What are the Stages of Carbohydrate Digestion? Mouth Carbohydrate digestion begins in the mouth.

The salivary glands in the mouth secrete saliva, which helps to moisten the food.

The teeth are what chew your food, also known as mastication. They cut, tear and grind the food in the mouth, allowing it to be mixed with saliva effectively. This increases the surface area of the food in the mouth, allowing digestive juices greater access to the food.

As the food is chewed the salivary glands release the enzyme Salivary Amylase. Salivary Amylase begins the process of chemically breaking down the polysaccharide starch into maltose and the teeth physically breaks apart the indigestible fibre, cellulose.

Stomach After the carbohydrate food is chewed into smaller pieces and mixed with salivary amylase and other salivary juices, it is swallowed and passed through the esophagus.

The mixture enters the stomach where it is known as chyme.

There is no further digestion of chyme, as the stomach produces acid which destroys bacteria in the food and stops the action of the salivary amylase.

Pancreas and Small Intestine After being in the stomach, the chyme enters the beginning portion of the small intestine, or the duodenum.

In response to chyme being in the duodenum, the pancreas releases the enzyme Pancreatic Amylase, which breaks the polysaccharide down into disaccharides.

The small intestine then produces enzymes called Maltase, Sucrase, and Lactase which break down the disaccharides maltose, sucrose and lactose into the monosaccharides glucose, fructose and galactose.

The monosaccharides glucose, fructose and galactose are then absorbed in the small intestine by passing through the walls of the intestinal villi and into the capillaries.

A discussion of homeostasis, glucose and insulin. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-aRut2kyksQ

Large Intestine (Colon) Carbohydrates that were not digested and absorbed by the small intestine reach the colon where they are partly broken down by intestinal bacteria such as e.coli.

Fiber, which is an indigestible carbohydrate, is excreted with feces. Insoluble fiber is the other main type of dietary fiber that is indigestible. Insoluble fiber does not dissolve in water, but absorbs or attracts water, which causes it to “bulk up” within the large intestine. Consequently, insoluble fiber has a cleansing effect on the large intestine and promotes intestinal motility and bowel movements, according to “Advanced Nutrition and Human Metabolism.” Insoluble fiber is commonly recommended to combat constipation

What is diverticulitis? Diverticulosis happens when pouches (diverticula ) form in the wall of the colon . If these pouches get inflamed or infected, it is called diverticulitis. Diverticulitis can be very painful. What causes diverticulitis? Doctors aren't sure what causes diverticula in the colon (diverticulosis). But they think that a low-fiber diet may play a role. Without fiber to add bulk to the stool, the colon has to work harder than normal to push the stool forward. The pressure from this may cause pouches to form in weak spots along the colon. Colon polyps are common intestinal growths. Though a majority of colon polyps are benign, many can become cancerous over time. Risk factors include age, family history of colorectal cancer, race, and more. 

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