Vitamins in order:
Vitamins are various fat-soluble or water-soluble organic substances essential in minute amounts for normal growth and activity of the body and obtained naturally from plant and animal foods.
Micronutrients/Minerals
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Micronutrient
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Sources |
Function
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Green leafy vegetables, nuts, grains, beer, cider,
wine, prunes, dates, raisins, honey, nuts, fresh fruit such as grapes and
pears, beans.
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Used to help with
menopausal symptoms as well as maintaining healthy bones, hence its affinity
to calcium and magnesium.
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Almonds,
Brazil nuts, broccoli, buchu leaves, cabbage, carob, caviar, cheese,
collards, dairy foods, dandelion leaves, dulse, figs, filberts, green leafy
vegetables, kale, kelp, milk, molasses, mustard greens, oats, parsley, pau
d'arco bark, prunes, salmon, sardines, seafood, sesame seeds, shrimp,
soybeans, tofu, turnip greens, valerian root, white oak bark, yogurt.
Supplements: Bone meal, calcium amino acid chelate, calcium ascorbate, calcium carbonate, calcium caseinate, calcium citrate hydrate, calcium citrate malate (CCM), calcium gluconate, calcium lactate, di-calcium phosphate, hydroxyapatite, oyster shell, tricalcium phosphate. It has been reported that the most bioavailable form of calcium is calcium citrate malate.1 Calcium carbonate is similar in bioavailability to milk. |
Calcium is needed for so many different functions in
the body, from bones, to blood clotting, your muscles, for the formation and
maintenance of bones, the development of teeth and healthy gums, for blood
clotting, stabilizes many body functions and is thought to assist in bowel
cancer. It has a natural calming and tranquilizing effect and is necessary
for maintaining a regular heartbeat and the transmission of nerve impulses. It
helps with lowering cholesterol, muscular growth, the prevention of muscle crampsand normal blood clotting.
Furthermore it also helps with protein structuring in DNA and RNA. It provides energy, breaks down fats, maintains proper cell membrane permeability, aids in neuromuscular activity and helps to keep the skin healthy. Calcium also stops lead from being absorbed into bone. |
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Table salt, sea salt, kelp, olives, tomatoes,
celery.
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Production of stomach acid and the transmission of
nerve impulses. Helps regulate water balance in cells, acid-base balance and
electrolyte balance. Necessary for the production of hydrochloric acid in
stomach acid. Required for the absorption of vitamin B12 and iron. Helps stop
the growth of microorganisms that enter the stomach. Activates amylases.
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Apple peel, banana, beef, beer, blackstrap molasses,
brewer's yeast, brown sugar, butter, calves' liver, cheese, chicken, corn,
dairy products, dried beans, eggs, fish, liver, meat, mushrooms, oatstraw,
oysters, potatoes with skin, seafood, shell fish, Stevia leaves, whole
grains.
Supplements: chromium picolinate, chromium nicolinate, chromium nicotinate, chromium (III) chloride hexahydrate, chromium amino acid chelate, GTF chromium. |
Stimulates enzymes involved in glucose metabolism,
and improves the effectiveness of insulin in its relationship with glucose. It
competes with iron to transport protein in the blood and is involved in
RNA-protein binding ability. Chromium is poorly absorbed (5%
bioavailability). It is stored in the spleen, testicles, kidneys, pancreas,
heart, lungs, and brain. Helps stabilize nucleic acids (DNA and RNA) against
structural changes. Helps stimulate the synthesis of fatty acids and
cholesterol in the liver.
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Beet greens, buckwheat, cabbage, clams, dulse, figs,
goldenseal, Irish moss, kelp, kidney, lettuce, liver, milk, oysters, pau
d'Arco, sarsaparilla, spinach, watercress.
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Cobalt is an important element in the formation of
cobalamin or vitamin B12. It is not easily assimilated in the body and is
stored in red blood cells, liver, plasma, spleen, kidney, and pancreas. Promotes RBC formation. Activates
enzymes, replaces zinc in some enzymes.
