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Author:
Steven Hawkins

It is through the digestive system the body is able to make use of the vitamins, minerals and other nutrients that are consumed. The digestive system breaks down the material until it is in a form that can of use on the cellular level. There are several vitamins and minerals that directly affect the quality and efficiency of the process of digestion. Making sure to achieve the standard recommended daily intake levels of these nutrients will help to ensure that your body is able to make the best use of the foods consumed.

The digestive process begins in the mouth, with the saliva and the teeth. Healthy teeth are essential to proper chewing, which breaks the food down so that it can pass through the esophagus, but also puts it into a form in which the enzymes can start their work. Calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, Vitamin D and Vitamin C are essential to the health of the teeth, as their very structure depends on these vitamins and minerals. Calcium and phosphorus are the primary building blocks of the teeth, with Vitamin D serving to enhance calcium absorption by the body and magnesium and Vitamin C being necessary to the processes by which those substances come together to form the structure of the teeth.

As with all of the important body functions and systems, the powerful vitamins that form the Vitamin B complex have a significant role in the digestive system. Thiamin, or Vitamin B1, serves to help the body have a good appetite, and also keeps the nerves in good working order. Nerves, the communicators of the body, are important to the process of digestion, as much of it is the result of involuntary movements that are regulated in part by the nervous system. Niacin, or B3, is necessary for the health of the digestive tract, serving, in addition to the general health and functioning of the digestive tract, to keep its surfaces healthy. Niacin also helps to keep the tongue in good health, able to perform its role in the digestive process efficiently. Vitamin B9, also called by the names folate, folic acid and folacin, is also important to the maintenance of the gastrointestinal tract. The bacteria in the digestive tract help to produce Vitamin K, essential to the blood’s ability to clot.

There are many minerals that serve as cofactors to the enzymes that break down food, meaning that without those minerals the enzymes would be incomplete and digestion poor. Manganese is just one of the minerals that serves this purpose, not only serving as a cofactor in the enzyme processes that break down food, but also in those that allow the body to utilize it. Chromium is a mineral that helps to regulate appetite, important for food intake.

There are many digestive disruptions that can be traced back to poor nutrition. Meeting the standard recommended daily intake levels of the vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients that your body needs is a good way to avoid inefficient and incomplete digestion. Nutritional supplements can offer a safe and effective means of meeting your dietary needs and health goals.

Steven Hawkins, author and writer from the Essential Oil University. Find more information about Natural Health Medicine and Vitamins on the Natural Health Center website.

| Article Keywords: Nutrient Basics

A Quick Note From The Publisher... If you like the article above, you may be interested in the following article which is also related to Nutrient Basics... The Health Benefits of Vitamin B and B-12 Vitamin B-12 is a water soluble vitamin which helps maintain healthy nerves cells and red blood cells. It functions as a methyl donor and works with folic acid in the synthesis of DNA and red blood cells and is vitally important in maintaining the health of the insulation sheath that surrounds nerve cells. Vitamin B-12 is also called Cobalamin as it contains the metal cobalt. During digestion hydrochloric acid in our stomach releases B-12 from proteins in foods. This vitamin B12 then combines with a substance called gastric intrinsic factor (IF). This complex can then be absorbed by the intestinal tract. Deficiency: Though Vitamin B-12 is water-soluble it does not get excreted quickly in the urine, but rather accumulates and gets stored in the liver, kidney and other body tissues. Thus its deficiency may not manifest itself until after 5 or 6 years of a diet supplying inadequate amounts. The most common vitamin B-12 deficiency disease is pernicious anemia characterized by large, immature red blood cells. You may suffer from underlying stomach or intestinal disorder that limits the absorption of vitamin B-12.It is seen that many patients exhibiting symptoms of Alzheimer's actually suffer from Vitamin B-12 deficiency. Deficiency of vitamin B12 has also been associated with. Common signs and symptoms associated with Vitamin B-12 deficiency include: • Anemia, fatigue, weakness, constipation, loss of appetite, and weight loss • Neurological problems such as numbness and tingling in the hands and feet • Difficulty in maintaining balance • Depression, confusion, dementia, poor memory • Soreness of the mouth or tongue • Asthma, AIDS, multiple sclerosis, tinnitus, diabetic neuropathy and low sperm counts • In infants it will lead to movement disorders, delayed...