The Human Digestive System Articles

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The Human Digestion Process

The digestive system is made up of the digestive tract, a series of hollow organs joined in a long, twisting tube from the mouth to the anus, and other organs that help the body break down and absorb food.

Organs that make up the digestive tract are the mouth, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, also called the colon, rectum, and anus. Inside these hollow organs is a lining called the mucosa. In the mouth, stomach, and small intestine, the mucosa contains tiny glands that produce juices to help digest food. The digestive tract also contains a layer of smooth muscle that helps break down food and move it along the tract.

Two solid digestive organs, the liver and the pancreas, produce digestive juices that reach the intestine through small tubes called ducts. The gallbladder stores the liver’s digestive juices until they are needed in the intestine. Parts of the nervous and circulatory systems also play major roles in the digestive system.

Mechanical and chemical digestion begin in the mouth where food is chewed, and mixed with saliva to break down starches. The stomach continues to break food down mechanically and chemically through the churning of the stomach and mixing with enzymes. Absorption occurs in the stomach and gastrointestinal tract, and the process finishes with excretion.

Articles relating to the human digestive system

Eating Disorder Types and Facts
Even as Americans are becoming heavier than ever before, our society continues to place value on thinness and almost everyone worries about their weight at least occasionally. However, people with eating disorders take those weight concerns to extremes, developing abnormal eating habits that threaten their well-being and even their lives.

Liver Disease
The liver is one of the largest organs in the human body and processes alcohol and other toxins while removing waste from the blood stream. It also stores useful nutrients such as vitamins, sugars and fats.

Fine Tune your Digestion System
You are not what you eat. You are what you can digest and absorb. The fundamental design of the human body is a tube - a doughnut with a hole in the middle. And we, like other animals, spend our physical lives processing organic matter through this tube for waste.

Human Digestive System
Digestion is the breaking down of food in the body, into a form that can be absorbed and used or excreted. It is also the process by which the body breaks down food into smaller components that can be absorbed by the blood stream.

Cleaning Toxic Heavy Metals from your Body
Heavy metal toxicity can cause or contribute to a long list of diseases including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, other brain and neurological disorders, along with cancers.

Leaky Gut Syndrome
Leaky Gut Syndrome is a condition which causes the intestinal lining to become inflamed. When this happens, the Microvilli become damaged or altered. The damaged Microvilli cannot then produce the necessary enzymes and secretions that are essential for healthy digestion and the absorption of nutrients.

Compulsive Eating
Simply defined, compulsive eating is addiction to food. But more than just overeating, it has some psychological effects on a person, making them feel guilty and shameful of eating too much.

Change of Diet to Cure Constipation
There are many things that can cause constipation and changing your diet will almost always help no matter what the cause. Some of the causes can be a diet low in natural fiber, food allergies, not drinking enough fluids.

Lap Band and Gastric Bypass Surgery
Aside from cosmetic procedures such as liposuction, there are two main options for those wishing to lose significant amounts of weight using medical means: gastric bypass surgery and Lap Band surgery.

Creating a Diet for Acid Reflux Disease
For those who suffer the painful symptoms of GERD learning to create a diet for acid reflux disease is often the first step to finding relief. There is little question that there is a link between the types of food one eats and the symptoms associated with acid reflux.

Signs and Symptoms of Acid Reflux Disease
Because acid reflux disease (GERD – Gastro Esophageal Reflux Disease) affects more than 60 million people in the United States it is important to recognize the signs and symptoms that it can cause. The symptoms of acid reflux disease are varied and can be different among its million of sufferers.

Best Probiotics for Healthy Digestion
What supplement can not only improve digestion and elimination, but also boost the immune system and fight off infection? If you guessed 'probiotics,' you are right...

Help for Symptoms of IBS
There are indeed medicines that you can take to get relief from the disturbing symptoms of IBS. However, there is no known medicine that can effectively cure the syndrome itself. This is the sad fact about IBS.

The Natural Approach to Alleviating Constipation
Some of the most common causes of constipation are lack of physical activity, not enough fiber in the diet, and not drinking enough fluids. A healthy alternative to the toxic anti-depressants that can cause constipation is an organic, all natural B-vitamin complex which contains alfalfa, watercress, blue-green algae, nettle, suma, and other absorbable herbs.

Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Information
An aneurysm is when a blood vessel becomes abnormally large or balloons outward. The abdominal aorta is a large blood vessel that supplies blood to your abdomen, the pelvis, and legs.