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Alfalfa, almonds, avocados, baker's yeast, barley,
beans, beet roots, black pepper, blackstrap molasses, Brazil nuts, broccoli,
cashews, cocoa, crab, dandelion leaves, garlic, grapes, green leafy
vegetables, green olives, haddock, hazelnuts, herring, honey, horsetail,
lentils, liver, lobster, molasses, mushrooms, mussels, nuts, oats, oranges,
oysters, peanuts, pecans, radishes, raisins, sage, salmon, skullcap, seafood,
sesame seeds, shrimp, soybeans, sunflower seeds, walnuts, wheat bran, wheat
germ, white oak bark, yucca. Copper aspartate, copper gluconate (used in
mouth deodorants), copper amino acid chelate, copper sulfate.
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Copper is absorbed into the intestine and quickly
moves to the blood stream. It is stored in the liver, kidneys, heart, brain,
muscles, and bones. Copper aids in the formation of bones, conversion of iron
into hemoglobin, and works with zinc and vitamin C for the production of
elastrin. It is necessary for the production of RNA, phospholipids, protein
metabolism and adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Copper helps convert tyrosine into
a pigment that colors the skin and hair. It is involved in the healing
process, taste, healthy nerves, and the formation of collagen. Copper
imbalance raises cholesterol by destroying proper HDL to LDL balance. Critical
for metabolizing iron; plays a role in connective tissue formation (ie-muscle
and blood vessels); protein synthesis. Necessary for the absorption &
utilization of Iron; helps oxidize Vitamin C and works with Vitamin C to form
Elastin, a chief component of the Elastin muscle fibers throughout the body;
aids in the formation of red blood cells; helps proper bone formation &
maintenance.
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Fluoridated water, apples, calves' liver, cheese,
cod, eggs, kidneys, meat, salmon, sardines, seafood, seaweed, sodium
fluoride, tea, toothpaste, seaweed.
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Confers resistence to tooth decay. Fluorine is
present in almost all tissue, especially the teeth and bones. It is absorbed
in the intestines, transported in the blood stream, stored in teeth and
bones. Fluorine increases the bioavailability of calcium and helps to buffer
acids present in the mouth. Helps prevent dental caries in children;
Interferes with the growth and development of bacteria that causes dental
plaque.
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Asparagus, chard, cod, cod-liver oil, dulse, garlic,
haddock, herring, iodized salts, Irish moss, kelp, lima beans, lobster,
mushrooms, oysters, salmon, sea salt, seafood, seaweed, sesame seeds, shrimp,
soybeans, spinach, squash, sunflower seeds, turnip greens.
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Iodine is important for the development and proper
function of the thyroid. It helps to metabolize fats, promotes growth, and
regulates the production of energy. It is absorbed in the intestinal tract
and is transported through the bloodstream to the thyroid were it becomes
iodized and converted into thyroxin. Iodine is essential for absorption of
carbohydrates, hair, mental health, nails, proper balance of cholesterol,
proper metabolism, skin, speech, teeth, the conversion of carotene to vitamin
A, and the synthesis of protein by ribosomes.
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Almonds, avocados, beans, beef, beets, blue cohosh,
bran, brewer's yeast, broccoli, butchers broom, cashews, caviar, cheddar
cheese, chickweed, cocoa, dates, devil's claw, dried fruit, dulse, eggs, egg
yolk, garbanzo beans, green leafy vegetables, spinach, heart, kelp, kidneys,
legumes, lentils, liver, millet, molasses, mullein, mussles, oysters,
parsley, peaches, pears, pennyroyal, pistachios, potatoes, poultry, prunes,
pumpkins, raisins, rice, seaweed, sesame seeds, soybeans, sunflower seeds,
tongue, walnuts, wheat bran, wheat germ, whole grains. Supplements: Ferric
citrate, ferrous fumarate, ferrous gluconate, ferrous salt of gluconic acid,
ferrous succinate, ferrous sulfate, iron amino acid chelate.
