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HC & Nutrition Study > Digestive Intensive - Week 3 > Flashcards

Digestive Intensive - Week 3 Flashcards

1
Q

The wandering nerve

A

Vagus Nerve

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2
Q

Six Key Functions of the Vagus Nerve

A
  1. Slows the heartbeat
  2. Constricts bronchi in the lungs
  3. Stimulates peristalsis
  4. Provokes enzyme secretion
  5. Activates the neuro-chemical acetylcholine
  6. Stimulates the release of bile to help break down our fats
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3
Q

4 Major Physiological Aspects of the Digestive System

A
  1. Cephalic Phase
  2. Esophageal Phase
  3. Gastric Phase
  4. Intestinal Phase
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4
Q

The part of digestion before food enters the pictures is the ___ phase of digestion. It’s the one that starts in the brain and is key for gut healing.

A

Cephalic

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5
Q

___ carries those enzymes that are going to help break down food when it arrives

A

Saliva

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6
Q

The saliva also activates the secretion of ___ in the stomach & ___. Together they help your food to digest or breakdown.

A

HCL & Pancreatic Secretions

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7
Q

Stimulates gastric and intestinal motility

A

Gastrin

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8
Q

The spontaneous movement and contractions of the the organ to stimulate the movement of the food through the digestive system

A

Intestinal Motility

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9
Q

Step #1 of Cephalic Phase

A

The sight & smell of food stimulates a nerve impulse that goes to the hypothalamus

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10
Q

Step #2 of Cephalic Phase

A

The hypothalamus signals the medulla in the brain stem and it responds by sending out nerve impulses, which travel down the vagus nerve to stimulate more saliva production, increased gastric and pancreatic secretions

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11
Q

Step #3 of Cephalic Phase

A

After initial stimulation, you put fork to mouth

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12
Q

Step #4 of Cephalic Phase

A

The physiological function of the mouth in digestion is to chew & liquefy food (saliva helps make this possible)

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13
Q

Step #5 of Cephalic Phase

A

The mouth has a huge role in the mechanical breakdown of food through the process of chewing

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14
Q

Step #6 of Cephalic Phase

A

Food is dissected into smaller bits from your teeth, but your saliva produces a host of enzymes that further disassemble the food’s molecules

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15
Q

Step #7 of Cephalic Phase

A

Your saliva contains softening agents & lubricants to allow the food to be molded into that bolus for swallowing

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16
Q

Step #8 of Cephalic Phase

A

When you chew food, chemical reactions take place and your food breaks down. This signals additional hormones, enzymes, and gastric juices to further instigate the process of digestion.

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17
Q

3 main functions of chewing

A
  1. reduce the particle size of the food
  2. expel air & mix the food thoroughly with saliva to form a bolus
  3. increase surface area of the food to allow more digestive enzymes to have at it
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18
Q

2 reasons to incorporate mindful chewing

A
  1. Chewing creates an automatic delay factor into a meal. Your body doesn’t know it’s full until after a lag of about 20-30 min.
  2. It helps the body to release more enzymes and HCL.
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19
Q

___ has its own pH buffering system in place to keep its acid/alkaline balance

A

Saliva

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20
Q

Salivary pH should be __, but can fluctuate between __ & __

A

around 7.4
6.8 to 7.4

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21
Q

Enzymes secreted by the saliva

A
  1. Bicarbonate
  2. Anhydrase
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22
Q

___ production can be disrupted by a zinc deficiency

A

Anhydrase

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23
Q

Zinc-rich foods

A
  1. high-protein foods like shellfish, oysters, meats & poultry
  2. grains & benas
  3. veggies
  4. certain nuts & seeds
24
Q

Once food is swallowed, it enters the ___ which is a long tube spanning from the mouth to the stomach.

A

Esophagus

25
Q

The ___ keeps the acid in the stomach from coming back up into the esophagus and into the mouth.

A

LES

26
Q

The ___ should remain closed & is a one-way passage

A

LES

27
Q

T or F: The LES is only meant to open when a peristaltic wavelike motion (triggered by a swallow) relaxes the sphincter

A

True

28
Q

common health problems related to esophagus

A

heartburn, GERD, hiatal hernias

29
Q

common health problems related to esophagus

A

heartburn, GERD, hiatal hernias

30
Q

___ is responsible for the most effective breakdown of food particles and destruction of pathogens in our entire body.

A

Stomach

31
Q

When the stomach receives food it secretes ___ to break down those individual nutrients and kill most of the pathogens that might be in our food.

