What is the process of digestion? What happens to food when my body begins to digest it?
Digestion is a complex and often overlooked process. According to Dr. Howard Loomis, formulator of many enzyme supplements, digestion does not automatically happen just because food is eaten. If at anytime a digestive organ does not perform its job properly, other organs may suffer, causing the pain and discomfort associated with indigestion. Normal digestion begins in the mouth. Thoroughly chewing raw or unprocessed food releases any enzymes contained within that food. Chewing also mixes the starch-digesting salivary enzyme, amylase, with the food. When the food is swallowed, it passes into the upper, or cardiac, part of the stomach. During this time, the enzymes from the saliva and food work to begin digesting the food. Studies have shown that as much as 45% of ingested carbohydrates can be digested after the first 15 minutes in the stomach when only salivary amylase is at work. Supplementation with food enzymes, which work in a broad pH range, will increase this amount of digestion
