What Is the Role of the Stomach in Digestion?

The stomach is a part of the digestive system. Food travels from the mouth to the stomach via the esophagus. This food has been masticated in the mouth, is known as bolus, and is ready for further digestion in the small intestine.

The food collects in the stomach where it resides for the time the small intestines have processed the previous batch and passed it to the large intestine. The bolus is converted into partially digested chyme in the stomach and released slowly into the duodenum, the anterior portion of the small intestine. Breaking down of protein happens in the stomach with the aid of the enzyme pepsin. Hydrochloric acid in the stomach kills harmful bacteria. The acid is secreted by the parietal cells in the stomach wall. The chemical action of the enzyme digests proteins and mechanical churning action of the stomach wall breaks down the food into still smaller particles. It is worth noting that fats, starches, and sugars pass through the stomach undigested. These are digested in the small intestine.

The stomach is made up of four parts, namely cardia, fundus, corpus, and pylorus.

Food is received in the cardia. The esophageal sphincter located at the junction of the cardia and the esophagus prevents stomach acids from traveling to the esophagus. The fundus is located at the top left of the stomach, it serves to store gases released during the chemical breakdown and churning of food.

The corpus or body is the largest part of the stomach; this is where the churning action takes place. The fourth region, pylorus, is connected to the duodenum. The four layers of the stomach wall are the mucosa, submucosa, muscularis externa, and serosa.

Although the bulk of the absorption happens in the small intestine, certain medicines like aspirin and molecules of amino acids are absorbed directly by the stomach walls. The stomach also has a very unique capability of "tasting" food items such as fats, glutamates, glucose, carbohydrates, proteins, and fats.

The transit of food through the stomach does not follow the same order in which it arrived. Very small particles of food and water can pass through almost immediately. On an average, food will stay in the stomach for up to five hours. But the total transit time of food through the digestive system will vary with the composition of food and the individual's health. The stomach's volume is around 45 ml without distension and can hold up to 3 liters of food

What Is Achalasia?

Achalasia is a condition in which the subject has difficulty in swallowing food; this happens because of two reasons, first the smooth esophageal muscle loses its muscle tone and second the esophageal sphincter opening into the stomach can no longer function properly, it does not relax and food cannot smoothly pass into the stomach. The condition is also characterized by regurgitation and sometimes pains in the chest.

Achalasia is a rare condition and less than 0.001% of the population contracts it in a year. Although the condition can be treated and its effects mitigated, there is no definite cure for it. Also, there is no clear or well-defined cause that can be singled out for the condition. It is largely considered to be an idiopathic condition; however, there is some evidence that heredity may play a role. Achalasia can also occur if the subject is suffering from cancer of the esophagus. This is not an age-specific condition and can affect young and old alike.

The esophagus consists of the upper esophageal sphincter, the body, and the lower esophageal sphincter. The two sphincters remain closed except when one has to swallow food. This is to prevent acid and chyme in the stomach from backing up into the esophagus. The upper sphincter opens when a person swallows food; the food is pushed down the body of the esophagus due to the peristaltic motion, and is pushed into the stomach via the open lower sphincter.

This process is hampered because of the inability of the esophageal body to undergo peristalsis and the subsequent opening of the lower esophageal valve cannot be effected.

Symptoms of the condition include difficulty in swallowing every time one eats. Sometimes this is accompanied by a pain in the chest because of the food accumulated in the esophagus. If the food is thrown up there is a risk that it might enter the lungs through the windpipe and cause infection. Since the symptoms are similar to what an individual suffering from GERD may experience, this cause has to first be eliminated. Video-esophagram and esophageal manometry are two diagnostic tests carried out to conform the existence of this condition.

Persistent achalasia can lead to swelling of the esophagus, loss of weight, and an increased chance of the subject cancer of the esophagus due to continuous irritation of the esophageal cells.

Achalasia progresses slowly and therefore early diagnosis is often difficult. All the same, chances of controlling the condition and benefiting from treatment are high when the disease is still in the early to mid stage.

The Baby Food Diet

Have you ever wondered what this crazy Baby Food Diet is? You may have heard it on the television or through the pages of glossy magazines. It is the latest diet regime initiated by Hollywood celebrities that is becoming popular even to the average Joe. Why is this? Well it's the principle behind it; eating smaller healthier portion throughout the day. Spot on! You have heard it before so why should it make any difference.

Many of us live busy lifestyles and cooking meals is look upon as too consuming and we buy take-away or go to the nearest drive-through as it is instant. These choices provide instant gratification and we're back on to the next task in our diary to complete. One good aspect of the Baby Food Diet is that is it trains your mind to focus on smaller portions which includes healthy meals.

