If this system is not functioning properly, even the best nutrients do us little or no good. The Digestive Process There are three major types of foodstuffs that must be broken down for complete digestion. These are carbohydrates, proteins and fats. Carbohydrate digestion is completed by starch, and sugar- digesting enzymes from the pancreas and small intestine. All carbohydrates are broken down into simple sugars.
Proteins break into smaller fragments, influenced by hydrochloric acid and pepsin in the stomach.
Then they break further into free amino acids in the intestines by enzymes from the pancreas and intestinal wall. Fat digestion isn't complete until it reaches the small intestine. About 90 percent of absorption takes place in the small intestine. There are many ways we can abuse and weaken our digestive organs. Overeating, constant snacking and diluting our digestive secretions with liquids can all place undue stress on our digestive organs.