What is Peritoneal Dialysis?
When a patient has serious kidney problems there are sometimes only two options available - a kidney transplant or dialysis. There are two main types of dialysis that can be used - hemodialysis, where the patient is connected to a kidney machine for several hours at a clinic or hospital, and peritoneal dialysis, which we are discussing in this article.

Appendix Function in the Human Body
A rather interesting new piece of information has recently come to the forefront on the apparent, and positive purposes, of having an appendix, and what that supposedly useless body organ actually does for you. The appendix, of course, has long mystified doctors in what necessity it has ever actually played inside the human body.

Treat and Prevent Stomach Pain
What we usually describe as stomach pain may have absolutely nothing to do with the stomach. The abdominal cavity houses a number of organs, including the liver, appendix, intestines, and pancreas as well as an array of muscles and ducts. Any one of these parts could be causing problems.

Gastric Bypass Support Groups
A lot of people underestimate the gastric bypass surgery groups but there are essentials to those patients who recovering from losing their weight. Finding gastric bypass support groups in your area can pose a challenge but you do have some options.

Constipation and its Effects
The excretory system is a collection of organs whose main function is to rid the body of all its waste. These wastes may include solid, liquid or gaseous wastes that when kept inside the body for too long may prove fatal.

Intestinal Worms in Humans
There are over a hundred worms in any given body; The air, water and food we eat all contain these critters! Even sexual intercourse brings these monsters into our being. They can creep through the nose and skin, reside and set up shop in our intestines and wreak havoc on our digestive system and overall health.

Stop the Runs with Probiotics
Some basic causes of this embarrassing stuck-within-ten-feet-of-the-toilet condition are: stress, illness, food and water that is contaminated by harmful microbes.

Water the Ultimate Body Detox
It constitutes an intrinsic part of our daily life and we couldn't survive without it. Amongst its countless benefits to our health and our planet, WATER is the ultimate natural detox tool.

Colon Cleanse Probiotics
Recent evidence suggests that many of our health problems are directly caused by a lack of calcium. This is because calcium creates a buffer that controls the alkaline level of your blood - if your blood becomes even a little acidic, you die immediately. If you do not get enough calcium from your diet, your body will steal it from your tissues, bones and teeth.

No More IBS
If you are interested in getting rid of the abdominal pain, bloating, constipation and diarrhoea of IBS safely ... finally enjoying life with all the energy and enthusiasm of a 3 year old ... then this is going to be the most important article you're going to read.

Fiber for Constipation Relief
Fiber helps you get constipation relief because it helps you maintain 1 or 2 bowel movements per day. But, even though you may have that many bowels, you may still have a serious condition that is developing in your colon.

What is Appendicitis?
Appendicitis refers to inappropriate activity of the vermiform appendix, a worm-shaped extension of the colon. Appendicitis is a very serious illness and can be life-threatening if it is not treated in time.  Appendicitis affects about 6 - 7 percent of the population in the United States and Europe.

Eating Disorders Warning Signs
Girls and women are 10 times more likely than boys and men to suffer from anorexia or bulimia. However, eating disorders do seem to be getting more common in boys and men.

Bladder Infections
The bladder is the repository for most of the body's fluid waste before being passed. These fluids wastes contain many of the known carcinogens that we take in daily through the ingesting of out highly refined and processed foods. Is it any wonder that the between 1971 and 1974 the number of bladder cancers reported more than doubled according the American Cancer Society?

Cleanse your Liver for Better Health
For many centuries, traditional medicines have looked at the liver, even more so than the heart, as the center for physical and emotional health. The liver is responsible for many actions. It produces the compounds that keep the blood from abnormal clotting and removes fructose and galactose from the carbohydrates, converting them into glucose which can be used for energy.

Herbal Detox
An herbal detox is a gentle natural way to stimulate the organs of detoxification. Nature's plants have some of the best answers for curing disease and herbs can be used in many ways to treat conditions without the side effects of drugs.

Gall Bladder Disease Symptoms - Do You Know the Signs?
The gall bladder is an organ that holds bile in order to increase its concentration and delivers it when fat is consumed for easier digestion.

Controlling Irritable Bowel Syndrome Naturally
Complementary and alternative methods are very successful in the treatment of Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

Methods used in Hernia Repairs
Many people, infants and children suffer by hiatus hernia but fortunately they can be healed by experienced surgeons through surgical repair.

