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Nutrition & Dietetics vocabulary · Digestion and Metabolism

Digestion

Meaning in nutrition & dietetics, with examples

/daɪˈdʒestʃən/nounCore term

In nutrition & dietetics, digestion means: The process in which the mouth, stomach and intestines break food down into small molecules that can be absorbed into the blood and used by the body.

In Turkish: sindirim

How it is used

Used in physiology lessons and in client sessions. The verb is 'digest' and the adjective 'digestive', as in digestive system, digestive enzymes and digestive problems. Clients may complain of 'poor digestion' or 'indigestion', which means discomfort after eating.

Example sentences

  1. Digestion of starch begins in the mouth, where saliva contains the enzyme amylase.

  2. Large, late meals can make digestion uncomfortable for some people.

Common collocations

  • digestive system
  • aid digestion
  • poor digestion
  • digestive enzymes
  • absorptionThe process by which digested nutrients pass from the intestine, mainly the small intestine, into the blood or lymph so the body can use them.
  • break downTo change a substance into smaller, simpler parts through chemical processes, as when enzymes turn proteins into amino acids and starch into sugars.
  • gut microbiotaThe trillions of bacteria and other microorganisms that live in the digestive tract, mainly the large intestine, and help digest fiber, make some vitamins and support immunity.
  • metabolismAll the chemical processes in the body that turn food into energy and into the materials cells need, and that break down and remove waste.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Digestion and Metabolism

Practise with graded reading

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.