Then the sandwich is served and you take your first bite and drink your milk. As soon as food enters the mouth, several vital enzymes are released by the salivary glands into saliva which will start the digestion of the food even before it enters the stomach. An enzyme called ptyalin starts the preliminary work of digestion by attacking immediately the carbohydrates of the bread and breaks them down into maltose, the predigested form of starch, or energy-producing sugar.<неиAfter it is chewed, the food is swallowed with the help of saliva and enters the stomach. There it is met by various new enzymes which stomach glands were pouring out in anticipation of the food.<неиEnzyme rennin takes care of the milk, causing it to coagulate and changing milk protein, casein, into amino acids, a form that your body can use. Rennin also breaks down the minerals of milk and cheese and makes them available for assimilation by the system. These minerals—calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, etc.— are then transported by the blood stream to become a part of your bones, your teeth, your nerves, and so forth.<неиTwo other enzymes, pepsin and lipase, help to convert your milk and cheese in the stomach. Pepsin is a foremost digestive enzyme for protein. lipase works on the fat part of milk and cheese by splitting it into forms which the body uses to nourish its various cells and organs.<неиBut perhaps the most important enzyme in the stomach is hydrochloric acid. In addition to its enzymatic action on protein foods and the tough fibrous vegetable cells (in this case on the bran part of the wheat to release wheat proteins, minerals and vitamins), hydrochloric acid also has other vital functions to perform. By its strong acid nature it destroys bacteria in the stomach, thus acting as a defensive measure against disease-causing bacteria entering your stomach with foods. It also participates in the regulation of the vital acid-alkaline balance in the system. Another important job of hydrochloric acid is to liberate iron from the food and convert it to a form that the body can use.
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