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Iron plays an important role in the production of
hemoglobin with protein and copper and oxygenation of red blood cells and
lymphocytes. Iron improves the function of enzymes in protein metabolism and
enhances the functions of calcium and copper. It is absorbed in the small
intestine and stored in the liver, spleen, bone marrow, and blood. Iron is needed to metabolize B
vitamins.
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Sugarcane, seaweed, natural mineral waters, tobacco.
Supplements: Lithium Carbonate, Lithium Chloride, Lithium Citrate, Lithium
Sulfate.
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It is not yet known what particular function of
lithium may make it an essential nutrient. It is thought to stabilize
serotonin transmission in the nervous system; it influences sodium transport;
and it may even increase lymphocytic (white blood cell) proliferation and
depress the suppressor cell activity, thus strengthening the immune system. There
is also speculation that lithium is in some way involved in cancer genesis or
prevention.
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Almonds, barley, blackstrap molasses, bluefish,
brewer's yeast, buckwheat, carp, cocoa, cod, cottonseed, figs, flounder,
garlic, green leafy vegetables, halibut, herring, Irish moss, kelp, licorice,
lima beans, meat, mackerel, millet, molasses, nettle, nuts, oat straw, oats,
peaches, peanut butter, peanuts, peas, perch, seafood, sesame seeds, shrimp,
snails, soybeans, sunflower seeds, swordfish, tofu, wheat, wheat bran, wheat
germ, whole grains.
Supplements: Dolomite, magnesium amino acid chelate, magnesium ascorbate, magnesium gluconate, magnesium oxide. |
Plays an important role in regulating the
neuromuscular activity of the heart; maintains normal heart rhythm; necessary
for proper calcium & Vitamin C metabolism; converts blood sugar into
energy. Magnesium is vital for many metabolic functions such as the
activation of enzymes for proper metabolism of protein and carbohydrates for
energy production. It is a constituent of bones and teeth and is important
for the metabolism of phosphorus, calcium, potassium, sodium, B-complex
vitamins, and vitamins C and E. Magnesium is absorbed in the small intestine
and vitamin D is necessary for proper utilization of the mineral. Necessary
in the production of testosterone and progesterone. It is essential for
normal heart beat, nerve transmission, bone growth, body temperature, and
arterial health. Magnesium, in proper balance with calcium, is important for
neuromuscular contractions and is vital for DNA and RNA production. Helpful in stroke prevention.
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Avocados, barley, beans, bilberry fruit,
blackberries, blackstrap molasses, blueberries, bran, brown rice, buckwheat,
buchu leaves, chestnuts, cloves, coffee, egg yolks, ginger, grapevine, green
leafy vegetables, hazelnuts, kelp, legumes,nuts, oatmeal, peanuts, peas,
pecans, pineapples, red raspberry leaves, rice bran, rice polish, seaweed,
seeds, spinach, walnuts, wheat bran, wheat germ, whole grain cereals. Supplements: manganese amino acid
chelate, manganese gluconate, manganese sulfate,
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A cofactor in many enzyme systems including those
involved in bone formation, energy production, and metabolism of protein,
carbohydrate, and fat. It is essential for the utilization of choline,
thiamine, biotin, and vitamins C and E. It is absorbed in the small intestine
and is stored in the bones, liver , kidney, pituitary gland, and pancreas. Manganese
is required for choline acetylcholine transsfer, enhances smooth muscle
relaxation. Promotes normal growth and development, cell function. Manganese
helps produce mucopolysaccharides, stimulates the production of cholesterol
and is a co-factor in many of the body's enzymes.
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Barley, beans, buckwheat, cereal grains, green leafy
vegetables, legumes, lentils, lima beans, liver, meats, milk, organ meats,
peas, sunflower seeds, whole grains, yeast.
