Regional Gastrointestinal Consultants

Digestion is a vibrant, living process that turns food into energy through a complex series of evnets which begin within the mouth and continue through the 23 feet of the digestive system itself until un-absorable debris, ie: stool, is excreted.

"You are what you eat" thus Fats, Carbohydrates and Protiens are broken down beginning in the mouth with the Saliva and then teeth, which chew the food, passed into the Esophagus and then the Stomach which mixes Acid and Pepsin, creating Chyme, then etners the Small Intestine where 99% of all nutrients are absorbed, then empties into the Colon. Of course, involved in this process are Digestive Enzymes from the Pancreas as well as Bile Salts produced by the Liver and stored in the Gall Bladder, essential for Fat digestion.

Thus the Gut Tract is a factory for digestion, not just a hollow tube where food passes, works with the Brain, Neuroendocrine System and the Blood Stream to absorb the food that we ingest.

To maintain good health, we must have a functioning Gut, and we must try to prevent Gut problems by maintaining a sensible Diet, high in fiber, low in red meat, high in water and avoid abusive substances such as cigarettes and alcohol which can cause multiple diseases of the Gut, which include Cancer of the Stomach, Esophagus, Pancreas, Liver and Colon.

We must be over diligent with drugs that we ingest, especially over the counters, which can affect the Esophagus, Stomach, Liver and Colon, especially high on this list would be Aspirin and NSAIDS.

We should also pay attention to signs and symtoms of Gastrointestinal Diseases, especially Abdominal Pain and Rectal Bleeding. These, especially the latter, should be treated as an Emvergency and care should be sought immediately. Remember, problems in the Gut, if caught early, can be effectively cured, including Cancer.