A person???s digestive system is comprised of a series of hollow organs that are all joined together forming a long tube. The organs included in a person???s digestive tract include the mouth, the esophagus, the stomach, the small intestine, the large intestine (including the colon), the rectum, and the anus. Digestion begins in the mouth via the production of tiny glands in the mucosa, and is completed in the small intestine.
A recent article posted on MSN.com’s health and fitness section listed ten foods that are tough for people to digest. A brief summary of the first four foods or beverages is listed below:
- Fried chicken nuggets: Foods dipped in batter and deep fried are tough to digest because these foods are greasy and high in fat. Having an inflammatory bowel condition can result in nausea and diarrhea upon ingestion and digestion.
- Spicy food: Foods containing cayenne pepper or jalapeno pepper can irritate the lining of the digestive tract???especially the esophagus, which may result in a person feeling ???heartburn.??? Though people may try and cool spices by adding something like sour cream, the body is still receiving the same amount of spices, and may still be irritated.
- Chocolate: Overeating chocolate can result in a valve in the digestive tract (esophageal sphincter valve) to relax. When this valve relaxes, it is possible for stomach acids to leak into the esophagus and result in a person feeling heartburn.
- Citrus juices: These beverages are acidic, and as such they irritate the lining of the esophagus. In addition, these beverages exacerbate the acids in the stomach if they are the first things to reach the stomach???say having glass of orange juice in the morning.