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Molybdenum plays an important role in 2 enzymatic
reactions. They include aldehyde oxidase which is necessary for the oxidation
of fats, and xanthine oxidase necessary for the movement of iron from liver
reserves and converting nucleic acid to uric acid (waste product eliminated
in the urine). Molybdenum is absorbed through the intestines and stored in
the liver, bones, and kidneys. It is required for proper growth and
development, the metabolism of fats and nucleic acids, metabolism of
nitrogen, copper, and sulfur, and normal cellular functions. Cofactor in
enzymatic systems involved in the metabolism of carbohydrates, fats,
proteins, sulfur-containing amino acids, nucleic acids (DNA, RNA) and iron. Helps
prevent cavities. Cancer-preventative (esophagus, stomach), helps detoxify or
eliminate harmful sulfites from the body.
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Beef, bran, cabbage herb, cheese, corn, cocoa,
cottonseed, dairy products, dog grass, eggs, fish, fruit, garlic, legumes,
liver, meat, nuts, peanuts, poultry, pumpkin seeds, rice polish, squash
seeds, soda, soybeans, sunflower seeds, wheat bran, wheat germ, whole grains.
Supplements: Ammonium phosphate, bone meal, brewer's yeast, dicalcium
phosphate dihydrate, dipotassium phosphate, hydroxyapatite, lecithin,
monosodium phosphate, tricalcium phosphate.
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Phosphorus is important to keep in balance with
calcium and magnesium. It plays a role in every metabolic reaction in the
body and is important for the metabolism of fats, carbohydrates, and protein
for proper growth and production of energy. Phosphorus is absorbed through
the intestines, transported in the bloodstream, and stored in the bones and
teeth. 70% of
ingested phosphorus is absorbed.
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Almonds, apricots, avocados, bananas, beef, bran,
Brazil nuts, brewer's yeast, broccoli, brown rice, cabbage herb, cashews,
celery herb, chard, citrus fruit, dairy foods, dates, figs, fish, fruit,
garlic, grapefruit juice, green leafy vegetables, guava, legumes, lentils,
meat, milk, molasses, nectarine, nuts, oranges, parsley, parsnips, peanuts,
peaches, pork, potatoes, poultry, raisins, rice bran, sardines, seaweed,
seeds, soybeans, spinach (fresh), squash, sunflower seeds, tomato juice,
veal, walnuts, wheat bran, whole grains, yams. Supplements: potassium
ascorbate, potassium aspartate, potassium benzoate, potassium carbonate,
potassium chloride, potassium gluconate, potassium hydroxide.
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Potassium is important for chemical reactions within
the cells, and regulates the transfer of nutrients to the cells. Potassium
helps to regulate water balance in the body, and the distribution of fluids
on both sides of the cell walls. It is an electrolyte needed to maintain
fluid balance, normal heartbeat, and nerve transmission. Potassium is
absorbed through the intestines and is stored in the cells and kidneys. It is
necessary for adrenal glands. Potassium is important for proper muscle
contractions, normal blood pressure, growth, nerve impulses, healthy skin,
cell metabolism, and enzyme reactions. Potassium increases the metabolism.
Helpful in stroke prevention. Antidepressant, antihypertensive,
antispasmodic.
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Barley, beer, blackstrap molasses, bran, Brazil
nuts, brewer's yeast, broccoli, brown rice, buchu leaves, butter, cabbage,
catnip, celery, cereals, chicken, cider vinegar, cinnamon, clams, crab,
cucumbers, dairy products, dog grass, eggs, garlic, grains, green leafy
vegetables, hibiscus, ho shou wu root, kidneys, lamb, liver, lobster, meats,
milk, milk thistle seeds, molasses, mushrooms, nutmeg, nuts, oats, onions,
seafood, swiss chard, tuna, turnips, wheat bran, wheat germ, whole grains. Supplements: selenium ascorbate,
selenium amino acid chelate.
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Selenium is an antioxidant that protects vitamin E
from degradation. It helps to build the immune system by destroying free
radicals, and aid in the production of antibodies. Selenium is absorbed
through the intestines and stored in the liver, kidneys, and muscles. The
lower the selenium intake the higher the incidents of cancer. Selenium
fortifies heart energy cells, making sure they get enough oxygen. Selenium
helps eliminate arsenic. Helpful in stroke prevention. Helps protect against
the effects from arsenic, cadmium and mercury. Component of glutathione
peroxidase, protecting tissues from the effects of polyunsaturated fatty acid
oxidation.
