{"id":542,"date":"2023-12-24T01:06:54","date_gmt":"2023-12-24T01:06:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.claritywellbeing.co.uk\/?p=542"},"modified":"2023-12-24T14:08:53","modified_gmt":"2023-12-24T14:08:53","slug":"journey-through-the-gi-tract-part-4-the-small-intestine-and-its-function","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.claritywellbeing.co.uk\/journey-through-the-gi-tract-part-4-the-small-intestine-and-its-function\/","title":{"rendered":"Journey Through The GI Tract PART 4: The Small Intestine And Its Function"},"content":{"rendered":"
As part of the \u2018My GI Tract\u2019 series, our journey through the GI tract continues with the small intestine. Let\u2019s learn how this part of aids our digestion.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Let\u2019s do a very quick recap. The digestive process begins in the mouth. It\u00a0receives the food and breaks it up into small, easy-to-swallow pieces.\u00a0Enzymes from the saliva break down any starch and the food passes\u00a0into a\u00a0long tube called the oesophagus.\u00a0It carries the food bolus along its length, and\u00a0contracts (peristalsis) to move food down towards the stomach. The enzymes and acids in the stomach continue the process of breaking down food, before they are released into the small intestine.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Did you know?<\/strong><\/div>\n
Did you know that the small intestine (the longest part of the digestive tract)\u00a0is a long muscular tube and\u00a0is on average roughly 7 metres long \u2013 about 3 times the length of your body?!<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Your small intestine<\/strong><\/div>\n
The small intestine runs from your stomach to your large intestine and\u00a0plays the most significant role in the digestive process.\u00a0Its purpose is to\u00a0break down food using enzymes released by the pancreas and bile from the liver. Peristalsis also works in this organ, moving food through and mixing it with digestive juices from the pancreas and liver.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
It is made up of three different parts – the\u00a0duodenum (where the further breakdown of the food takes place), and the\u00a0jejunum\u00a0and\u00a0ileum\u00a0(these two\u00a0are mainly responsible for the absorption of nutrients into the bloodstream). Part of the small intestine is covered with tiny, finger-like tentacles called\u00a0villi.\u00a0The purpose of these villi is to increase the surface area of the small intestine, for maximum nutrient absorption.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
A concoction of digestive juices and enzymes are at play<\/strong><\/div>\n
As chime (a semi-fluid paste) enters the small intestines, it mixes with water, bile, pancreatic digestive juices, enzymes and mucus. These contribute to its change in consistency \u2013 into more of a liquid form.\u00a0Bile is critical in the digestion of fats into free fatty acids, and is composed of water, salts, acids, and liquids. It is a medium in which fats and fat-soluble vitamins can dissolve and be carried into the blood stream via the villi.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
What remains of the food when it reaches the end of the ileum is a combination of water, electrolytes \u2014 such as sodium and chloride \u2014 and waste products (plant fibre) and dead cells shed from the lining of your digestive tract into the large intestine (colon).<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Tune in next time, as we explore what happens at the next phase of digestion\u00a0\u2014\u00a0inside the pancreas.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
To find out about how to keep your digestive system working effectively, and to book your appointment, get in touch with us now.<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As part of the \u2018My GI Tract\u2019 series, our journey through the GI tract continues with the small intestine. Let\u2019s learn how this part of aids our digestion. Let\u2019s do a very quick recap. The digestive process begins in the mouth. It\u00a0receives the food and breaks it up into small, easy-to-swallow pieces.\u00a0Enzymes from the saliva […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":608,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-542","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nJourney Through The GI Tract PART 4: The Small Intestine And Its Function - claritywellbeing<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.claritywellbeing.co.uk\/journey-through-the-gi-tract-part-4-the-small-intestine-and-its-function\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Journey Through The GI Tract PART 4: The Small Intestine And Its Function - claritywellbeing\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"As part of the \u2018My GI Tract\u2019 series, our journey through the GI tract continues with the small intestine. 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