DIGESTIVE DISORDERS some form of digestive disorder affects more than 100 million people in America constipation-abdominal-pain For some people, digestive disorders are a source of irritation and discomfort that may cause them to drastically limit their life styles and frequently miss work constipation-abdominal-pain For others, the disorders may be extremely crippling crippling and even fatal constipation-abdominal-pain The Gastrointestinal Tract The gastrointestinal tract (GIT) is a long muscular tube that functions as the food processor for the human body constipation-abdominal-pain The digestive system includes the following organs: mouth and salivary glands, stomach, small and large intestines, colon, liver and pancreas, and the gall gall bladder constipation-abdominal-pain Irritations or inflammation of the various sections of the GIT are identified as gastritis (stomach) , colitis (colon) , ileitis (ileum or small intestines) , hepatitis (liver) , and cholecystitis (gall bladder) constipation-abdominal-pain The GIT is not a passive system constipation-abdominal-pain Rather it has the capability to to sense and react to the materials that are passed through it constipation-abdominal-pain For a healthy digestive system, every person requires different food selections that match their GIT capacity constipation-abdominal-pain The Digestive Process The GIT breaks down foods by first using mechanical means such as chewing and then by the application application of a host of complex chemical processes constipation-abdominal-pain These chemical processes include everything from saliva to colon microbes constipation-abdominal-pain Since the GIT is the point of entry for the human body, everything eaten has an impact on the body constipation-abdominal-pain The food eaten and passed through the GIT contains nutrients nutrients as well as toxins constipation-abdominal-pain Toxins can be anything from food additives and pesticides to specific foods that induce a reactive response by the GIT constipation-abdominal-pain The process of digestion is accomplished via the surface of the GIT using secretions from accessory glands constipation-abdominal-pain The two glands providing the majority majority of digestive chemicals utilized by the GIT are the liver and the pancreas constipation-abdominal-pain The function of the liver is to control the food supply for the rest of the body by further processing of the food molecules absorbed through the intestines constipation-abdominal-pain This is done by dispensing those food food molecules in a controlled manner and by filtering out toxins that may have passed through the GIT wall constipation-abdominal-pain Another very important function of the GIT is as a sensory organ constipation-abdominal-pain By rejecting foods through objectionable taste, vomiting, and diarrhea or any combination of these symptoms, the sensing capacity capacity of the GIT can protect the body constipation-abdominal-pain The surface of the GIT has a complex system of nerves and other cells of the immune system constipation-abdominal-pain The surface of the GIT, or mucosa, is part of a complex sensing system called the MALT (mucosa associated lymphatic tissue) constipation-abdominal-pain The immune sensors in MALT trigger responses such as nausea, vomiting, pain, and swelling constipation-abdominal-pain Vomiting and diarrhea are abrupt defensive responses to MALT-sensing foods with a strong allergic or toxic component constipation-abdominal-pain This kind of food intolerance is responsible for many digestive problems constipation-abdominal-pain The GIT is hard-wired to | 