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Alfalfa, beets, bell peppers, brown rice, dulse,
Echinacea root, eyebright herb, goldenseal root, green leafy vegetabls,
horsetail grass, liver, mother's milk, soybeans, whole grains.
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Anti-arteriosclerotic. Silicon is needed for bone
structure, growth, and connective tissue production of collagen. Silicon is
important for healthy nails, skin, hair, and bone formation. It is need to
maintain healthy arteries and prevents cardiovascular disease. It counteracts
the effects of aluminum toxicity and improves calcium intake.
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Anchovies, bacon, beef, bologna, bran, butter,
Canadian bacon, clams, corned beef, dulse, green beans, green olives, ham,
Irish moss, kelp, margarine, meat, milk, poultry, rose hips, salt, sardines,
seafood, tomatoes. Supplements:
Baking soda, monosodium glutamate, sodium ascorbate, sodium chloride.
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Sodium is necessary for proper water balance in the
body, transition of fluids across cell walls, and proper blood pH. Sodium
works in conjunction with potassium for extracellular fluid balances. Sodium
is easily absorbed in the small intestine and stomach and transported through
the blood to the kidneys where it is filtered out of the body. Sodium is
important for proper digestion in the stomach, nerve function, and muscle
contractions. Also helps keep the blood soluble, and aids in the cleansing
process of carbon dioxide from the body.
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Trace amounts in foods from plant and animal
sources.
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Strontium may be essential for proper bone growth. May
help prevent tooth decay.
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Beans, brussels sprouts, cabbage, clams, dairy
products, eggs, fish, garlic, meat, milk, onions, soybeans, taurine, turnips,
wheat. Supplements:glutathione,
horsetail herb, kale, L-cysteine, L-cystine, L-lysine, L-methionine,
methylsulfonylmethane (MSM).
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Sulfur is found in the amino acids cysteine, cystine
and methionine. Sulfur is also found in cells, hemoglobin, collagen, keratin,
insulin, heparin, hair, skin, nails, among many other biological structures. Sulfur
is necessary for synthesizing collagen. It is required for the metabolism of
several vitamins including thiamine, biotin and pantothenic acid. It is also
required for cellular respiration. Sulfur is a component of biotin, insulin,
glutathione, thiamine, coenzyme A. Helps in carbohydrate metabolism, helps
detoxify by converting toxins to nontoxic forms. Sulfur aids in bile secretion in
the liver.
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Beans, beef, bilberry fruit, black strap molasses,
brewer's yeast, buchu leaves, capsicum fruit, chicken heart, crab, egg yolk,
fish, herring, lamb, legumes, liver, maple syrup, meats, milk, oysters,
peanuts, pork, poultry, pumpkin seeds, skullcap herb, seafood, sesame seeds,
soybeans, sunflower seeds, turkey, wheat bran, wheat germ, whole grains,
yeast. Supplements:
Zinc aspartate, zinc gluconate, zinc oxide, zinc picolinate, zinc sulfate.
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Zinc is important for absorption and action of
B-complex vitamins. It is required for protein synthesis, collagen formation,
healthy immune system, and the ability of the body to heal from wounds. Zinc
is absorbed in the small intestine and is stored in the liver, eyes, kidneys,
pancreas, bones, muscles, prostate gland, sperm, nails, skin, hair, and white
blood cells. Zinc inhibits 5-alpha reductase from converting testosterone
into dihydrotestosterone (DHT) a form of testosterone that promotes prostate
growth. Zinc increases testosterone, and sperm count. If a zinc deficiency
exists sex drive is reduced in order to conserve the zinc (zinc is
concentrated in semen). Zinc is involved in protein synthesis, muscle
contraction, formation of insulin, maintaining acid-base balance, synthesis
of DNA, brain functions. Excessive sweating leads to loss of up to 3 mg per
day.
