Hope for the gut: new evidence suggests Western diet damage can be undone

The human body contains a monogastric digestive system. In a monogastric digestive system, the stomach only contains one chamber in which it digests food. Several other animal species also have monogastric digestive systems, including pigs, horses, dogs, and birds. This chapter, however, focuses on the human digestive system.

Various diagnostic tests are employed in the diagnostic process for Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), particularly to differentiate between Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.
Diagnostic studies
A colonoscopy is the definitive screening test, distinguishing ulcerative colitis from other colon diseases with similar symptoms. During a colonoscopy test, inflamed mucosa with exudate ulcerations can be observed, and biopsies are taken to determine the histologic characteristics of the...

Although digestion of proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids may begin in the stomach, it is completed in the intestine. The absorption of nutrients, water, and electrolytes from food and drink also occurs in the intestine. The intestines can be divided into two structurally distinct organs—the small and large intestines.
Small Intestines
The small intestine is an ~7 meter-long tube with an inner diameter of just 2.5 cm. Since most nutrients are absorbed here, the inner lining of the...

The gastrointestinal elimination process involves a complex interplay of neural and hormonal mechanisms that coordinate the final waste removal from the body. This intricate operation encompasses the absorption of water and electrolytes, vital for transforming the remaining indigestible food matter into feces. The large intestine is pivotal in water and electrolyte absorption, forming feces from unabsorbed minerals, undigested food, bacteria, bile pigments, and shed epithelial cells. Essential...

The gut microbiome is formed by a vast and diverse community of bacteria that colonizes our large intestine. These bacteria start residing in the gut from birth and continue diversifying throughout life, influenced by factors such as diet, lifestyle, and stress. The gut bacterial community also includes bacteria from food and those that enter the colon through the anus.
The normal gut flora of the colon plays a critical role in generating essential vitamins such as vitamins K, B5, and B7.

The intestinal phase of digestion is the third and final stage of the digestive process, occurring after the cephalic and gastric phases. It begins when chyme, a partially digested mixture of food and digestive enzymes, enters the small intestine from the stomach. This phase is crucial for nutrient absorption and involves complex hormonal and enzymatic interactions.
The arrival of the chyme in the small intestine distends the duodenum, which triggers the enterogastric reflex. This distension...