Now comes the second major step in your body larruping up that Hamburger.
Digestive II was lengthy, just over 1000 words when 1000 words should be over the top for any blog. But as I write I continue to search for interesting and relevant material and I kept finding new material that I didn’t even know.
Cognition (realization)
What blows me away is the realization that the tiniest bit of the human body is there for a purpose. And on top of that you are unique among others. So the body is a bit of a temple of creation made by that mysterious hand. This reminds me of the poem By William Blake:
Tigre burning bright
In the forests of the night
What immortal hand or eye
Could frame thy fearful symmetry.
(I have to stick a viewpoint in here – Man may not have claws and sharp teeth, but he is much more dangerous that any tiger)
Moving on this trek through the body’s miraculous digestive tract
We will tiptoe through the roses all the way down the track as our body does its best to extract whatever nourishment value is in the food you put in your mouth. Take that in consideration from now on when you prepare or order your next meal. “Is this good for me?” This section of our journey south begins with swallowing the bolus of food made swallowable to where it goes into the stomach. This is another interesting step.
What real estate does the food pass as it descends to the stomach, and what keeps the food from coming back out again or into your windpipe?
The esophagus, the epiglottis, the larynx and pharynx – what are they?
This is the roadway to the stomach, and these are the names of structures that allow simultaneously chewing and swallowing food, breathing, and speaking. Did you ever think of how complex this operation really is and how you can breathe and not get choked on food at that big Christmas dinner? You are loving that slice of ribeye you flavored with some mashed potatoes and iced tea. You have a mouth full and are busily chewing, swallowing, talking, and breathing all at the same time, not realizing that the food and air have to pass right by each other and the food does not get caught in the breathing hole (trachea-windpipe) while you are unconsciously letting these functions do their thing without your thought or guidance.
Tracking the steak
Teeth are busy disintegrating the meat, and saliva from saliva glands are keeping it moist as you maneuver it in your mouth in preparation to swallow it down. You swallow, and the “bolus” as the chewed moistened food is named, travels right to the windpipe and esophagus.
Your esophagus is a hollow, muscular tube that carries food and liquid from your throat to your stomach. The windpipe is another tube alongside the esophagus for the passage of air only. Muscles in your esophagus propel food down to your stomach. It is part of the digestive system.
What does the esophagus do?
The primary function of your esophagus is to carry food and liquid from your mouth to your stomach. When you swallow, food and liquid first move from your mouth to your throat (pharynx). A small muscular flap called the epiglottis closes to prevent food and liquid from going down the “wrong pipe” — your windpipe (trachea). Another small flap called the uvula helps prevent liquid from passing upward into your nasal cavity. It is that strange dangling teardrop of a bit of flesh hanging offensively at the back of our mouth at the entrance to the throat.
How does the esophagus work?
At the opening of your upper esophagus, there’s a ring-shaped muscle called the upper esophageal sphincter. This sphincter senses food or liquid is coming toward it. When it gets the signal, the sphincter relaxes or opens so that food can enter your esophagus. When there’s no food or liquid in sight, it stays closed.
Once inside your esophagus, waves of muscular contractions (peristalsis) push the food downward. The food passes through your diaphragm and reaches your lower esophagus.
At the opening of your lower esophagus, there’s another ring-shaped muscle called the lower esophageal sphincter (LES). Like the upper esophageal sphincter (UES), it senses when food and liquid are coming. It relaxes and lets the food pass through to your stomach. When no food or liquid is coming its way, it usually stays shut to prevent stomach acid and digestive juices from getting into your esophagus.
Anatomy
The physical anatomy, location, size, etc., of these organs, are explained in the next issue right before we dive head first into the stomach where unimaginable things occur right inside of you all of the time. Stay tuned for this next exciting step of our journey.
Did You Ever Consider Having Your Own Private Label?
Reading this I imagine you may think of things that could make the above description less than perfect, and how you have found supplements that helped ease your way through it. Imagine if you had a Private Label of your own and your own supplement to fix it, how would that be?