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How
is food digested?
Digestion
involves mixing food with digestive juices, moving it through the digestive
tract, and breaking down large molecules of food into smaller molecules. Digestion
begins in the mouth, when you chew and swallow, and is completed in the small
intestine.
Movement
of Food Through the System
The
large, hollow organs of the digestive tract contain a layer of muscle that
enables their walls to move. The movement of organ walls can propel food and
liquid through the system and also can mix the contents within each organ. Food
moves from one organ to the next through muscle action called peristalsis. Peristalsis
looks like an ocean wave traveling through the muscle. The muscle of the organ
contracts to create a narrowing and then propels the narrowed portion slowly
down the length of the organ. These waves of narrowing push the food and fluid
in front of them through each hollow organ.
The
first major muscle movement occurs when food or liquid is swallowed. Although
you are able to start swallowing by choice, once the swallow begins, it becomes
involuntary and proceeds under the control of the nerves.
Swallowed
food is pushed into the esophagus, which connects the throat above with the
stomach below. At the junction of the esophagus and stomach, there is a
ringlike muscle, called the lower esophageal sphincter, closing the passage
between the two organs. As food approaches the closed sphincter, the sphincter
relaxes and allows the food to pass through to the stomach.
The
stomach has three mechanical tasks. First, it stores the swallowed food and
liquid. To do this, the muscle of the upper part of the stomach relaxes to
accept large volumes of swallowed material. The second job is to mix up the
food, liquid, and digestive juice produced by the stomach. The lower part of
the stomach mixes these materials by its muscle action. The third task of the
stomach is to empty its contents slowly into the small intestine.
Several
factors affect emptying of the stomach, including the kind of food and the
degree of muscle action of the emptying stomach and the small intestine. Carbohydrates,
for example, spend the least amount of time in the stomach, while protein stays
in the stomach longer, and fats the longest. As the food dissolves into the
juices from the pancreas, liver, and intestine, the contents of the intestine
are mixed and pushed forward to allow further digestion.
Finally,
the digested nutrients are absorbed through the intestinal walls and
transported throughout the body. The waste products of this process include
undigested parts of the food, known as fiber, and older cells that have been
shed from the mucosa. These materials are pushed into the colon, where they
remain until the feces are expelled by a bowel movement.
Production
of Digestive Juices
The
digestive glands that act first are in the mouth—the salivary glands. Saliva
produced by these glands contains an enzyme that begins to digest the starch
from food into smaller molecules. An enzyme is a substance that speeds up
chemical reactions in the body.
The
next set of digestive glands is in the stomach lining. They produce stomach
acid and an enzyme that digests protein. A thick mucus layer coats the mucosa
and helps keep the acidic digestive juice from dissolving the tissue of the
stomach itself. In most people, the stomach mucosa is able to resist the juice,
although food and other tissues of the body cannot.
After
the stomach empties the food and juice mixture into the small intestine, the
juices of two other digestive organs mix with the food. One of these organs,
the pancreas, produces a juice that contains a wide array of enzymes to break
down the carbohydrate, fat, and protein in food. Other enzymes that are active
in the process come from glands in the wall of the intestine.
The
second organ, the liver, produces yet another digestive juice—bile. Bile is
stored between meals in the gallbladder. At mealtime, it is squeezed out of the
gallbladder, through the bile ducts, and into the intestine to mix with the fat
in food. The bile acids dissolve fat into the watery contents of the intestine,
much like detergents that dissolve grease from a frying pan. After fat is
dissolved, it is digested by enzymes from the pancreas and the lining of the
intestine.
Absorption
and Transport of Nutrients
Most
digested molecules of food, as well as water and minerals, are absorbed through
the small intestine. The mucosa of the small intestine contains many folds that
are covered with tiny fingerlike projections called villi. In turn, the villi
are covered with microscopic projections called microvilli. These structures
create a vast surface area through which nutrients can be absorbed. Specialized
cells allow absorbed materials to cross the mucosa into the blood, where they
are carried off in the bloodstream to other parts of the body for storage or
further chemical change. This part of the process varies with different types
of nutrients.
