The stomach is the organ that is located between the esophagus and the small intestine and according to Medline Plus has three major functions: food storage, partial food digestion and movement of food into the small intestine. Problems with the...
People with celiac disease have difficulty absorbing nutrients from food containing gluten, rye and barley because of small intestine problems. Since these ingredients can be found in many foods such as cereal, cake, cookies and pasta, knowing...
When you walk through your local grocery, you may note that there are a couple of aisles dedicated to fruits and vegetables at the outside border of the store and a great many aisles dedicated to food in bags, boxes, bottles and cans that fill the...
According to the Mayo Clinic, gastric bypass (Roux-en-Y or RNY) is the most frequently performed weight loss surgery in the United States, and generally has the lowest rate of complications. Gastric bypass can be performed through an incision in...
Your gallbladder sits underneath your liver on the right side of your abdomen. This pear-shaped organ contains a digestive fluid known as bile that's discharged into your small intestine. Gallbladder problems tend to develop when the flow of bile...
Your body cannot utilize dietary proteins in their predigested form -- the gastrointestinal system must break down proteins in a multi-stage process that occurs primarily in your stomach and small bowel. Protein digestion yields minute subunits...
Many people know little about the pancreas until it starts giving them problems. The pancreas, a gland located deep in your abdomen, is responsible for secreting digestive enzymes. It also helps regulate blood sugar by secreting a hormone called...
If you are following a gluten-free diet, traditional tortillas made with white or whole-wheat flour are off limits. While you can purchase commercially prepared gluten-free tortillas, they may not meet your expectations, as many are brittle or...
Vitamins work alongside minerals, enzymes and other nutrients to form cells, metabolize food, heal wounds and keep your body's major systems running smoothly. Not surprisingly, vitamin deficiencies can cause an assortment of health problems. In...
Vitamin B-12, or cobalamin, is a member of the B-complex family. Even though it is water soluble -- excess intake is easily eliminated in your urine -- your liver stores enough vitamin B-12 to last for up to six years, according to "The Merck...
Celiac disease is an intestinal disorder caused by consumption of the protein gluten, which is primarily found in bread, pasta, cookies, wheat, rye, pizza and barley. People with celiac disease who eat foods containing gluten experience an immune...
If you follow a gluten-free diet, any product with wheat, barley or rye is off-limits. Cornmeal is made from dried corn kernels, and thus contains none of these ingredients. You can buy cornmeal is fine, medium or course grinds and use it for a...
Peanut butter is made by grinding roasted peanuts into a paste. The National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse, or NDDIC, reports that foods comprised mainly of fat and protein -- including peanut butter -- are not likely to cause...
Stomach problems are a common health complaint among American children and adults. They are often associated with digestive disorders that include heartburn, gastric ulcers and dyspepsia. Herbs have long been used to help treat stomach problems....
Digestion is the process of breaking down food and absorbing nutrients. It begins in your mouth and ends in your small intestine. Certain health problems may affect your ability to digest food and can cause long-term health effects if not...
Artificial sweeteners, known as sugar substitutes, were developed to replace table sugar (sucrose), both as additives to coffee or tea, as well as ingredients in products such as diet soda, sugarless gum and sugar-free processed foods like some...
If you have a sensitivity to gluten you may be able to tolerate oats, provided they're uncontaminated with wheat flour or husks. Oats don't contain the same form of gluten found in wheat, rye and and barley. It's those types of gluten that cause...
Escherichia coli, or E. coli for short, is a type of bacteria that lives in your small intestine, usually without causing any problems. However, a few strains of E.coli, such as E. coli O157:H7, may contaminate your food and cause severe food...
Gallstones can be an especially difficult problem to deal with for any person. According to the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse (NDDIC), women are at a much higher risk than men of contracting gallstones. The site says the...
Primary biliary cirrhosis is a chronic condition caused by damage and inflammation of the bile ducts, the small tubes that connect the liver to the gallbladder and small intestines. The liver produces bile, which travels through the bile ducts to...
Celiac disease is a digestive disease that is caused by an immune reaction to the protein gluten, found in wheat, rye and barley. When an affected individual consumes gluten, it can damage the small intestine and cause health problems. There is no...
The colon is relatively short -- 3 to 5 feet long, compared to the 15 to 20 feet of the small intestine. Many health problems can arise in this small area such as constipation, diarrhea, diverticular disease, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis,...
The gallbladder, a pear-shaped organ located under the liver, functions to store bile---a substance produced by the liver that consists of water, bile salts, fats and cholesterol. The gallbladder stores the bile until it is needed by the small...
Vitamins, including vitamin B12, play a role in many tissues in your body. A lack of vitamin B12 can cause problems with making red blood cells and can damage your nerves. This can be corrected by taking sublingual vitamin B12, particularly if you...
You may know turmeric as a spice, coloring agent and food flavoring, but the root of the turmeric plant is also used medicinally to treat a wide variety of conditions, including headaches, depression, indigestion and gallbladder disorders....
Your immune system fights off bacteria and other potentially risky materials and cells, but your body may get confused. When this happens, your immune system mounts a response that can produce antibodies to attack healthy organs, such as your...
Crohn's disease causes inflammation of the digestive tract and often affects the lower part of the small intestine. But the disorder can cause problems in any area of the gastrointestinal tract. Inflammation and swelling can lead to pain and...
An ileostomy is a surgery which creates an opening from the small intestine to the outside of your body, usually through one side of your torso. This opening, also known as a stoma, allows bodily waste products to pass into an external bag or...
Potassium phosphate is a medication that combines the electrolyte mineral potassium with the mineral phosphorus, also called phosphate. Your doctor may give you this medication if you have insufficient levels of either potassium or phosphate....
Hookworms are a type of roundworm and can cause problems in the small intestine or lungs. Learn about hookworms including symptoms, treatments and diagnosis in this video on health and diseases.
