DIGESTIVE DISORDERS some form of digestive disorder affects more than 100 million people in America intolerance-allergy 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 intolerance-allergy For others, the disorders may be extremely crippling crippling and even fatal intolerance-allergy The Gastrointestinal Tract The gastrointestinal tract (GIT) is a long muscular tube that functions as the food processor for the human body intolerance-allergy 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 intolerance-allergy 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) intolerance-allergy The GIT is not a passive system intolerance-allergy Rather it has the capability to to sense and react to the materials that are passed through it intolerance-allergy For a healthy digestive system, every person requires different food selections that match their GIT capacity intolerance-allergy 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 intolerance-allergy These chemical processes include everything from saliva to colon microbes intolerance-allergy Since the GIT is the point of entry for the human body, everything eaten has an impact on the body intolerance-allergy The food eaten and passed through the GIT contains nutrients nutrients as well as toxins intolerance-allergy Toxins can be anything from food additives and pesticides to specific foods that induce a reactive response by the GIT intolerance-allergy The process of digestion is accomplished via the surface of the GIT using secretions from accessory glands intolerance-allergy The two glands providing the majority majority of digestive chemicals utilized by the GIT are the liver and the pancreas intolerance-allergy 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 intolerance-allergy 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 intolerance-allergy Another very important function of the GIT is as a sensory organ intolerance-allergy 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 intolerance-allergy The surface of the GIT has a complex system of nerves and other cells of the immune system intolerance-allergy The surface of the GIT, or mucosa, is part of a complex sensing system called the MALT (mucosa associated lymphatic tissue) intolerance-allergy The immune sensors in MALT trigger responses such as nausea, vomiting, pain, and swelling intolerance-allergy Vomiting and diarrhea are abrupt defensive responses to MALT-sensing foods with a strong allergic or toxic component intolerance-allergy This kind of food intolerance is responsible for many digestive problems intolerance-allergy The GIT is hard-wired to | 