We've only known for a short time how important the health of our gut is for the whole body. Thanks to this still very young field of research, we're learning how to keep our gut flora healthy and what links exist between the microbiome and physical and mental complaints. That's why we're dedicating this blog post entirely to the digestive organ: we explain the structure of the gut, how nutrients from our daily food are absorbed, and what exactly is meant by the term "microbiome".
Which organs are important for our digestion?
The gastrointestinal tract, with a total length of about 8 metres, is divided into three parts. The mouth and oesophagus form the upper part, the stomach and small intestine sit in the middle, and the third section includes the large intestine and the rectum and anus. If we look at the gut alone, it divides into the small intestine, large intestine and rectum/anus.
Other important organs outside the gastrointestinal tract that also contribute to our digestion are the liver, pancreas and gallbladder. The liver, as the central metabolic organ, stores nutrients and converts them when needed. The gallbladder, an essential organ for digesting fats, releases bile acid, whereas the pancreas provides digestive enzymes for breaking down carbohydrates, fats and proteins.
Now you're probably wondering how your vegetable stir-fry knows where in the gastrointestinal tract it has to stay, and for how long? It's the so-called peristalsis that moves the food we eat through the digestive tract. The intestinal muscles contract in a ring shape and relax again, creating a wave-like movement.
How does the small intestine work?
Your small intestine alone is 5-6 metres long, which makes it the largest part of the gastrointestinal tract. Its main job is to break down the food pulp arriving from the stomach even further and, with the help of digestive enzymes, absorb the nutrients. This happens across the gut surface: this mucous membrane, which lines the intestinal wall, has numerous folds and also about 4 million protrusions, the so-called intestinal villi. On them are tiny projections called microvilli.
The folds, villi and microvilli hugely increase the surface inside the gut. Can you imagine that it covers an area of about 400 - 500 sq m? This allows as many nutrients as possible to be absorbed at the same time. From here they enter the blood and, via the lymph, the liver, where they can be used, stored and converted.
Structure and function of the large intestine
Here the name says it all! The large intestine has a bigger capacity but is shorter than the small intestine (about 1.5 m long). Its main job is to draw water out of the intestinal contents to thicken them and, at the same time, coat them with mucus to make them slippery. On top of that, trillions of bacteria metabolise food components here, such as fibre from vegetables and wholegrains. It's estimated that there are about 400 different species of bacteria! In the course of metabolising your food, they are also responsible for the gases that form. In the last section, the rectum/anus, no more digestion takes place: as a collection point, everything builds up here until the next toilet is in sight.
What is a microbiome?
Unbelievable but true: over 30 trillion microorganisms live in the digestive tract! All the living inhabitants of your body together are called "gut flora" or, in scientific terms, the "intestinal microbiome". The microbiome begins at birth, when amniotic fluid is swallowed. We assume that about 2-3 kg of our body is made up of bacteria alone! Given this breathtaking number of different organisms and their effects on our metabolism and immune system, the microbiome can even be seen as an organ in its own right. The composition of the gut flora isn't static either, it changes constantly.
The so-called "core microbiome", the core of all microbes, is found in all people. Beyond that, our age, lifestyle and environment largely decide the composition of our gut flora. Diet plays the main role here! From a bloated belly ("meteorism"), wind ("flatulence"), constipation ("obstipation") and diarrhoea to diabetes, atherosclerosis and depression, all the way to neurological conditions such as Alzheimer's, researchers are looking for causes in the gut microbiome.
The fact is: a healthy microbiome is the basis of your wellbeing, and without an intestinal microbiome humans wouldn't survive!
Tips for smooth digestion
To make digestion easier for your body, move regularly and make sure you drink enough throughout the day. In the morning, a glass of lukewarm water or coffee on an empty stomach can get digestion going. A varied, plant-based diet with fibre-rich foods can support digestion. Meals high in sugar and fat tend to be counterproductive. You can also deliberately add pro- and prebiotics to your diet. Try to eat calmly and sitting down, chew for a long time and thoroughly, and avoid distractions where possible so you don't swallow air. Fasting is a good way to give your gut a break! Depending on its length, you can build it into your routine regularly. With our 5:2 intermittent fasting programme, for example, you fast on 2 days a week and give your digestive tract a breather.
