Digestion Series: Part 2 - Saliva
Digestion starts in the mouth with chewing, saliva, and enzymes
Series by Chris Bowerbank
Digestion starts in the mouth with chewing, saliva, and enzymes
Series by Chris Bowerbank
Digestion starts in the mouth with chewing, saliva, and enzymes
Series by Chris Bowerbank
“You awaken the beast within you whenever you open your mouth to eat something.” ― Mwanandeke Kindembo
Let's break down #digestion into easy-to-bite pieces (pun intended), starting with the #mouth.
When we start chewing food, not only are we grinding it into smaller easy-to-swallow pieces, we are mixing it with #saliva which contains salivary #amylase. Amylase is an #enzyme that breaks down starch molecules and transforms complex carbohydrates into simpler sugars.
Interestingly, saliva production is controlled by our #brain, which is why our "mouth waters" when we sit down to our favorite meal, see something delicious, or start the chewing action. A shout out to all #chocolate lovers out there!
In addition to digestion, saliva has several other functions, including antibacterial activity and buffering (maintaining a constant oral pH). After salivary glands in our mouth secrete amylase, the enzyme stays active in breaking down the starches and sugars in the food we have just chewed until it reaches the acidic environment of the stomach.
Amylase is one of the enzymes found in these #YoungLiving products: #Allerzyme, #Detoxyzyme, #Essentialzymes-4, and KidScents #MightyZyme Chewable Tablets.
