Product Review

ABSORPTION IS KEY Choosing healthy foods is important - but it's what happens next that makes all the difference to your health. The truth is, it doesn't matter how well you eat if you aren't absorbing the nutrients from your meal. In fact, the digestive tract provides a barrier between what comes from the outside (food) and your internal system, including your blood stream and cells, until your meal has been broken down into a form that your body can use. And the first stop on the digestive train is a powerful ally in your health and wellbeing. NEXT STOP: STOMACH Nutrients are found in large molecules that are intricately bound together chemically and physically.The digestive process allows for the break-down of the molecules into usable form through a combination of mechanical means (chewing) and chemical means (enzymes, stomach acid). After you swallow, food travels to your stomach, where the gastric glands in your stomach produce secretions, appropriately called gastric juice. Gastric juice is comprised of hydrochloric acid, a protein called pepsin that helps to untwist proteins for easier digestion (called denaturation) and mucous to protect the stomach. HCl maintains the stomach pH at approximately 2.0, which helps to dissolve food and kill organisms. It's crucial that our foods are fully processed by stomach acid, or the next phases of digestion and absorption won't be as efficient. Unfortunately, as we age, and as a result of some underlying conditions or use of medications like antacids, production of HCl diminishes. Consequently, there can be challenges absorbing protein-bound B12, calcium and iron along with other important nutrients. And we know that adequate absorption of these nutrients is crucial for healthy aging.