Digestion of Starch and Lactose Intolerance Flashcards
(17 cards)
Starch compounds are…
Big and complex.
When you chew something high in Starch, what happens in the cells of your mouth?
They secrete more saliva.
What is the job of the Saliva?
To pull apart all of the sugars, so you swallow simple carbohydrate sugar molecules rather than complex starch compounds.
What happens when the simple sugars reach your stomach?
Specialized cells secrete more digestive substances that combine with all broken-down food particles. Everything gets mixed together into a partially digested substance called chyme, which gets pushed to your small intestine for further digestion.
How are sugar molecules digested?
They get blended into the chyme mixture and head toward your small intestine. Digestive enzymes in the small intestine convert sugars into glucose.
What happens to the glucose molecules after this?
The glucose molecules get absorbed through intestinal walls, with the help of tiny intestinal “fingers” called villi.
What happens to the glucose after its been absorbed into the small intestine?
It immediately enters your bloodstream.
Once released into the bloodstream, what is released by the pancreas?
Insulin.
What does Insulin do?
It opens up cell walls so that Glucose can get inside.
If Glucose is stored, what is it made into?
Glycogen.
What is Starch?
Starch is the storage form of glucose inside plant matter. It is a polysaccharide, a molecule composed of many simple sugar molecules, called monosaccharaides, linked together
What are the three absorbable forms of nutrients that starch can provide
Glucose, fructose and galactose.
What happens to the carbohydrates that weren’t absorb in the small intestine?
When they reach the colon where they are partly broken down by intestinal bacteria. Fibre, which cannot be digested like other carbohydrates, is excreted with faeces or partly digested by the intestinal bacteria.
What are the symptoms of Lactose Intolerance?
Symptoms of lactose intolerance include:
flatulence (wind), diarrhoea, bloated stomach and stomach cramps .
What is Lactose Intolerance?
Lactose intolerance is a common digestive problem where the body is unable to digest lactose, a type of sugar mainly found in milk and dairy products.
What causes Lactose Intolerance?
Lactase breaks down lactose into Glucose and Galactose. Lactose Intolerance is caused when not enough Lactase is produced so lactose stays in digestive system and isn’t broken down.
How do you treat Lactose Intolerance?
Limit your intake of food containing lactose. You may also require additional calcium and Vitamin D.
