Digestion Series: Part 5 - Stomach and pylorus

We'll finish up with the #stomach by talking about how food/chyme moves from the stomach to the small intestine.

The opening between the stomach and small intestine is called the #pylorus, which is a circular thick band of muscle. The pylorus contracts (tightens) in synchronization with involuntary constriction and relaxation of the muscles of the small intestine, creating wave-like movements that push chyme forward.

When the pylorus contracts (gets smaller), it also grinds solids in the #chyme to create finer particles that are then easier for the digestive enzymes and acids to further break down. Anything that is still too large to pass through gets sent back into the stomach for more digestion.

This back-and-forth action between the main stomach area and the pylorus allows for our next digestive enzyme to take effect: lipase. Lipase (found in Allerzyme, Detoxzyme, Essentialzymes-4 and MightyZyme) comes from the #pancreas, and it is an #enzyme that breaks down lipids (fats) so they can be absorbed in the intestines. In "science speak", lipase works by catalyzing the hydrolysis of the ester bonds in triglycerides, breaking them down into free fatty acids and glycerol.

Now that the food we ate is broken down by the stomach into fine particles and liquid, it can now pass through the pylorus and into the #smallintestine. The stomach regulates the amount of food that passes through so that it doesn't exceed the capacity of the small intestine to absorb nutrients.

In part 6, we will talk about small intestine anatomy and how it is built to absorb #nutrients.

Here's the #YoungLiving enzyme scorecard so far, including lipase:

Amylase - #Allerzyme, #Detoxzyme, #Essentialzymes-4 and #MightyZyme

Pepsin - created naturally in the stomach's acidic environment

Lipase - Allerzyme, Detoxzyme, Essentialzymes-4 and MightyZyme

Trypsin - #Essentialzyme