What is Celiac Disease?
Celiac Disease is an autoimmune disease that causes malabsorption. When people with celiac disease eat foods or use products containing gluten, their immune system responds by damaging the small intestine. The tiny, fingerlike protrusions lining the small intestine, villi, flatten and no longer work.

How To Deal With Anorexia
Until recently the subject of eating disorders, in particular, anorexia nervosa, have been largley a private matter for the anorexic and those closest to them.

Anorexia Symptoms and Treatment
Anorexia is something more drastic than just a problem with food. It is a strange way of using food, body weight or starving oneself to feel more in charge of one's life, to ease nervousness, anger, and anxiety. Most people with anorexia are females.

Are Eating Disorders Related to Bad Habits
Eating disorders are characterized by an abnormal obsession with food and weight. Eating disorders are much more noticed in women than in men due to the fact that men often don't seek help.

Managing Food Intolerances
In this day and age, it is very common for people to have food intolerances. Weak digestion, unbalanced bowel flora, hypersensitive immune function, stress and poor dietary habits can all play a role in contributing to the symptoms of intolerance.

Take Care of Your Kidneys
Although we tend to take our kidneys for granted, these important organs deserve a little consideration now and then. Often, we don’t pay much attention to them until there is a problem. When a kidney malfunctions, you will definitely know it.

Quick and Easy Heartburn Cures
If I was to tell you that a staggering 44% of the American population suffer, or have suffered from, heartburn at some point in time of their lives, you probably won't know whether to be absurdly relieved that you're not the only one, or just stare in shock at such an appalling number.

How to get Rid of Heartburn
You enjoyed the meal ... but now you're paying for it, big time. You've got heartburn - an uncomfortable burning sensation radiating up the middle of your chest.

What is Lactose Intolerance?
Lactose intolerance means that you cannot digest foods with lactose in them. Lactose is the sugar found in milk and foods made with milk.

Stomach Flu - Signs Symptoms and Treatment
Viral gastroenteritis, also known as "the stomach flu", is a very common infection of the stomach and intestines. It is the second most common illness encountered in American families and causes approximately 50,000 hospitalizations per year.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome - IBS
Have you ever had painful cramps in your abdomen after eating? Do you sometimes have those same pains when you are cramming for an exam at school? Has anyone ever said you may have something called 'irritable bowel syndrome' or IBS?

How to Relieve Constipation
When it comes to relieving constipation, we are a society expecting quick fixes. We want it out and now, right? It's no surprise we spend about 900 million dollars on laxatives each year. Laxatives, though, should be a last resort for many reasons.

Constipation and Laxatives
Constipation is a problem for a large percentage of the population. Many people who deal with constipation will turn to laxatives and stool softeners seeking relief.

Dealing with Dysphagia
Dysphagia is a serious condition that can lead to death if not monitored. Modifying the consistency of the foods eaten will increase the quality of life for those dealing with Dysphagia.

The Warning Signs of a Gastric Ulcer
One of the primary symptoms felt by someone with a gastric ulcer is a gnawing or burning pain in the upper middle stomach or just below the breastbone which will last from 30 minutes to sometimes over 3 hours.

Improve your Health with a Colon Cleanse
The traditional methods of colon cleansing have included increasing the fiber in the diet while taking laxative herbs, such as Cascara Sagrada or Senna. These laxatives are harsh to the body and can create a dependency not unlike an addiction.

Should you be Taking Probiotics for IBS?
Although some people with IBS prefer medical treatment to help them control their problems, others prefer a more natural method of following tailored diets or taking dietary supplements to control their IBS attacks. One dietary supplement that is becoming a more and more common treatment among IBS sufferers are Probiotics.

Eating Disorders - Anorexia Nervosa - Bulimia
Eating disorders are fast becoming a growing and common problem. It is not unusual to open up the newspapers and reading about reports of this condition every other day.

Gastric Ulcers Signs and Symptoms
Gastric ulcers occur when there is a break in the protective lining of the stomach leading to the erosion of the delicate lining of the stomach and intestines.

Fiber and Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Those who suffer from Irritable Bowel Syndrome, or IBS, will often hear the term fiber associated with this problem. One of the major ways to alleviate IBS is to maintain proper fiber intake. By being knowledgable about fiber's health benefits and how it relates to your symptoms, you can effectively use fiber to ease IBS discomfort.

