Good digestion depends on several factors including chewing and saliva production, adequate levels of hydrochloric (HCL) acid in the stomach, pancreatic enzyme production and good functioning of the liver, gall bladder and intestines.
Poor digestion can occur as a result of many problems, but poor eating habits can contribute greatly to these problems. These include:
Not chewing adequately. Chewing thoroughly is important to enhance digestion.
Overeating. Overtaxing the digestive tract reduces its capacity to digest properly.
Excessive fluid consumption with meals. This dilutes the concentration of HCL.
Poor food combining. Those with a weakened ability to digest food are sometimes sensitive to maldigestion when combining different types of foods.Food combining rules are discussed here.
Good Digestive Habits can help with the following
Ulcerative Colitis
Foods should be eaten slowly and be well chewed. Eat in a calm atmosphere; do not read or watch television while eating. Any influence that may disrupt good digestion should be avoided.
Key
| Likely to help |
| Highly recommended |
Glossary
Hydrochloric Acid
(HCl): An inorganic acidic compound, excreted by the stomach, that aids in digestion.
Stomach
A hollow, muscular, J-shaped pouch located in the upper part of the abdomen to the left of the midline. The upper end (fundus) is large and dome-shaped; the area just below the fundus is called the body of the stomach. The fundus and the body are often referred to as the cardiac portion of the stomach. The lower (pyloric) portion curves downward and to the right and includes the antrum and the pylorus. The function of the stomach is to begin digestion by physically breaking down food received from the esophagus. The tissues of the stomach wall are composed of three types of muscle fibers: circular, longitudinal and oblique. These fibers create structural elasticity and contractibility, both of which are needed for digestion. The stomach mucosa contains cells which secrete hydrochloric acid and this in turn activates the other gastric enzymes pepsin and rennin. To protect itself from being destroyed by its own enzymes, the stomach’s mucous lining must constantly regenerate itself.
Enzymes
Specific protein catalysts produced by the cells that are crucial in chemical reactions and in building up or synthesizing most compounds in the body. Each enzyme performs a specific function without itself being consumed. For example, the digestive enzyme amylase acts on carbohydrates in foods to break them down.