Carbohydrates. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005 recommend that 45 to 65 percent of
total daily calories be from carbohydrates. Foods rich in carbohydrates include
bread, potatoes, dried peas and beans, rice, pasta, fruits, and vegetables. Many
of these foods contain both starch and fiber.
The
digestible carbohydrates—starch and sugar—are broken into simpler molecules by
enzymes in the saliva, in juice produced by the pancreas, and in the lining of
the small intestine. Starch is digested in two steps. First, an enzyme in the
saliva and pancreatic juice breaks the starch into molecules called maltose. Then
an enzyme in the lining of the small intestine splits the maltose into glucose
molecules that can be absorbed into the blood. Glucose is carried through the
bloodstream to the liver, where it is stored or used to provide energy for the
work of the body.
Sugars
are digested in one step. An enzyme in the lining of the small intestine
digests sucrose, also known as table sugar, into glucose and fructose, which
are absorbed through the intestine into the blood. Milk contains another type
of sugar, lactose, which is changed into absorbable molecules by another enzyme
in the intestinal lining.
Fiber
is undigestible and moves through the digestive tract without being broken down
by enzymes. Many foods contain both soluble and insoluble fiber. Soluble fiber
dissolves easily in water and takes on a soft, gel-like texture in the
intestines. Insoluble fiber, on the other hand, passes essentially unchanged
through the intestines.
Protein. Foods such as meat, eggs, and beans consist of giant molecules of
protein that must be digested by enzymes before they can be used to build and
repair body tissues. An enzyme in the juice of the stomach starts the digestion
of swallowed protein. Then in the small intestine, several enzymes from the
pancreatic juice and the lining of the intestine complete the breakdown of huge
protein molecules into small molecules called amino acids. These small
molecules can be absorbed through the small intestine into the blood and then
be carried to all parts of the body to build the walls and other parts of
cells.
Fats. Fat molecules are a rich source of energy for the body. The first step
in digestion of a fat such as butter is to dissolve it into the watery content
of the intestine. The bile acids produced by the liver dissolve fat into tiny
droplets and allow pancreatic and intestinal enzymes to break the large fat
molecules into smaller ones. Some of these small molecules are fatty acids and
cholesterol. The bile acids combine with the fatty acids and cholesterol and
help these molecules move into the cells of the mucosa. In these cells the
small molecules are formed back into large ones, most of which pass into
vessels called lymphatics near the intestine. These small vessels carry the
reformed fat to the veins of the chest, and the blood carries the fat to
storage depots in different parts of the body.
Vitamins. Another vital part of food that is absorbed through the small intestine
are vitamins. The two types of vitamins are classified by the fluid in which
they can be dissolved: water-soluble vitamins (all the B vitamins and vitamin
C) and fat-soluble vitamins (vitamins A, D, E, and K). Fat-soluble vitamins are
stored in the liver and fatty tissue of the body, whereas water-soluble
vitamins are not easily stored and excess amounts are flushed out in the urine.
Water
and salt. Most of the material absorbed through the small intestine is water in
which salt is dissolved. The salt and water come from the food and liquid you
swallow and the juices secreted by the many digestive glands.
1.) “Eat food. Not too
much. Mostly plants.” This has become a famous mantra expressing the feelings
of many who are rejecting the contemporary food culture as proliferated by
nutrition science and the industrialization of food over the past century. Why
is such a simple statement so profound?
In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan is about his view
of food and how food has changed over centuries. He illustrates the differences
between fake food, the food we eat today, and real food, the sort of food our
great grandmothers would recognize as food. Overall, this book is about the
author proposes a new answer to the question on what we should eat, in which it
comes down to seven simple but beneficial words: Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants. This statement had became a
famous tune expressing the feelings of many who are rejecting the modern food
culture as it reproduced by nutrition science and the industrialization of food
over the past century. This simple statement: Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants., is so profound because this
is a short answer to a complex and perplexing question of how much food people
should consume and what kind of food to eat in order to be maximally healthy.
