Food Digestibility: Determining and Influencing Factors

One of the most important needs of the human body is a nutritious diet. Due to the constant influx of nutrients, cells are regularly updated, energy reserves are replenished, digestive juices, hormones and other participants in metabolic processes are formed. Their structure and other properties depend on the quality of nutrition.

Nutrition is the process of processing, intake, digestion, subsequent absorption and assimilation inside the body of all the substances that make up this type of food.

Digestibility of food - what is it?

This process begins with the digestion of food in the gastrointestinal tract, continues with the absorption of nutrients into the bloodstream and ends at the stage of assimilation of vitamins and minerals inside the cells and tissues of the human body.

In the stomach, food is processed by digestive juices, and the breakdown of its enzymes begins:

• proteins to the amino acid stage;
• fats - for glycerin and fatty acids;
• carbohydrates - for galactose, glucose and fructose.

Cleavage continues to the small intestine, and from there, these simplest substances are absorbed into the blood, which carries them to all organs. Part of the food, not digested by the body, enters the colon, from where it comes out in the form of feces.

The digestibility of food is the body's ability to use those nutrients that are inside the consumed product. The main process begins inside the gastrointestinal tract.

The percentage of digestibility of food in the body depends on the diet, the type of culinary processing of products and the state of the digestive system. For example, a mixed type of food is often found. In this case, 84.5% of proteins, 94% of fats and 95.6% of carbohydrates are absorbed. This is just an estimate.

How to increase the digestibility of food

Average digestibility of products:

1. Food of animal origin - 95%.
2. Plant food - 80%.
3. Mixed diet - from 82 to 90% (depends on what type of product is prevailing at the moment).

The digestion parameters of plant foods lag behind the digestibility of food of animal origin due to the presence of fiber, which complicates the digestion process, but which also cleanses the body from the inside of toxins and toxins. These figures can be changed through the usual physiological actions that are performed by a person daily, but few people think about them. This is a thorough and thoughtful chewing of the product, so that it is better moisturized by saliva and soaked in the necessary enzymes. In addition, it is during chewing food that the necessary juices are released for its digestion. If a person hurries to swallow food and chew it poorly, it means that he will simply satisfy his appetite, but this certainly does not positively affect the digestibility of food by the body.

The effect of cooking

Its benefits are simply invaluable. It is the culinary processing that is one of the main factors in increasing the digestibility of food, contributing to easier digestion and assimilation of products.

Thanks to this processing, any food has its own unique appearance and aroma, and the taste remains beyond any competition. They, in turn, contribute to the appearance of appetite and the secretion of stomach acid, providing good digestion and assimilation of food intake.

If there is a need to speed up the digestion, it is advisable to cook liquid and grated food, which is processed by the body much faster than more dense.

An important role is played by the chemical composition of the cooked food. Meat and vegetable broths, as well as the ear, due to those substances that passed into them from the products during cooking, contribute to a more abundant secretion of digestive juices and stomach acid. The same functions have vegetable dishes. Foods that contain a large percentage of fat inhibit the digestion and further absorption of food.

A huge influence on the taste of cooked food has a temperature level. Hot food is always tastier than cold, and, therefore, digested much better. A hot meal should not be warmer than 50%, but not colder than 40%. A variety of products used will help to improve its properties. That is, it is better not to cook the same food more than once in three to four days.

Porridge must be periodically alternated with dough products and vegetable side dishes, hot meat broths with ear, fried meat with fried fish, fruit compotes with delicious jelly.

To replenish the supply of vitamins and minerals in summer and autumn, the daily diet can be varied with fresh vegetables, fruits and herbs, in winter and spring - juices from vegetables and fruits.

Sports nutrition

If a person regularly goes in for sports, his nutrition should correspond to a sports lifestyle. That is, high-calorie and well-digested food must be consumed before and after physical exertion in order to stimulate the full functioning of the muscles. This list includes wheat bread, boiled meat, ordinary minced meat and dishes from it, fried and boiled lean poultry, vegetable side dishes, oatmeal porridge, rich boiled eggs, soft-boiled eggs, hot tea, coffee and cocoa, juices or compotes from fruits and vegetables, protein biscuits and pastries, butter.

Fatty foods, which contain a lot of fiber: fat from animals and poultry, as well as legumes (beans, peas, chickpeas and so on), unnecessarily load the body before starting workouts, this can cause not the most pleasant sensations in the stomach. Although this is something that does not affect the digestibility of food, it’s still better not to eat such food at these points.

