The Normal Digestive System and IBS

The Normal Digestive System and IBS

The symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome can upset the balance of your digestive system. If you have an idea about how the digestive system operates and how IBS affects your digestion, then you can gain a clearer perspective on the factors which influence a functional digestive system.

The main purpose of the digestive system is to break down food into chemicals that can be used by the body as nutrients. Muscles in the esophagus, stomach and intestines help to push the food along the digestive tract. The foods are broken down with the aid of enzymes and acid and sent to various organs which process and use the nutrients.

Several processes have to happen in order for the various foods to be transported properly. To begin with, digestive juices are produced in the different parts of your digestive system. Each area has its part in allowing for the breaking down of different foods and sending them on through the digestive tract. Then the process of dissolving, dividing and absorbing the nutrients can begin. A great deal of this occurs in the upper portion of the intestines.

Proteins are one of the nutrients that have to be broken down during digestion in order to be able to be used by the body. Enzymes play an important role in the digestion of proteins which can then help produce various tissues and help to maintain them. Irritable Bowel Syndrome could be caused in part by not having enough of the important enzymes which are responsible for breaking down proteins. What could happen then is the proteins may move into the wrong area of your system which would cause your muscles to tense up. Of course this is not the only cause of IBS symptoms.

The digestive system is also responsible for the breakdown of carbohydrates in the foods we eat. The carbs are then transported and stored in different parts of the body. Carbohydrates that need to be processed are sugars and starches. When this aspect of the digestive system is not working properly, people with IBS have often found that if they reduce the amount of sugars and starches they eat, this helps to bring about a reduction in the symptoms.

There are two major factors that help to regulate the digestive system. Hormones are the first of these factors. They aid in causing beneficial reactions in the stomach and intestinal areas. Hormones are also a factor in regulating people's appetites. The other major factor in a functional digestive system is the nervous system. Nerves help the digestive process to function properly. They accomplish this by releasing chemicals at the appropriate times to aid in pushing food through the digestive tract and then on to the right areas in the body.

If you have an overly sensitive digestive system, Irritable Bowel Syndrome may be the result. It should help to understand something about the different functions and parts of the digestive tract. If you know something about the problems that can come about when the system isn't working properly, you may be able to get a better handle on what could be going on when you experience the symptoms of IBS. Knowledge about the proper functioning of your digestive system can be helpful in determining how to correct the problem areas and then begin to feel back to normal and regain optimum health.

 

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