A

HCL

32
Q

When digestion requires less energy…

A

There’s more energy to be used elsewhere.

33
Q

Most adults over 40 (or even 30) start to produce less stomach acid due to aging. So they aren’t properly breaking down their food. This inability to chew or produce enough enzymes can compromise the initiation of these ___ as well.

A

Gastric juices

34
Q

Low Stomach Acid Symptoms

A

Bacterial overgrowth, bad breath, belching or gas after eating, bloating, diarrhea, fatigue, food sensitivities, feeling of fullness, heartburn, headaches, strong odor form sweat, desire to skip breakfast, indigestion, malabsorption, nausea, sleepiness after meals, rectal itching, stomach pain, unexplained hunger, vomiting, weakened hair/nails/skin, yeast infections, anemia.

35
Q

Health Conditions Associated with Low Stomach Acid

A

Allergies, Asthma, Autoimmune diseases, Chronic Candida, CFS, Chronic hepatitis, Chronic hives, Dry Skin, Eczema, Gallbladder disease, GI infections, Hypoglycemia, Osteoporosis, Reduced night vision & Thyroid disorders

36
Q

What happens when people consume too much coffee, chocolate, alcohol, sugar & processed foods?

A

The LES gets weakened

37
Q

What happens when the LES gets weakened?

A

The undigested food + gastric juices flow back up the esophagus & into the mouth.

38
Q

The bagpipe shaped sac that sits between your bottom ribs & extends behind the left ribcage

A

The stomach

39
Q

The stomach is the place that complex proteins are broken down into ___.

A

Peptides

40
Q

There are a few substances that can begin absorption processes right from your stomach into your bloodstream

A
  1. Glucose or other simple sugars
  2. Water
  3. Salt
  4. Alcohol
41
Q

Your food usually hangs out in your stomach for about __ hours, getting blended & broken down.

A

2-4 hours

42
Q

___ can leave food lingering in the stomach longer while ___ usually shortens the time

A

chronic stress
actue stress

43
Q

The stomach is meant to maintain a pH about ___ and ___

A

1.5 and 1.7

44
Q

The hormone ___ stimulates the stomach glands to secrete ___ to bring the stomach to that acidity

A

Gastrin
HCL

45
Q

When the stomach acid reaches a pH of 1.5, the ___ shuts off - in a negative feedback loop.

A

gastrin

46
Q

the negative feedback loop looks like…

A
  1. food in the stomach causes the cells in the stomach wall to release gastrin
  2. gastrin stimulates stomach glands to release HCL
  3. stomach pH reaches 1.5
  4. negative feedback loop kicks in
  5. and the acidity itself causes the cells in the stomach to stop releasing gastrin
47
Q

There are two types of gastrin that can be released from both the __ & __, so even if the __ is compromised, there are still mechanisms in place to make sure you produce acid in this arena.

A

Stomach
Duodenum
Stomach

48
Q

When your stomach is generously acidic, it’s surrounded by a ___ that is designed to prevent the acid from leaking into other parts of your body. It is an important protective barrier.

A

plush mucus wall

49
Q

The thick mucus wall contains the major constituents for helping you absorb two critical nutrients from the food you eat:

A

B12 and iron

50
Q

The substances within the stomach that help us get & use them are ___ for vitamin B12

A

intrinsic factors

51
Q

The stomach acid itself helps convert ferric iron to ferrous iron (the measure we see in blood levels of ___).

A

Ferritin

52
Q

Low Stomach Acid Testing Options

A
  1. Heidelberg Stomach Acid Test (small capsule that records the pH of your stomach as you drink sodium bicarbonate)
  2. Baking Soda Assessment
  3. Betaine HCL Test
53
Q

Gentle Acid inducing support

A
  1. Lemon water in the morning or before meals
  2. Fermented unfiltered raw apple cider vinegar at the start of the morning before meals
54
Q

Hypochlorhydria

A

Deficiency of Stomach Acid

55
Q

Imbalances that come from Hypochlorhydria

A
  • belching or gas shortly after eating
  • bloating after eating
  • sense of fullness after meals
  • fatigue after meals
  • anemia unresponsive to iron
  • undigested food in stool
56
Q

How to address Hypochlorhydria

A
  • lemon water
  • ACV in water
  • betaine hcl (if tolerated and doesn’t present signs of ulcers)
  • possible enzymes that include pepsin and pancreatic enzymes
  • gut healing

HC & Nutrition Study (22 decks)

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