The Five Nutrients

Food is composed of five types of nutrients and they are: proteins, fats, sugars, starches and acids. Every type of food we eat is composed of all five, but one of these is dominant in each food type. The dominant nutrient is in greater proportion than the other nutrients contained in that particular food type. For example the dominant nutrient in steak is protein. Therefore, steak is considered a protein when being classified as a food type. It is the nutrient that is in the greatest proportion in that particular food type that programs the entire digestive process after you eats. Therefore, the protein in steak would be what determines which enzymes will be needed in order to digest the steak properly.

It is essential to know which one is the dominant nutrient in each of the food types we consume, in order to know how to combine it correctly with other food types and this way we can assure ourselves, we have an optimal digestion.

Listing of the Five Nutrients and How They are Processed by the Digestive System

Proteins: Proteins are polymers and they consist of the twenty amino acids. The number of different proteins derived from amino acids is quite high. There are eight amino acids that we do not manufacture in our bodies, therefore is essential that we consume foods that supply us with these needed amino acids. For a food to be considered a protein, the proportion of protein to other nutrients in that food type must be at least ten percent.

Fats: Include most substances that are insoluble in water and are present in all cells. In most foods, proteins and fats are usually contained together. Proteins tend to dominate when in conjunction with fats; fats are normally a subordinate to proteins.

Sugars: Are divided into milk sugars and vegetable sugars. Sugars as well as starches are carbohydrates. Although, sugars behave differently when combined with other foods than starches do. Fruits generally have a sugar content of twelve percent; therefore sugars are a dominant nutrient in fruits. Milk sugars, on the other hand, have a lower percentage than the sugars in fruits.

Starches: Starches belong to a group known as polysaccharides or complex sugars. This is an important form of sugar found in plant cells. It is a dominant nutrient in seeds and grasses like buckwheat. Starches are of the highest importance in terms of the food we consume. A large proportion of the world’s staple diets consist of mostly starches.

Acids: They normally have a lower ph value due to their higher degree of acidity. These are the acids that can cause the salivary enzyme ptyalin to slow down and cause the body to produce more gastric juices. Acidic foods include vinegar, wine vinegar and brewer’s yeast.

How Digestion Works

The digestive system is comprised of the alimentary canal, which is the long track that begins at the mouth and ends at the anus. The process of digestion is basically one of decomposition. It is the process of breaking down various substances into their basic constituents. Digestion takes place with the aid of enzymes that are the catalyst that promote the biochemical process of breaking down the food and turning them into you. Digestion begins in the mouth, aided by the salivary glands. From the mouth the food goes down the tubular passage, referred to as the esophagus. The food then travels from the esophagus to the stomach. The stomach is a J shaped organ that fills gradually and the food is then layered in the stomach, the bottom layer is composed of what you eat first, and each subsequent layer is composed of the rest of the food you eat. Here in the stomach the food is mixed with gastric juices and kneaded by the muscles of the stomach wall. Bile is secreted by the gallbladder in order to emulsify fats. The pancreas also secretes three fluids that are for digesting fats, carbohydrate and proteins. The food then goes to the small intestine, here the elements are broken down and absorbed through the intestinal wall, leaving waste matters and water to go further. The absorbed nutrients are taken to the bloodstream to the liver, where they are further processed.

The function of the large intestine is critical for completing digestion. In the large intestine water and other fluids are removed from the waste matter, and feces are formed and compacted and finally extracted through the anus. There you have the digestive process, in a nutshell.