Your digestive system is a complicated configuration that requires hormones, acids and digestive organs to get the nutrients in your diet to your cells. Each aspect of the digestive system -- starting with the saliva in your mouth -- helps to ensure proper digestion of foods. When you understand how nutrients are absorbed into your bloodstream and cells, you can get the full picture of what it takes to digest your foods.
Mouth and Stomach
Nutrient breakdown begins when you start chewing because enzymes in your saliva can start breaking down starch molecules in your food. When you swallow, the food travels down your esophagus to reach your stomach. Your stomach is constantly moving and churning food, which helps your food to mix with natural acids in your stomach to break your food down into smaller nutrients. Nutrients are digested in different time frames: Fats take the longest to digest, while carbohydrates are digested most quickly From the stomach, foods pass to the small intestine, where nutrients start to be absorbed.
Small Intestine
The small intestine is the site of greatest nutrient absorption in your body, according to the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse. Inside your small intestine are villi, or hairlike projections. Each villi has even smaller projections called microvilli, and these projections make a large surface area for nutrient absorption.
Carbohydrates and Proteins
The small intestine contains enzymes that help to break down carbohydrates in your food, such as starches and sugars. When the carbohydrates are in smaller molecules known as glucose molecules, they can cross your small intestine and enter your bloodstream. This provides your cells with energy. Proteins are digested in much the same manner, only the small intestine uses different enzymes for the breakdown. One notable exception is fiber, which your body does not digest. Instead, fiber will progress through your digestive system where it is ultimately eliminated in your stool.
Vitamins
The small intestine also is the absorption site for the vitamins in your food. The vitamins pass through your small intestine walls where they go to their respective organs. Fat-soluble vitamins, such as vitamins A, D, E and K, can be stored in the body. If you have excess amounts in your food, the extra vitamins can go to your liver and body’s fatty tissues. However, water-soluble B and C vitamins are not stored in the body. If you have enough of these vitamins in your bloodstream, the kidneys will filter them out after they pass into your bloodstream.
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