Digestion explains how our bodies take complex foods and convert them into smaller components that our cells can use to produce energy and carryout essential functions. We cannot simply break down food and absorb it one step. Food is made up of complex proteins, carbohydrates, and fats which must first be dismantled into smaller components namely amino acids, glucose and fatty acids. These nutrients are obtained through sophisticated chemical reactions that rely heavily on compounds called enzymes. Enzymes are catalysts, they speed up reactions. Without them, digestion would take days or weeks. To further complicate the matter, enzymes only work under limited conditions of temperature and acidity (pH). For example, enzymes that break down proteins work at a much lower pH (more acidic environment) than those that work on fat. Fortunately the body has a system that addresses these challenges.
Beginning in the mouth, an almost neutral pH environment, food