The stomach can be described as a muscular J-shaped bag that sits in the thoracic cavity, which joins the oesophagus to the small intestine. The esophageal and pyloric sphincters act as barriers to the oesophagus and small intestine, respectively. The main function of the stomach is the digestion of protein. For this to happen the stomach must secrete a range of protein digesting enzymes to break the peptide bonds in the protein, as well as stomach acid to aid the denaturation process. As this occurs, the stomach gently contracts to create a liquid mixture that is called chyme. It is often overlooked how important this process is to health, because the protein is held in the stomach for some time, and other food components are trapped there with the protein. This may partly be responsible for the weight loss effects of protein, as the slowing of the passage of starch through the alimentary canal in this way can significantly delay the digestion and absorption of glucose and significantly lower insulin levels, which may have a weight loss effect.
Eat Well, Stay Healthy, Protect Yourself
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