The athlete's dinner should make up for the lost level of proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals during exercise. Sour-milk products (milk, kefir, fermented baked milk, cottage cheese), fish, cereals, vegetables and fruits will help to cope with this. Food that is long digested or excites a tired nervous system (coffee, cocoa, ham, lamb, seasonings, spices and so on) is not recommended.

Product specific digestion time

Nutritionists, when compiling the daily diet of their patients, are guided by how much time each particular product is digested in the stomach:

• From one to two hours - plain water, hot tea and coffee, warm cocoa with milk or just one milk, hot broth, boiled rice, sea and river fish, soft-boiled egg.
• From two to three hours - wheat bread, boiled potatoes, young veal, scrambled eggs, fried eggs, hard-boiled eggs, boiled sea and river fish, coffee and cocoa, diluted with cream.
• From three to four hours - boiled chicken, fresh ham, boiled beef, fried potatoes, rye bread, apples, cucumbers, carrots, spinach, radishes.
• From four to five hours - fried steaks, wild bird, herring, mashed peas, boiled beans, stewed beans.
• From five to seven hours - bacon and many types of mushrooms.

Relieve constipation

Constipation is a very serious digestive problem. Sometimes it malfunctions, and feces begin to accumulate in the colon, which is retained in the body due to difficulties with the defecation process. Feces stretch the colon, injure neighboring organs, negatively affecting the functioning of the whole organism. In addition, substances from this mass enter the bloodstream, poisoning it.

Therefore, this problem must be fought to protect your own health. In this case, two options can help: changing the whole lifestyle to a more active one and including foods with a high fiber content in the daily diet, which speeds up digestion, promotes the digestibility of food and helps to remove all waste products from the body.

High fiber foods include:

• Raw fruits and vegetables. It is recommended to give preference to spinach, beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrots. If there are diseases in which you can not eat raw vegetables, then they can be replaced with sauerkraut cooked with carrots, boiled or baked cauliflower, beets and spinach. From fruits you can eat pears, apples, bananas, avocados, lingonberries, grapes, peaches and tangerines.
• Dried fruits. Those that have a good laxative effect are suitable. This is dried apricot, prunes, raisins.
• Juices from fruits and vegetables have a similar laxative effect, so they will not be superfluous in the presence of constipation. This is prune juice; apple, grape and plum compotes; A drink made from the juice of potatoes, asparagus or cabbage.
• Products made of flax flour, bran or wholemeal flour. But their presence in the diet requires increased attention to water balance. It is necessary to drink at least 2.5 liters of fluid per day.
• Rich meat and vegetable broths, soups and borscht made on their basis with a small content of vegetables.
• Live kvass based on rye bread.
• Kefir and yogurt.
• Salads and marinades seasoned with apple cider vinegar.
• Kombucha drink.
• Porridge made on the basis of germinated wheat.
• Nuts, soy, sesame seeds.
• Malt.
• Horseradish and garlic.
• Cotton oil.
• Soy sauce.
• Beef.

Invaluable Assistant Products

How do high fiber foods affect the entire digestion process, apart from the digestibility of the food and the factors that influence it?

1. Flaxseed, bran and wholemeal flour. In addition to fiber, they contain many vitamins and minerals. Therefore, products from such varieties of flour not only cleanse the body, but also raise the entire immunity, enriching the human body with all the necessary nutrients.
2. Porridge. Nutritionists recommend whole grains, among which germinated wheat, oat flakes or cereal mixtures from cereal are of great energy and nutritional value. They cleanse the digestive system, supply it with the necessary elements, renewing the body and becoming a source of second youth.
3. The bean family. Beans, peas and lentils may be preferred. Daily intake is 100 grams. In addition to fiber, they contain a lot of dietary fiber and minerals (calcium, zinc, iron, and so on). But people who adhere to a strict diet in order to lose weight, need to be careful with such a product, since it is very high-calorie.
4. A pear helps not only regulate the entire digestion process, but also treats the intestines, helping to get rid of problems such as diarrhea and diarrhea. This fruit does not contain sugar, but fructose, which does not require insulin for further absorption. Therefore, it automatically facilitates the work of the pancreas.
5. Inside the avocado contains not only a lot of fiber, but also no less important dietary fiber. Puree or jam from this fruit normalizes digestion, maintains a good state of intestinal microflora and regulates its work.
6. Flax seeds. Perhaps one of the most popular digestive system treatments. This is an excellent laxative, and also reduces the amount of cholesterol in the blood. The mucus, which is abundant in flaxseeds, envelops the esophagus and stomach, protecting their walls and preventing the absorption of toxins and toxins. It removes all fecal plugs, cleansing the intestines and contributing to the loss of excess weight.
7. Raspberries, blueberries, gooseberries and strawberries contain a lot of fiber (2 grams per fruit). Therefore, they have a beneficial effect on digestion.
8. Cabbage, beets, radishes, celery, cucumbers, carrots, asparagus and zucchini are not inferior in their rich composition to the most expensive food products. They contain not only fiber, but also many vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber.
9. Between the main meals, it is recommended to have a snack with dried apricots, dried apricots, prunes, dates, raisins, figs. They support good bowel function, helping to get rid of all waste products of the body. Although they are on the list of those foods that do not affect the digestibility of food, they are nevertheless invaluable helpers of the digestive system.

