{"id":150302290264,"date":"2020-04-01T13:58:54","date_gmt":"2020-04-01T17:58:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bioptimizers.com\/?p=150302290264"},"modified":"2023-04-20T15:46:48","modified_gmt":"2023-04-20T19:46:48","slug":"5-stages-of-digestion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bioptimizers.com\/blog\/5-stages-of-digestion\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Stages of Digestion"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Matt and Wade personally experienced this back in the 90s. They thought they were already in tip-top shape, but when they optimized their digestion and tried high doses of enzymes for 90 days, they gained muscle, lost fat, and experienced massive health improvements. Wade went on to compete in Mr. Universe and Mr. Olympia on a plant-based diet and 85 grams\/day of protein, while his competitors needed 250 grams\/day!<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

They also saw many clients who trained hard, ate well, and supplemented. But they didn\u2019t achieve their full potential until they optimized their digestion, grew the right gut bacteria, and increased absorption. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You\u2019re not what you eat but what you absorb. To optimize your health, it\u2019s important to understand the five phases of digestion and how they impact your eventual absorption.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Phase 1: Anticipation<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Food smells make you salivate, and your stomach grows because your brain is intimately involved with your digestion as much as your gut is. To optimize your digestion, you need to learn how to fully relax in \u201crest and digest\u201d mode and be mentally engaged with your food.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Studies based on fMRI, which maps function to brain regions based on oxygen consumption, saw that parts of the brain lit up as subjects saw or smelled food. Our brains associate certain flavors with certain nutrition and caloric density of the food. Delicious and calorie-dense foods usually trigger a big dopamine release, which makes you feel rewarded. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The sight and sensation of food also trigger saliva, stomach acid, and digestive enzyme secretions2,<\/strong><\/sup> 3<\/strong><\/sup>. These processes happen through the \u201crest and digest\u201d neurons called the vagus nerve. This is one of the most important neurons for health and gut-brain communications3. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Phase 2: Chewing\/Mastication<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Chewing serves many important functions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

First, it grinds foods into smaller pieces, making it easier for digestive enzymes to access the food later in the digestive process. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Second, it mixes the food with saliva so that you can taste it. Saliva lubricates and binds food into a bolus, so you can safely swallow it. The saliva also contains white blood cells, antibodies, and lysozyme (a bacteria-digesting enzyme), which kills pathogens that could be in your food. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Third, chewing stimulates stomach acid and digestive enzyme secretions throughout the digestive tract6<\/strong><\/sup>. Typically saliva only serves as a lubricant and contains minimal digestive enzymes. But once chewing commences, the salivary glands release digestive enzymes, such as salivary amylase (starch-digesting) and lipase (fat-digesting). In sham feeding studies, chewing food (and spitting them out) was enough to trigger the pancreas to release 50% of total digestive enzymes it would secrete in a meal7<\/strong><\/sup>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fourth, chewing stimulates the vagus nerve, which not only reduces inflammation throughout your body but also helps you relax. So that further stages of digestive function can function optimally8<\/strong><\/sup>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Therefore, taking the time to chew your food properly is important. Rushing your meals and not chewing thoroughly can result in discomfort, indigestion, and even acid reflux. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Phase 3: Stomach<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The stomach is where most of the food breakdown starts. It secretes stomach acid and digestive enzymes and moves to mix food with the acid and enzymes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stomach acid plays many important roles, including: <\/p>\n\n\n\n