Hello, catty79-ga!
The following website provides an excellent overview of the digestive
process and the various organs and secretions involved in proper
digestion.
"Pancreas and Biliary Tree." MUSChealth.com.
http://www.muschealth.com/ddc/organ/panc.htm
Excerpts:
Where Does Bile Come From?
--------------------------
"The biliary juices (bile) are made in the tissues of the liver
(hepatic parenchyma), and then pass into the biliary ductal system
(picture). Like a river, these ducts gradually join together to form
one stream in the main bile duct, which exits (along with the
pancreatic duct) into the duodenum at the "papilla of Vater".
What is Bile?
-------------
"The bile ducts function as a drainage system for the liver. Bile is a
bitter dark fluid, composed of bile acids, bile pigments, bilirubin,
cholesterol and other fats, water and electrolytes. Some of these
constituents are useful for digestion, others are simply waste
products (e.g. cholesterol).
How does lack of Bile effect digestion?
----------------------------------------
"Lack of bile also interferes with digestion (particularly of fats)
and can also result in steatorrhea (excessive fat in the stools). Lack
of bile in the duodenum is usually due to blockage of the main bile
duct, or papilla. The liver continues to produce bile, which then
spills backwards into the blood stream. Eventually this causes yellow
discoloration of the body (jaundice), first noticeable in the whites
of the eyes. If bile does not enter the duodenum, bowel movements lose
their usual color, and look like putty. When the bile ducts are
blocked, retention of bile salts in the blood can result also in
considerable itching (pruritus). Blockage of the bile ducts or
pancreatic ducts can cause pain due to overdistention.
======
In illnesses where bile is reduced or blocked, such as in Alagille's
Syndrome and Biliary Atresia, the digestion and absorption of fat is
compromised and inability to gain weight becomes a serious issue.
See "What is Alagille's Syndrome? Liver.kids.org
http://www.liverkids.org.au/alagille.htm
See "What is Biliary Atresia?" GiveLife.org
http://www.givelife.org.nz/page.cfm?s=2424,2427,2471,100003650
===
Faulty fat absorption due to a lack of bile can also lead to dangerous
malabsorption of vitamins and minerals that are necessary for proper
health. Calcium, Vitamin K, A, E, and D are some of the nutrients that
are affected by bile disruption. Hemorrhagic, urinary and lymphatic
problems can occur as a result.
"Since the presence of bile in the intestines is essential for the
absorption of fats, calcium and Vitamin K, gallstones can lead to
life-threatening diseases, such as heart disease, osteoporosis and
cancer. The liver uses the fat-soluble Vitamin K to produce the
compounds responsible for the clotting of blood. In case of poor
Vitamin K absorption, hemorrhagic disease may result. This vitamin
cannot be adequately absorbed, if there is any problem with fat
digestion, due to lack of bile, pancreatic lipase, and a certain
amount of pancreatic fat. For the latter reason, following a low-fat
diet can endanger one's life. Calcium is essential for the hardening
of bone and teeth, the coagulation of blood and the mechanism of
muscle contraction. What applies to Vitamin K also applies to all
other fat-soluble vitamins, including Vitamin A, E and D. Vitamin A
and carotene are also only absorbed sufficiently from the small
intestine if fat absorption is normal. If Vitamin A absorption is
inefficient, the epithelial cells become damaged. These cells form an
essential part of all the organs, blood vessels, lymph vessels, etc.
in the body. Vitamin A is also necessary to maintain healthy eyes and
protect against or reduce microbial infection. Vitamin D is essential
for calcification of bones and teeth. It may be noted at this point
that supplementing these vitamins does not resolve the problem of
deficiency. To sum up, without normal bile secretions, these vitamins
are not digested and absorbed properly, and therefore, can cause
considerable damage to the lymphatic and urinary systems."
Read "Intestinal Diseases."
http://www.ener-chi.com/d_intest.htm
===
I hope this information helps to answer your question!
umiat
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