Question

1. Explain why, after a period of semistarvation, normal amounts of food can be difficult to digest and absorb.

2. Describe the dietary and lifestyle practices that may help prevent or treat the following gastrointestinal problems: gastroesophageal reflux disease, gallstones, constipation, and diarrhea.

3. Differentiate irritable bowel syndrome from inflammatory bowel disease. Which of these conditions is generally regarded as most serious and why?

Answer 1

1)One relatively early effect of calorie deprivation is the reduction in size and complexity of the lining of the digestive tract. Ordinarily it is lined with villi, tiny threads of cells that produce digestive enzymes. These form a thick carpet with an enormous surface area for digesting and absorbing nutrients. Villi are especially sensitive to food deprivation. Without food, they atrophy and stop producing digestive enzymes. This reduces the surface area of the entire length of the digestive tract, making it increasingly difficult to absorb food molecules. Starving people cannot digest or absorb food very well. If they eat beyond the absorptive capacity of the intestine, unabsorbed molecules pass into the large intestine, where bacteria ferment them, producing gas and diarrhea. Refeeding must take place slowly and gradually until the intestinal tract is fully functional

2)