Digestion means the chemical processes applied to extract nutrients from food - HCl (stomach acid) is part of this process. This process includes things that require bacteria, and those that don't. So if you killed all the bacteria in your small intestine, food would still be digested and some energy and nutrients would still be absorbed, but humans of course require bacteria to do some of the digestive work for proper nutrition and energy absorption. Most of the digestion in the stomach occurs due to the HCl and not the relatively few bacteria that live in there. Whereas the digestion that happens in the small intestine is done with enzymes and bacteria.
Alcohol for instance is absorbed through the stomach, and is the only food or nutrient substance I know of that doesn't make it to the small intestine at all. If you eat a food that contains alcohol (e.g. yeast) the food will be digested and alcohol will be extracted and put into your blood for energy without any problem without bacteria. The stomach acid kills the yeast. Your liver will then convert the ethanol molecule into glucose that your other cells can use.
Alcohol for instance is absorbed through the stomach, and is the only food or nutrient substance I know of that doesn't make it to the small intestine at all. If you eat a food that contains alcohol (e.g. yeast) the food will be digested and alcohol will be extracted and put into your blood for energy without any problem without bacteria. The stomach acid kills the yeast. Your liver will then convert the ethanol molecule into glucose that your other cells can use.
For Religion & Health see:[/b][/size] Williams & Sternthal. (2007). Spirituality, religion and health: Evidence and research directions. Med. J. Aust., 186(10), S47-S50. -LINK
The WIN/Gallup End of Year Survey 2013 found the US was perceived to be the greatest threat to world peace by a huge margin, with 24% of respondents fearful of the US followed by: 8% for Pakistan, and 6% for China. This was followed by 5% each for: Afghanistan, Iran, Israel, North Korea. -LINK
"That's disgusting. There were clean athletes out there that have had their whole careers ruined by people like Lance Armstrong who just bended thoughts to fit their circumstances. He didn't look up cheating because he wanted to stop, he wanted to justify what he was doing and to keep that continuing on." - Nicole Cooke
The WIN/Gallup End of Year Survey 2013 found the US was perceived to be the greatest threat to world peace by a huge margin, with 24% of respondents fearful of the US followed by: 8% for Pakistan, and 6% for China. This was followed by 5% each for: Afghanistan, Iran, Israel, North Korea. -LINK
"That's disgusting. There were clean athletes out there that have had their whole careers ruined by people like Lance Armstrong who just bended thoughts to fit their circumstances. He didn't look up cheating because he wanted to stop, he wanted to justify what he was doing and to keep that continuing on." - Nicole Cooke