We've only recently learned how important the health of our gut is for the whole body. Thanks to this still very young field of research, we're learning how to keep our gut flora healthy and what connections there are between the microbiome and physical as well as mental complaints. That's why we're dedicating this blog post entirely to the digestive organ: we explain the structure of the gut, how nutrients from our daily food are absorbed, and what exactly is meant by the term "microbiome".
Which organs are important for our digestion?
The gastrointestinal tract, with a total length of about 8 metres, is divided into three parts. The mouth and oesophagus form the upper part, the stomach and small intestine sit in the middle, and the third section includes the large intestine and rectum. If we look only at our gut, it is divided into the small intestine, large intestine and rectum.
Other important organs outside the gastrointestinal tract that also contribute to our digestion are the liver, pancreas and gallbladder. The liver, as the central metabolic organ, stores nutrients and converts them when needed. The gallbladder, an essential organ for digesting fats, releases bile acid, whereas the pancreas provides digestive enzymes for breaking down carbohydrates, fats and proteins.
Now you're surely wondering how your vegetable stir-fry knows where in the gastrointestinal tract it has to stay and for how long? It's the so-called peristalsis that moves the food we've eaten through the digestive tract. The intestinal muscles contract in a ring shape and relax again, creating a wave-like movement.
How does the small intestine work?
Your small intestine alone is 5-6 metres long and therefore takes up the largest part of the gastrointestinal tract. Its main job is to break down the food pulp arriving from the stomach even further and, with the help of digestive enzymes, absorb the nutrients. This happens via the surface of the gut: this mucous membrane, which lines the intestinal wall, has numerous folds and also about 4 million protrusions, the so-called villi. On these there are in turn tiny projections called microvilli.
The folds, villi and microvilli greatly enlarge the surface inside the gut. Can you imagine that it covers an area of about 400-500 sq m? That's how as many nutrients as possible can be absorbed at the same time. From here they pass into the blood and, via the lymph, into the liver, where they can be used, stored and converted.
Structure and function of the large intestine
Here the name says it all! The large intestine has a bigger capacity but is shorter than the small intestine (about 1.5 m long). Its main job is to draw water out of the gut contents to thicken them, and at the same time to coat them with mucus to make them slippery. On top of that, trillions of bacteria metabolise food components here, such as fibre from vegetables and wholegrain. It's estimated that there are about 400 different species of bacteria! In the course of metabolising your food, they are also responsible for the gases that arise. In the last section, the rectum, no more digestion takes place: as a collection point, everything backs up here until the next toilet is in sight.
What is a microbiome?
Unbelievable but true: over 30 trillion microorganisms live in the digestive tract! All the living inhabitants of your body together are called "gut flora" or, in scientific terms, the "intestinal microbiome". The microbiome is established at birth, when amniotic fluid is swallowed. We assume that about 2-3 kg of our body is made up of bacteria alone! Because of this breathtaking number of different organisms and their effects on our metabolism and immune system, the microbiome can even be seen as an organ in its own right. The composition of the gut flora is not static, either, but changes constantly.
The so-called "core microbiome", the core of all microbes, is found in all people. Beyond that, our age, as well as our lifestyle and environment, largely decide the composition of our gut flora. Diet plays the main role here! From a bloated tummy ("meteorism"), wind ("flatulence"), constipation ("obstipation") and diarrhoea ("diarrhoea") to diabetes, atherosclerosis and depression, all the way to neurological conditions like Alzheimer's, researchers are looking for possible causes in the gut microbiome.
Fact is: a healthy microbiome is the basis of your wellbeing, and without an intestinal microbiome humans would not survive!
Tips for smooth digestion
To make digestion easier for your body, move regularly and make sure to drink enough spread throughout the day. In the morning, a glass of lukewarm water or coffee on an empty stomach gets digestion going. A varied, plant-based diet with fibre-rich foods can support digestion. Dishes high in sugar and fat are rather counterproductive. You can also deliberately add pro- and prebiotics to your diet. Try to eat calmly and seated, chew long and thoroughly, and avoid distractions where possible, to avoid swallowing air. Fasting is a good way to give your gut a break! Depending on its length, you can work it into your everyday life regularly. With our 5:2 intermittent fasting programme, for example, you fast 2 days a week in the form of a juice cleanse and so give your digestive tract a breather.