You can obtain baby food in two ways - buy it from the store or prepare your own. If you have specific preferences and want a variety then you may want to prepare your own meals. The Baby Food Diet website and eBook can assist you with home made recipes. Some people may think that it is absurd to go back to eating baby food, but look at the principle behind it.

You can easily and gradually replace your pureed meals with healthy solid meals once you've lost the weight. During your period of weight loss, you do not have to go on pureed meals only; you can incorporate it into your eating regime. Some people do not enjoy eating healthy foods at all.

Many have become habitual to one type of eating which consist of very little healthy components. No wonder people are eating more junk. In almost every prime location, resides a fast food restaurant. These individuals need more help in making the transition from where they are now to a healthier eating routine. If you are sick and tired of not accomplishing any results then it is time to take further action.

Take action now and follow the principles of the Baby Food Diet. What do you have to lose but undesirable pounds? Now, you must also look at the exercise component of this transition. Start with walking around your block. Do not undervalue the benefits you achieve from walking alone. Walking is not complex, you have two legs and you've used them so many times, now get up and go for a brisk walk. You can attend your local gym to take it further if you can and wish to.

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is becoming a more popular option. Many are getting sick and tired of being sick and tired. We all have the potential to achieve our optimal weight and become great at what we do. Make an investment

Start Eating Healthily and Stop Dieting

In order to reach and maintain a healthy weight, we need to become life-long healthy eaters rather than dieters. Being a healthy eater means becoming informed and smart about what healthy eating actually is. Being food smart isn't about learning to calculate grams or fat, or is it about studying labels and counting calories. If you are eating healthily, this is not necessary.

Healthy eating is all about having balanced and moderate healthy meals at least three times per day. Ideally, you should be eating three moderate meals a day with two healthy snacks in between your main meals, so one in between breakfast and lunch and one in between lunch and dinner. This is so that you are eating roughly every three hours. This will maintain your blood sugar levels to prevent dips where you might be tempted to reach for something unhealthy. Healthy eating is about eating the right foods in the right proportions at regular intervals. Healthy eaters eat many different types of foods and do not limit themselves to one specific food type or food group, which is contrary to a lot of diets that you will have heard about.

Eating healthily requires fuelling your body and your brain regularly with enough food to keep both your mind and body strong and alert. Healthy eaters have learnt to take care of themselves and are always aware of what they eat and know the effect that it will have on their bodies. Eating nutrient-rich foods will help to improve your energy levels and to reduce the risk of developing various diseases, which can be caused by having a poor diet, such as heart disease and diabetes.

Restricting food intake is not advisable. It can, in fact, be harmful. If calories are too restricted, your body goes into starvation mode, which will encourage your body to store fat as it isn't sure when it will get it's next meal. It also generally leads to you putting back on all the weight you have lost during your diet, once you start eating normally again. The best way to achieve long-term weight loss without impacting your health and then maintain a healthy weight is through proper nutrition and exercise. Healthy eating needs to be a way of life; something that you do to enhance your body or your lifestyle. If you've ever thought about making your life better or you want to feel or look better, eating healthily is the place to start. And the best time to start is right away!

When To Go To Urgent Care

It can be difficult to know whether to head for the doctor, the emergency room, or an urgent care center. While all of these facilities are available to you when you have medical needs, they are each equipped to deal with different problems. These are great facilities that can help you when you are unsure what's going on and you can't arrange for a doctor's appointment fast enough. They can handle minor emergencies like cuts and burns. They can prescribe medications for illness. If you require the emergency room or need to follow up with a doctor, you will learn what you need when you visit the center, too.

Here are a few examples of when it's best to head to one of these facilities rather than the doctor's office or the emergency room.

Minor Sprains and Strains

If you've been hurt playing amateur sports or just around the house, it can be daunting to deal with a sprain or strain on your own. Sprains are when your ligaments have been overstretched, usually when excessive force has been applied to a joint. They often happen in ankles and wrists. Strains happen in the muscles, when muscles have been overstretched and fibers tear. Not all sprains and strains are an emergency but it helps to rule out serious injuries and have a professional take a look. This is a classic example of when to head to a local urgent care center.

Minor Cuts

When a cut is too deep for at-home first aid but not deep enough to warrant an emergency room visit, urgent care units can help you properly clean and dress the cut and provide stitches if necessary. Because they are prepared for a large volume of patients, they can often take care of you quickly so you don't have to sit in a waiting room too long.

Prolonged Illness

If you've been trying to take care of a cold or the flu and over the counter medication hasn't helped alleviate the symptoms, you can head to an urgent care center to see if you require prescription medications or if you need serious medical help. When you need immediate attention but can't manage to get an appointment with your doctor, you can walk in and discuss your symptoms and they can prescribe antibiotics to help you get through the illness.

