Inside the intestines

Your intestines are a vital organ in how you absorb and process your food. Keeping them healthy, along with your whole digestive system is extremely important to how you feel overall and helps prevent you from developing certain health issues. The intestines are the 4^th step in the digestive process and possibly one of the most important to sustaining healthy wellbeing.

Small intestine:

You may not of realised that your small intestine is the king of the digestive organs, not the stomach. Your small intestine consists of the duodenum, jejunum and ileum and is about 3 meters long in a living person.

The primary job of the small intestine is to absorb nutrients from the food we eat, drink and to continue with the break down. A healthy small intestine will have circular folds which help slow down chyme (digestive juices) from breaking down food too fast so absorption can occur. You will also have fingerlike projections within the circular folds call villi. These villi will again breakdown food further to absorb carbohydrates and proteins which will enter the bloodstream and lipids which will be transported to the lymphatic system. You will also have microvilli which have enzymes that finish the digesting of the carbohydrates and proteins.

Large intestine:

The large intestine is ultimately where your stools are made and where some vitamins are synthesized. It will absorb water from the undigested waste, which then helps create the shape and combine what becomes faeces.  Once that is done nerves in your rectum create the urge to then go to the bathroom.

How to keep them healthy:

There are various things you can be doing to help with the health of your digestive system and a straightforward way is the food you put into your body will result in how it treats you back. If you do know that certain foods trigger you to bloat or have abdominal pain, stay away from them to not cause inflammation or any further damage.

Some things you can do to strengthen and support your intestines and digestion include:

• Eating a balanced healthy diet. Feed your body with the 5 food groups with the serving standards per day. This will fuel your body with nutrients, vitamins and minerals each day and will also help with preventing any health issues.
• Drink plenty of water. Keep yourself hydrated and always have a bottle of water handy to stop you from grabbing anything else.
• Limit foods that are high in bad fats as they tend to slow down the digestion and can cause constipation.
• Exercise regularly - Exercising not only is good for your overall health but helps keep food moving and digesting.
• You potentially may need some extra support with digestive enzymes or probiotics to help not only keep the food processing but to make sure you are absorbing the nutrients from the food. These supplements can also may help with the bacteria in your digestive tract and help after taking medication.

Your intestines are important to how you feel and if you are properly absorbing nutrients from your food. Treating your digestion correctly and eating the healthiest food available will benefit you in the long run inside and out.

If you are having any issues or digestive problems, please contact your doctor or healthcare professional. Supplements should not replaced a balanced diet.

This information does not take into account your personal situation and is general in nature. You should consider whether the information is appropriate for your needs and seek professional medical advice.

Always consult your healthcare professional before taking any supplements or if any concerns arise.