Carbohydrates, Proteins and Fats

Carbohydrates, Proteins and Fats

Whole wheat pasta with olive oil and parmesan cheese consists of proteins, carbohydrates and fats.  Carbohydrates, proteins and fats, are digested differently in the digestive system. The digestion of proteins starts in the stomach, but not the mouth. The hydrochloric acid and pepsin enzyme aid in the digestion of proteins. Proteinase and proteases breaks down the protein molecules into amino acids and constituents. Trypsin and chymotrypsin break down the protein molecules into constituents and amino acids through hydrolysis.  The amino acids produced are absorbed into the absorbed through the capillary walls.


On the other hand, the digestion of carbohydrates starts in the mouth (Premkumar, 2004). The amylase enzyme in the saliva starts to breakdown the complex carbons to simpler types. The enzymes break down carbohydrates into two sugars or disaccharides and three sugars (trisaccharides). The enzymes function well in alkaline Ph.  The enzymes continue to function well even after the food reaches the stomach so long as the pH is sufficient.  Stomach acid inactive the salivary enzymes after 1 to 2 hours. The digestion of carbohydrates continues in the stomach as enzymes digest the carbohydrates. The activity of the enzymes slows down considerably as glands release digestive acids.  The acid conditions in the stomach prevent carbohydrates digestion. Pancreatic amylase digests starch in the small intestine.  The enzyme breaks the two sugars and three sugars into simple sugars. Maltose is converted into glucose by maltase. Other products of carbohydrates digestion include fructose and galactose produced after digestion of lactose and sucrose by lactase and Sucrase. The glucose, fructose and galactose, are absorbed into the blood.   The absorption of the   monosaccharide is facilitated by diffusion and active transport.  The monosaccharides enter the intestinal epithelium and secreted into the intestinal fluid and enter the capillaries. The monosaccharides are moved to the liver via the portal system.  The liver processes the monosaccharide further and releases them into the blood (Premkumar, 2004).


The digestion of fats is similar to the digestion of proteins.  In most cases, fat is consumed as triglycerides. Triglycerides are 3 molecules of fatty acids attached to glycerol molecule.  Lips should be broken into fatty acids and monoglycyrides in order to be absorbed. The breakdown of fats starts in the mouth. The enzymes in the saliva digest lipids. Fats are separated from other food components during chewing in the mouth. The fats combine with lipase in the pancreas and digestion continues until they reach small intestines.  The bile salt found in the bile juice plays an essential role in the digestion of fats. The bile salts breakdown lipids into fatty acids, mono and diglyerides and other kinds of glycerol in the small intestine.  The bile salts convert the big droplets into small droplets and this makes it easy for lipase to digest.  The bile salts inside the small intestines emulsify fats and the lipase digests the fat.  The fatty acid and monoglycerides combine with the bile salts and form micelles.   The lips diffuse across the membrane of the intestinal cells after micelles meet the intestinal epithelium.   The intestinal cells change the monioglycerides and fatty acids into Triglycerides in the cytoplasm.  The triglycerides are released into the intestinal tissue after being coated with protein. The participles produced are absorbed into the lymphatic vessels (Premkumar, 2004).


All women who have reached child bearing age experience menstrual cycle.  However, there are two different, but related cycles involved in the menstruation cycle. That is the uterine cycle and ovarian cycle. The ovarian cycle is closely coordinated with the uterine cycle. The ovarian cycle consists of 2 phases. That is follicular phase and luteal phase. The uterine cycle entails changes found in the uterine lining.  The changes result from estrogen and progesterone hormones. Uterine cycle consists of 4 phases. That is menstrual, secretory, ischemic and proliferative (Klossner, 2006).


The follicular phase starts from day 1 to day 14. The follicular stage and proliferative phase are interconnected.  During the follicular stage, a follicle starts developing on one of the ovaries at the start of the menstruation cycle.  The increase in levels of follicle stimulating hormone leads to the development of the follicle. The follicle generates estrogen which causes the ovum found in the follicle to mature.  The follicle is filled with estrogen rich fluid as it matures and looks like a tiny blister on the ovary surface.  The pituitary gland increases the level of luteinizing hormone (LH) after noticing the high levels of estrogen from the mature follicle. The levels of estrogen increase during the proliferative stage and the endometrium starts to regenerate. The estrogen encourages the development of blood vessels that supply nutrients and oxygen to the lining of the uterus.  This in turn, stimulates the growth of the uterus and it becomes thicker.  The follicle bursts open after the LH levels increase. The ovum is released into the abdominal cavity after the follicle bursts. This is known as ovulation. Ovulation happens on day 14 in a 28 day cycle. The proliferative stage ends with ovulation on the 14th day (Klossner, 2006).


The luteal phase starts from day 14 to day 28(Klossner, 2006).  The menstrual stage and secretory stage of uterine cycle play a vital role in the luteal phase. The menstrual phase starts from day 1 of the menstruation cycle. The LH levels remain high during the luteal phase and lead to the formation of the corpus luteum. The high levels of LH lead to the formation of corpus luteum from the remains of the follicle. During the secretary stage, the corpus luteum starts to produce progesterone which makes the uterus ready for pregnancy. The high estrogen levels maintain the uterine lining. The corpus luteum degenerates if pregnancy does not occur. This leads to menstruation as the progesterone and estrogen levels reduce and this causes the uterine lining to shed. The menstruation phase stops after 5 days (Klossner, 2006). The estrogen and progesterone levels decrease. The follicle phase starts again after the corpus luteum degenerates. Also, the follicle starts developing again and producing estrogen.  Also, the ischemic stage is important in the luteal phase. In ischemic stage, the estrogen and progesterone levels reduce on the 27th and 28th day. The corpus luteum does not produce estrogen and progesterone, and this lowers their levels. This causes the uterine lining to become ischemic due to lack of progesterone and estrogen to maintain the blood vessels. The menstrual cycle starts again when the lining begins to slough. Therefore, the uterine cycle and ovarian cycle are crucial in the menstruation cycle, and they work together. The ovarian cycle cannot be complete without the uterine cycle.  Also, the menstruation cycle cannot be complete without the uterine and ovarian cycle (Klossner, 2006).


Reference

Klossner, N.J. (2006). Introductory Maternity Nursing. Lippincott Williams &Wilkins

Premkumar, K. (2004). The Massage Connection:Anatomy and Physiology. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins





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