Eat food. There are so much food that one can
eat and there are so many sources humans can access to get their food like,
grocery stores, fast food restaurants or even supermarkets. Pollan believes that there used to be food
that all we can eat, but today there are thousands of other edible food-like
substances in the supermarket. He believes we shouldn’t be eating food that our
great great grandmother wouldn’t recognize as food, but we should be eating
traditional, foods like apple instead of Welch’s or 100% fruit juice than Fruitopia.
Pollan believes looking at the ingredient is key and by looking at any words
that can’t be pronounced, can’t understand or even if there are over five
ingredients listed, these are foods we should be avoiding because they are
processed foods with chemicals in them. He suggests that we should be eating
foods that are made of real and natural foods with few ingredients and words
that we can understand or pronounce. According to Pollan, he believes that we
should be going to a farmers market and to buy organic foods and it might cost
too much, but Pollan’s response would be to spend more money and less eating. Therefore,
the meaning of the word “food” has been changed over centuries, where then
health issues started to arise from processed food we started to eat.
Not too much. Most of our problems with food have
to do with quantity, but qualities are what people are concerned about by not
eating fat or not eating carbs, but rarely think about quantity. People gain
weight because of calories from the more they eat and the more they eat the
more they tend to start to weight more, which over eating causes issues we face
today like diabetes, cardiovascular disease or obesity. Pollan mentioned that
there are cultures that have rules to stop eating before you are even full,
like in Japan, similar to the Islamic culture, where they say to eat until
you’re four-fifths full. He also mentions that we should be eating our meals
with our family in a social setting, in which it develops our family
relationships and to avoid eating dinner in front of the TV, or even in the car
because we tend to eat more since there aren’t anyone around us. Therefore, eating
dinner in a family setting would prevent people from eating more and eating
smaller portion of food will also help people from gaining a lot of weight.
Mostly plants. Michael Pollan means when eating
mostly plants are eating particularly more leaves. Plants are high in
antioxidants, fiber, omega-3, vitamins and minerals, in which plants have and are
very low in calories, with the exception of nuts and seeds, where Pollan then
stated that we can’t go wrong with eating plants. He also stated that society
that lived the longest and healthiest lives over decades are ones who consume
very little animal protein or dairy and took in mainly fruits, vegetables, nuts
and seeds. In two words, Michael Pollan informs us to stick to foods that grow
out of the ground, which covers the total recommended diet, in just two words (Mostly plants.). By starting to eat
mostly plants, it is difficult to eat things that aren’t considered food, but
then it becomes less important how much you consume. He also mentions that we
should be eating meat, not as a main dish, but as a side dish because the worst
thing about meat is that it pushes the plants out of our diet, either way the
plants make a difference. One of Pollan’s rules is to stay out of the middle of
the supermarket and shop around the perimeter of the store because the real
food tends to be on the outer edge of the store near the loading docks, where
it can easily replace fresh food when it goes bad. Therefore, mostly eating
plants is the key to our diet in which he comes to a conclusion in living a longer
and healthier life.
In conclusion, Michael Pollan’s message is
something that most people will not listen to because for two main reasons,
money and habit. First, people don’t like to spend a lot of money when it comes
to buying food, especially healthy foods, but it’s ridiculous that we spend a
lot of money when it comes to buying brand named clothes, shoes and
accessories. On the other hand, most people have the habit of eating a certain
type of food in their early childhood. People were taught to finish their
plate, no matter what the portion size was in their three meals they have a
day. Microwaves and processed food were established during this time, in which people
have learned about in making food so quickly and still had the taste, but they
didn’t know that the foods lacked nutritive value. Therefore, the early eating
habits had covered the way to current choices, but these changes are difficult
for people to make to healthier choices by how much they spend on food and
their early eating habits.
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