A Sensational Creation

The Stomach: Did you know?

Posted on May 18th, 2009, by admin

Recently, in my nutrition course we’ve been talking shop about digestive physiology and how it is tied to so much of what goes on in our bodies. Really, if you think about it our fuel comes here first! If this pathway is blocked for any number of reasons then we can eat all of the things that we think are good for us without seeing results to health conditions because we just aren’t getting the proper nourishment to the blood stream.

Below is an excerpt of the report that I put together for this section. It is based on a case study of a person with symptoms of high gastric acid/acid reflux and takes medications daily for this problem. My determination is that this person is actually dealing with low gastric acid which has very similar symptoms but can host many immediate, obvious symptoms but some that aren’t so obvious. One simple thing that I find I’m much more conscientious of is chewing. Try it out for yourself, chewing can make a big difference in the way your digestion works.

Please don’t hesitate to let me know if you have any questions!!!

Overview
The stomach is located just beneath the heart and under the rib cage and is connected after the esophagus by the cardiac sphincter and before the duodenum section of the lower intestine by the Pyloric sphincter and acts as our body’s blender. The stomach produces hydrochloric acid and digestive enzymes that help to break down foods into a soupy mixture called chyme for further digestion and absorption occurring later in the digestive tract, as well as neutralize harmful pathogens that may have entered the digestive process through foods. (Lipski, 2005, 23) (Hudson, 2009, 212)

Digestive Function
The parietal cells within the stomach lining are responsible for producing hydrochloric acid (HCl), which pairs with pepsinogen secreted by the chief cells (G-cells) to form pepsin, the key element in breaking the bonds of proteins into their amino acid components. The levels of HCl and pepsinogen are regulated by hormone signals called gastrin (Hudson, 2009, 212). The stomach also creates an enzyme called lipase that starts the breakdown of fats, which will ultimately be completed by the bile produced from the liver. Bile from the liver is stored and released by the gall bladder into the duodenum once the chyme travels from the stomach through the pyloric sphincter. (Lipski, 2005, 24)

The parietal cells also produce Intrinsic Factor, a protein product that binds with Extrinsic Factor, better known as Vitamin B12, to make it absorbable by the ileum section of the small intestine (Hudson, 2009, 213). Gastrin is thus also responsible for maintaining the levels of Intrinsic Factor produced (www.wikipedia.com). Vitamin B12 is very important for the formation of red blood cells, DNA synthesis, and the creation of the myelin sheaths that insulate nerves. (Hudson, 2009, 213).

The stomach’s acidity also helps to ionize minerals that come in through our food. These minerals are used in all cellular chemical reactions in the body.

Alcohol, water and certain salts are absorbed directly into the blood stream from the stomach. Everything else we ingest is absorbed further down the digestive tract. (Lipski, 2005, 24)

The mucosal lining (mucopolysaccharides) of the stomach produced by mucous cells protects the stomach from this highly acid environment (2.0 typically on the pH scale) that would literally digest itself without it. Prostoglandins are chemical messengers that keep the mucosal lining active and continually repairing itself. Gastric ulcers are the result of deficient mucous where the HCl breaks through and causes holes in the actual stomach tissue. (Lipski, 2005, 23)

The levels of hydrochloric acid and Cholecystokinin (CCK) hormone found in the chyme speak directly to the speed of emptying from the stomach into the small intestine and the levels of pancreatic enzymes produced and released into the duodenum that continue the digestive process (Hudson, 2009, Lecture 2 – Small Intestine & Large Intestine) (www.wikipedia.com).

Figure 1: The Control of Stomach Acid (www.wikipedia.com)

Immune Function
The extreme acid nature of the stomach (2.0 typically on the pH scale) is the initial location where harmful pathogens are killed off. If the hydrochloric acid levels are low (being more alkaline and heading toward neutral on the pH scale), pathogens have the opportunity to grow and travel further into the digestive tract causing other major health issues and possible food poisoning (Hudson, 2009, 212) (Lipski, 2005).

Problems with the Stomach
Many complications can arise within the stomach including; deficiency of parietal cell function, gastric ulcers due to depletion of the mucosal lining of the stomach, gastritis or inflammation of the stomach lining typically caused by overuse of alcohol or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), cancers and Helicobactor pylori bacterial infections. (www.wikipedia.com).

With age, or the use of stomach acid-reducing drugs, the parietal cells produce less HCl and Intrinsic Factor. Low HCl levels in the stomach reduce the ability to break the bonds in proteins and fats, and causes the pancreas and liver to work overtime to compensate with pancreatic enzymes and bile. As a result, there can be malabsorption of nutrients in the small intestine because they aren’t in an optimal elementary state to be drawn into the blood stream through the microvilli. Unbroken-down food can also start to ferment in the digestive tract, causing symptoms of acid reflux, extreme fullness, gas coming from both ends, bloating, constipation and general burning. Lower HCl levels also reduce the ionization of major minerals including calcium, zinc, iron, copper and magnesium, which are needed for the over 35,000 cellular chemical reactions that occur in the body every second. (Hudson, 2009, 212). Low levels of Intrinsic Factor (also produced by the parietal cells that make HCl) can also be very detrimental in causing a vitamin B12 deficiency. This reduces the body’s ability to produce the myelin sheath around its nerve cells (reducing nervous system function), create new red blood cells, manufacture cells through DNA translation, draw oxygen into its cells, dementia, fatigue, depression, and muscle weakness. (Lipski, 2005, 24-25).

Restoring Health to the Stomach
Reducing the amount of acid-reducing medications, processed foods, and stress, while introducing gastric acid aids, digestive enzymes, probiotics, diverse and nutrient-dense organic whole foods, good protein sources, and lowering stressors will help to create a better environment for the stomach to work at full capacity and repair itself. Proper chewing and adequate amounts of pure water will help the stomach break down foods into their base components and ready them for further digestion and assimilation in the small intestine. This lightens the load on other organs that work hand-in-hand with the stomach in digestion, such as the pancreas and liver. Introducing seaweeds and mucilaginous foods will sooth and disinfect damaged surfaces, such as those caused by erosion in the esophagus, gastric ulcers, and duodenal ulcers, as well as relieve constipation and help muscle rhythms get back on track (www.naturalhealthweb.com, Weed). Incorporating more soluble and insoluble fibers will help to strengthen the muscles needed in peristalsis and keep foods moving in the right direction, and in a proper time-frame. This will support immune function by speeding up the time that digestive byproducts and toxins are reabsorbed in the large intestine further down the road.

*bibliography
Lipski, Elizabeth, Digestive Wellness, New York, McGraw-Hill, 2005
Bauman College, Nutrition Educator Handbook, 2009, NE102 – Digestive Physiology
Murray, Michael, The Encyclopedia of Healing Foods, New York, Atria Books, 2005

Ann D. Sawyer and Judith Bachrach, MS Recovery Diet, New York, Avery Books, 2007 http://www.msrecoverydiet.com/

Smith, Richard “Probiotics And Acid Reflux – Marriage Made In Heaven?.” Probiotics And Acid Reflux – Marriage Made In Heaven?. 3 Jun. 2007. EzineArticles.com. 9 May 2009
http://ezinearticles.com/?Probiotics-And-Acid-Reflux—Marriage-Made-In-Heaven?&id=591018

Wikipedia, “Probiotics”, Internet based information; This page was last modified on 8 May 2009, at 18:37 (UTC).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Probiotic

Wikipedia, “The Stomach”, Internet based information; This page was last modified on 9 May 2009, at 01:02 (UTC).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stomach

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