A Functioning Digestive System and IBS

Your digestive system is a delicate mechanism. IBS usually flares up because this delicate balance is put out of sync. 

Knowing how your digestive system works, as well as determining the different characteristics related to your digestive system and IBS will allow you to know what a good functioning digestive system is.

The digestive system is mainly used to mix food and breakdown chemicals so that they can be used as nutrients.  Food will move through your digestive system through muscles that contract to help the food to move downwards. 

As the food moves throughout your digestive system, the muscles help mix the contents thus enabling easier digestion. This includes movements through the esophagus, stomach and intestine. 

From here, the digestive system has several functions that need to occur for the proper transportation of different types of foods. The first part of this is production of digestive juices. These are usually produced in each area of the system, allowing the food to be properly broken down and moved through the system.

The next process the digestive system takes care of is making sure that nutrients are properly divided, dissolved or absorbed.  This usually takes place in the upper intestine. 

Proteins are broken down in the digestive system.  These will need to be digested by enzymes then can be used to produce and help with tissues.  These then move into the blood and provide different sources throughout the system. 

If you have IBS, this may be part of the problem that is causing your digestive system to react.  If you don’t have enough enzymes to break down the proteins, then it will cause them to move into the wrong area, which then tenses the muscles.  This, however, may not be the only source for your problems.  

Another major breakdown that the digestive system includes is a breakdown of carbohydrates.  The digestive system will then transport or store these in different areas.  Sugars and starches are usually part of this process. 

If you have IBS, this is usually the part of the digestive system that is failing.  This is why many suffers think that cutting down on sugars and starches will help your body in not reacting.   

Your digestive system, when functioning properly, will function with two different factors.  The first is through hormones.  These will all cause reactions from the digestive system, helping for the right reactions to be made through the stomach and intestine area.  These can also be used to regulate appetite.

Nerves are also part of the functioning with the digestive system.  These nerves will release chemicals that will push food through the system and into the right areas. 

The sensitivity of your digestive system may be what is causing IBS. Knowing the different functions and areas of the digestive system, as well as knowing what the problems may be in relation to this, can help you determine why you are getting IBS and what is happening with your digestive system.

Knowing how your body should be working is one way to help find out how to get back to your normal digestive functions.