The process of Digesting Carbohydrates begins in the mouth. Our saliva contains an enzyme called amylase that starts breaking down the more complex carbs into simpler types. Enzyme activity continues in the stomach, but slows down significantly as digestive acids are released into the stomach by the glands.
Another version of amylase is secreted by the pancreas into the duodenum (first section of small intestine). This cuts down carbohydrates into simple sugars – maltose, lactose and sucrose. As the carbohydrate passes further into the intestine, the enzymes chop maltose lactose and sucrose into smaller bits,to be more easily absorbed, which are eventually converted to glucose and absorbed through the intestinal walls into the bloodstream.
How We “Digest Carbohydrates”
After carbohydrates are broken down into glucose, in the duodenum and jejunum of the small intestine, the glucose is absorbed into the bloodstream and taken to the liver, where it is stored or distributed to cells throughout the body for energy. In this way, the liver regulates levels to provide sufficient energy for the body.
How are carbohydrates broken down into glucose?
For example, excess glucose (a cause of hyperglycemia) is converted in the liver to glycogen (glycogenolysis) in response to the hormone insulin, and stored. Likewise, if blood sugar levels fall, (eg. between meals), the glycogen is re-converted to glucose (glycogenolysis) in response to messages conveyed by the hormone glucagon, to prevent hypoglycemia. If glycogen levels are exhausted, glucagon can trigger the formation of glucose from some amino acids (protein) or glycerol (fats) – a process called gluconeogenesis.
In simple terms, the digestive system from the mouth to the small intestine (carbohydrates digested in digestive system) is designed to break down disaccharides and polysaccharides into monosaccharides.
This metabolism of carbohydrates is achieved through the secretion of a number of digestive enzymes into the gastrointestinal tract “intestinal digestion” (especially in the duodenum) where they attack carbohydrates and gradually convert them into simple sugars like glucose so they can be absorbed into the blood.
Digestive enzymes are involved in digesting carbohydrates
Digestive enzymes are like biological scissors – they chop long starch molecules into simpler ones. Sometimes our bodies require the help of “digestive aids”
What Determines Speed of “Digesting Carbohydrates”?
Generally speaking, the speed of carbohydrate digestion is determined by the chemical nature of the carbohydrate itself, and thus how “resistant” it is to the activity of the enzymes.
A simple sugar is much less resistant than a starch, and is digested or metabolized much faster. Poor digestion, things that slow down carbohydrate digestion include: the presence of acid (from gastric juices or the food itself), and the presence of soluble fiber.
Carbohydrates are a class of natural organic substances that includes sugars, starch and cellulose (indigestible plant fiber).
The digestion of a particular carbohydrate in the gastrointestinal tract depends upon the complexity of the carbs molecular structure – the more complex carbohydrates makes the digestive system must work harder to break it down in order to absorb it into the bloodstream.
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