by Sarah Todd

Created on: October 15, 2008   Last Updated: November 10, 2008

The human digestive system processes food over a period of between 12 and 48 hours, depending on the type of food ingested. Also known as the gut, this complex part of our body processes the fuel we need to keep ourselves fit and healthy, while eliminating toxins and other waste products resulting from the digestive process.

The gut is the name applied to a tube that runs through the human body from the mouth to the anus. It is made up of several sections, each of which has a specific function to help process foods ingested into the body. in addition the liver and pancreas, although not part of the gut, are integral to the digestive process, introducing enzymes and bile via small tubes attaching these two organs to the gut. Food, liquids and eventually waste materials are moved through the gut by muscular contractions called peristalsis.

Understanding how the different sections of the digestive system work to process food is key to the maintenance of a healthy gut. Food is introduced to the body via the mouth, where it is chewed and swallowed with the aid of saliva. The enzyme amylase in saliva helps break down carbohydrates in the food. Healthy teeth crush and chew the food into manageable pieces, while saliva moves food from the mouth into the next part of the digestive system the oesophagus.

The peristalsis muscle contractions in the oesophagus help move the food into the stomach. The lower oesophageal valve, situated between the oesophagus and stomach, prevents the reflux of food and acid back up into the oesophagus once the food has moved into the stomach.

One of the stomach's functions is the production of acid to kill any harmful bacteria that might be present in the ingested food. The stomach walls are thick and muscular, and they aid digestion by contracting to mix acid with saliva, solid food and liquids, turning the food into a thick liquid over a period of about three hours. The stomach also produces substances to help the body absorb different minerals and irons.

From the stomach the processed food moves into the duodenum, the first part of the body's small intestine. This is where the liver and pancreas join the digestive process. The pancreas produces enzymes to help with digestion, as well as the hormone insulin, which helps control the body's blood sugar levels. Bile produced by the liver is stored in the gall bladder, and released to help digest fats.

The small bowel is the second part of the small intestine. The folds in this part of the gut allow

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