. The body cannot produce some fatty acids, and they are considering as essential in the diet.

Protein molecules additionally have nitrogen along with carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen atoms. The proteins are made up of nitrogen containing amino acids; the body cannot produce some amino acids, and they are considering being essential. Some amino acids can convert into glucose by spending some energy and can utilize for energy similar to ordinary glucose; this process called as gluconeogenesis. This occurs only during prolonged starvation.

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“death sits in the bowels and bad digestion is the root of all evil.”

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