Stomach bile is vital. There’s no way around it. We need it to digest and absorb our meals. But, it can also backfire on us. That’s why GERD (and mild acid reflux) is a thing. To understand why that happens, we must answer a question. How does bile work?
Bile contains a bunch of components. All of them play a role in aiding digestion. So, balance is key here. However, bile acid isn’t simple. Complications go beyond heartburn. For instance, malabsorption can also cause many issues.
So, what’s going on here?
Before understanding how does bile work, what is bile?
Essentially, bile is stomach acid. It helps us break down what we eat to absorb its nutrients. In reality, bile contains different components. It’s mostly cholesterol and water. It also contains bile and body salts, and bilirubin. Finally, It also has copper and different metals.
We store bile in the gallbladder. However, the liver is responsible for releasing that bile. As for its functions, it’s mainly digestion. Bile helps our digestive system by breaking down fats. By turning them into fatty acids, it’s easier to absorb them.
What are the functions of stomach bile?
We can generalize bile’s functions fairly easily. Technically, I just did it by saying it aids digestion. That said, bile has specific functions. We can break them down into five fundamental functions.
Firstly, we go back to digestion. Bile emulsifies fat so that our bodies can use it properly. That said, it also helps our body absorb fat itself and its soluble vitamins.
Nevertheless, bile creation also offers benefits right off the bat. Since it contains cholesterol, it also helps remove its excess. And, we can also include bilirubin excretion among these benefits.
Bile also offers an alkaline fluid in our duodenum. This helps us neutralize the acidic pH in our stomach.
Lastly, stomach bile is bactericidal. In other words, it kills bacteria from our foods. Plus, it helps maintain a healthy gut biome.
How does bile work?
Now, we know what bile does and why it’s important. But, that doesn’t answer the first question: How does bile work? Well, let’s answer that right now. Let us apply the previous concepts now.
We store bile in our gallbladders for when we eat fatty foods. After ingesting fatty foods, our gallbladder releases bile. It flows into the duodenum, where the food is. There, it mixes with food and other fluids. This process lets the intestines absorb the meal’s nutrients.
Once the ends, we recycle the stomach bile. The lower intestine absorbs most bile acids and sends them to the bloodstream. From there, they go back to the liver.
What happens if you lack bile?
Bile malabsorption can cause a deficiency of bile acid. I’ll cover the condition in another article. For now, let’s focus on bile deficiency and its effects.
Remember when I said our bodies recycle bile? Well, that might not happen. Bile acid can also come out when we go to the bathroom. A small amount is normal. Yet, we might poop out too much bile.
In those cases, we may lack enough bile acid.
If that happens, malnutrition becomes a possibility. We won’t absorb fats and fat-soluble vitamins efficiently. In turn, this can weaken our bones, vision, and other functions. Of course, the effects depend on the vitamins we’re lacking.
The holistic takeaway
So, how does bile work? We secrete it when we eat fatty foods. Then, it helps us break down these meals and nutrients. Therefore, it’s a crucial part of our digestive system. And, its deficiency can cause malnutrition.
That’s why you want to keep your bile levels healthy. Consequentially, it’s also why I recommend Acidaburn. This weight loss supplement focuses on nurturing digestive health. That includes stomach bile and gut microbes. So, make sure you look at it!
0 Comments