Mastication (sometimes referred to as chewing) is the process by which food is broken down in our mouths; it is crushed and ground by teeth. It is also the first stage of digestion because it breaks down the food, which needs to happen …show more content…
in order for the nutrients to be absorbed and made use of by the body, it also increases the surface area of the food. Enzymes help to break down food at this stage. The food gets positioned in the mouth during the mastication process by the tongue and is placed between the teeth so they can grind the food.
Enzymes are really important in the digestive process and are an aid to making the most of the nutrients that are ingested.
Enzymes act as biological catalysts because they enable the food that is ingested and then digested to be broken down into nutrients in our bodies; when enzymes are present, the metabolic reactions are speeded up. This makes the process of digestion more efficient which is helpful to make the body gets the nutrients it needs as quickly as possible.
Fermentation is the process by which enzymes decompose and make use of foods that have been ingested, in particular carbohydrates. This is then converted, by micro-organisms and made into simpler substances. The large intestine is the most important place for fermentation to take place.
It is the vast amount of bacteria which has the enzymes needed to digest and make use of the substances consumed. If carbohydrates are not digested, they ferment and produce poisons such as carbon dioxide, acetic acid, lactic acid and alcohol.
Putrefaction is the process by which the body decomposes proteins and then they get converted by micro-organisms to poisonous substances. This process can produce uncomfortable and sometimes painful gas and bloating in the person suffering. When proteins are not digested,
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