Bladder Infection And Cure Remedies

Some of the symptoms of a bladder infection can cause pain in the pelvic area, frequent urination and pain while urinating. The urine itself can also give an indication of the urinary tract infection by its appearance and odor. Cloudy urine with an unusually strong odor can be an indication of a bladder infection. Your life can be unbearable if you start to have problems in your urinary bladder functions. Health problems related to the urinary tract and bladder can cause not only emotional but also social and psychological problems. The effects may lead to a doctor's analysis for having surgery. This can put a person in a state of shock, for our mind is not prepared for such a treatment, so we set out and search for some type of effective alternative remedy.
Kegel exercises for 20 - 30 minutes a day for both men and women help strengthen the muscles below the bladder that holds in urine. These exercises involve tightening, holding and then relaxing the pelvic floor muscles. A normal bladder has a capacity of 400 to 500 milliliters. During urination you are encouraged to start, stop, hold, and start again to tone up your muscle control. These muscles will get stronger, and you will have greater control.
Water is necessary for the proper function of cells, to carry nutrients in and toxins out. If you don't drink enough water, your liver, then your kidneys will become overloaded with toxins. This can lead to infections. It is not good to cut down on urinary frequency by drinking less water. Drink enough water without hesitation. Beverages like tea and coffee have a diuretic effect on the body. They actually cause you to go to the bathroom more often. If you do consume these beverages, add an extra glass of water for each one. This will replace the water you're losing.
To prevent bladder infection symptoms you may want to consider bladder infection home remedies or supplement solutions. The body reacts to natural solutions much differently than it does to medication.
Clinical studies with tablets containing a combination of pumpkin seed and soybean germ extracts over a period of several weeks have been carried out by experts. Measurements taken for frequency of urination during the day and night have shown marked improvement in urinary tract health and the quality of life after the first week with further improvement after the second week and, compared with the pretrial observation, Continued to improve throughout a six week period.
These natural herbal drugs contain ingredients like pumpkin seed extract, soy germ extract and many more herbal extracts that work to improve your overall bladder and urinary health. This promotes control of the bladder muscles. This is a perfectly suitable bladder infection treatment with a natural herbal supplement to cure bladder infections as researched in many scientific studies. This herbal mixture supports urinary tract health, soothes the urinary tract via systematic flushing, maintains suitable pH of the bladder, supports natural urine flow, maintains consistent toxin elimination for sustained health, promotes natural water balance to address bloating, and improves long-term bladder and urinary tract functioning.
Our overactive bladder should not dictate our schedule. Take proper treatment immediately to maintain bladder and urinary tract health with a natural herbal mixture. It is effective for both men and women. It has been proven to give results with herbal cures in scientific studies. Such an herbal mixture has no side effects, even after a few weeks of consuming it. It really works for everyone, without having to have of an expensive, painful and grueling surgery.

Help! I'm Not Happy With My Height - Banish These Feelings And Increase Your Height Now!

When some people reach adulthood they are not satisfied with their current height. There are even some who are so disgusted with being short that they go to extreme measures and swallow all kinds of pills hoping to increase their height. Some even take human growth hormone injections and hope this will solve the problem of being short.

The question is "with all these ways of growing taller which one is the best?" The next question might be, "is it really possible to increase your height if you have already stopped growing?" The answer is yes it's possible to increase your height even if you haven't grown in years, and yes there are certain things you could do that have help many people all over the world add a few more inches to their overall height!

There are four main things we will look at in this article that play a big part in helping anyone grow taller. The four things are good posture, good sleep, eating foods that promotes growth, and doing certain exercises. By doing these four things on a regular basis anyone could increase their height, no matter how old they are!

Isn't that good news to hear! You don't have to go through life felling bad and insecure about your height. All you have to do is make a decision to do something about it today!

Posture - It's possible to lose a couple of inches of height over time by having bad posture. If you don't think this is true look at someone who has a hunched back or a pot belly, these people have bad posture.

When you walk keep your head straight and chin up. Walk with your stomach in and back straight and try to keep your chest out. This will help you to have good posture, which is one of the keys to increasing your height.

Eating right - Getting the right foods in the system is super important if you want to grow taller. Without the right nutrients in the system you will fail to increase your height. You must eat foods high in protein, carbohydrates, fat, vitamins, and minerals. By eating chicken, red meats, dark leafy greens, sardines, and dairy products, you will be on a good start when it comes to diet. Vegans and vegetarians could use soy meat and soy products as it will work just the same.

Exercise - The best exercises to do are stretching exercises. These type of exercises helps stretch the spine and decompress the entire body. By doing the proper stretching your muscle, joints, and spine, will decompress causing you to grow.

Proper rest - I said PROPER REST. There is a huge difference between rest and proper rest. Going to bed anytime before 12am is getting the best sleep possible and causes the body to release human growth hormone into the brain. Try to get to bed at 10pm and no later than 11:30pm, this is the rest that promotes growth.