Complications of Gastric Bypass and Gastric Banding Surgery
A recent study by University of Washington researchers found the fatality rate from gastric bypass surgery can be as high as 5% for younger patients, and 50% or more for older patients.

Gerd a Pain in the Throat
Persistent heartburn occurring two or more days a week and having lasted for at least three months may be the result of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease otherwise known as GERD, acid reflux disease or simply good old fashioned heartburn, is a bother to many today.

Surgical Options for Ulcerative Colitis
People who are facing surgery for ulcerative colitis today have three different options. These surgery options include a Proctocolectomy with Ileostomy, a Restorative Proctocolectomy and a Koch Pouch. Ulcerative Colitis sufferers should consult their doctor, and do their research to decide which option is the best for them.

Guide To Milk Allergy Symptoms
Mostly children suffer from milk allergies, but most of them get rid of it by the time they are six. Although whey proteins can be broken down by heat, casein proteins are heat-stable and that is why those who are allergic to the latter cannot tolerate any cow's milk, even when it is boiled.

Foods that Cause Heartburn
Most people will be dismayed to learn that any kind coffee, and tea, will generally produce heartburn, as will acidic juices like orange, cranberry, and tomato. Dairy products like ice cream, and milkshakes should also be avoided.

Simple Detox Diet
In essence, people can naturally detoxify toxic substances without support. Yet, with the growing amount of toxins that are being ingested into the body through water consumption, environment, and the food that people eat, can build up.

What is Bulimia Nervosa?
Most people with bulimia may seem perfectly normal and appear to be at a healthy weight. However, some people have such a low self-esteem and such a bad self-image that they turn to bulimia in an attempt to lose weight.

Healthy Food for the Liver
Foods that are healthy for the liver fall into two main categories. First are those that promote the detoxification process of the liver. And second, are those that are high in antioxidants and therefore protect the liver while it's carrying out its detoxification processes.

Causes of Uric Acid Kidney Stones
Uric acid is excreted in the body due to the breakup of cells caused by the food eaten. This uric acid is a waste product and is usually removed from the body via urine and stool.

Obesity Surgery
Contrary to the unbelievable number of claims for products that miraculously take off the pounds, there is no magic cure for obesity. However, there is an option. Obesity surgery is becoming increasingly popular despite the many side effects.

Diet for Ulcers
An ulcer is a small sore or break in the lining of the stomach or just beyond the stomach in the first part of the intestine, called the duodenum. Once the break occurs it is gradually eroded and deepened by the corrosive effect of acidic gastric juices to form an ulcer

Hiatal Hernia - What Is It?
In individuals with hiatal hernias, the opening of the esophageal hiatus (hiatal opening) is larger than normal, and a portion of the upper stomach slips up or passes (herniates) through the hiatus and into the chest.

Environmental Illness and Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Some people who suffer from environmental illness become sensitive to almost everything in their environment. They may be allergic to pollen, mold and animal dander, be made sick by a large number of common foods through immediate food allergies and delayed food sensitivities, and be unable to tolerate tiny amounts of everyday chemicals in cleaning and cosmetic products.

Herbal Colon Cleansing
The person on a typical Western Diet holds 8 meals of undigested food and waste material in the colon. Everyone would greatly benefit with doing a full Colon Cleanse at least once per year.

Acid Reflux Disease - Causes and Effects
The first explanation for the cause of this condition is that because of the incompetence of the Lower Esophageal Sphincter (LES) acidic contents of the stomach are allowed up into the esophagus, which results in a burning sensation.

Do you Have an Eating Disorder
Many people misunderstand what causes their eating disorders and how dangerous it is and they deny that they even have a problem. When people hear of someone with eating disorders, they almost automatically assume the person has a problem with food.

Natural Remedies for Constipation
There are two basic types of constipation - organic and functional. Organic constipation is a result of some physical change, obstruction, or distortion in your colon. This type of constipation needs immediate attention from a doctor.

Detox the Natural Way
It is not unusual for toxins to build up in your system after the New Year celebrations. These have a disruptive effect on your health as liver detoxification slows down.

Understanding Irritable Bowel Syndrome Diagnosis
The most common response to a new diagnosis of Irritable Bowel Syndrome is, "What exactly does this mean? What is IBS?"

Food Selection for Gastric Bypass Patients
Dieters who dejectedly complain they are figuratively “stuck” with their excess fat may be surprised to learn there is a scientifically-accurate truth to their statement. Fat cells - which are created when the body is unable to convert excess calories to energy are permanent.