Weight Loss

One of the main problems of our time is overweight. A society of not very active people, leading a sedentary lifestyle, was faced with the fact that their body began to gain extra pounds of fat, consisting of the unused energy of processed food. These kilograms overload the entire body, becoming a negative factor in the digestibility of food and, therefore, the cause of many diseases. To avoid this, nutritionists recommend using one of three ways:

1. Exercise stress.
2. Diet with dietary restrictions.
3. Just push your own body to burn excess weight by adding appropriate foods to your daily diet.

The first two methods are known to all, so we will consider the latter in more detail. It is based on the fact that a person on a regular basis begins to consume foods that further accelerate digestion and stimulate the absorption of nutrients. They do not burden the body and, as a rule, are very tasty and healthy. The pleasant side effects of such a diet include improved metabolism and general rejuvenation of the body.

The list of required products includes:

• Bran, oatmeal.
• Soy milk.
• Nutmeg, ginger, turmeric, curry, bay leaf, cinnamon, black pepper.
• Broccoli.
• Spinach.
• Beans
• Lemon, grapefruit, kiwi, apple.
• Turkey.
• Almond.
• Coffee.
• Green tea.
• Yogurt, yogurt, kefir.

General recommendations for good digestion

The quality of the digestive process directly determines how well the food is absorbed inside the body. It can even be argued that digestion and assimilation of food cannot occur without each other. Therefore, in order to establish this process, it is necessary to adhere to the following recommendations:

• Chew food slowly and thoroughly. The problem with modern society is that one of your favorite habits is eating on the go. But stomach acid penetrates deep into the solid no more than 1 mm. Consequently, the remaining food saturates the human body, but no longer carries special benefits and remains not fully processed.
• It is absolutely impossible to overeat. Many people like to eat while at least something enters the stomach. But the benefits of all the substances found in food are simply nullified before the stress that the body experiences from such an impressive load. Therefore, the best way out of the situation is to divide the usual dense meals into smaller snacks during the day. Doctors have proven that you can eat in small portions up to 12 times a day.
• Liquid brings great benefits to the human body, and experts recommend drinking at least 9 glasses throughout the day (this includes water, tea, coffee, juices, soups, and so on). This will help to avoid constipation and regulate the entire water balance. But if you drink the liquid during or immediately after a meal, it will dilute the digestive enzymes that will process the food taken worse and may not cause the most pleasant sensations in the stomach. Therefore, 30 minutes before eating and within 30 minutes after it is better not to drink anything.
• Morning exercise is not only a good way to keep your figure in great shape, but also a great massage of the internal organs, preparing them for the first meal of the day. In addition, charging will shake the "asleep" metabolism, which will favorably affect all digestion and further absorption of nutrients.
• The use of seasonings and sauces that stimulate the assimilation of food. Their list includes: spices, garlic, horseradish, mustard.
• Include in your daily diet medications that stimulate the digestion and digestibility of food. This is "Festal", "Pancreatin", "Panzinorm-forte" and so on. They can be purchased at any pharmacy without a doctor’s prescription.
• Eat more fruits and vegetables, possibly replacing fast food products. Fruits and vegetables contain more nutrients that improve the overall digestive system. In addition, they have a lot of fiber, which perfectly cleanses the intestines and promotes the rapid absorption of food. Nutritionists advise giving preference to watermelon, apples, blueberries, pears, strawberries, bananas, apricots and plums.
• Sour-milk products, along with fruits and vegetables, cleanse the intestines and tone the whole body. In addition, it is such food that contributes to the formation of a healthy mucous membrane of the digestive system.
• Personal hygiene is also an important factor contributing to good digestibility of food. The whole secret is that the habit of washing your hands before eating helps to avoid the entry of dangerous viruses and bacteria into the digestive system.

Enemies of the digestion process

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1. .
   
2. Nervous condition.
3. Alcohol and drinks with its contents.
4. Lack of movement.
5. The presence of parasites.