How Nutrients Are Transported Through The Body

Did you know that most food nutrients are actually absorbed into the blood stream through the small intestine? It’s the first step in getting nutrients and essential elements to the farthest corners of the body and into every cell. The bloodstream acts like a river and carries the nutrition and mineral molecules to the organs and throughout tissue where cells can use them to replicate and produce energy.

It’s a complex process that needs a lot of input in order to work properly. It must work efficiently and productively or else the body will run out of energy simply because the cells are not storing nutrient molecules. Most people know there are different types of nutrients known as protein, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals and each is transported by the bloodstream. But that’s where the similarity stops.

Different nutrients are broken down and absorbed in unique ways. For example, carbohydrates are first broken down by enzymes present in saliva whereas proteins are first broken down in the stomach and small intestine. Playing a vital role in all of this are elements such as essential amino acids and alpha lipoic acids.

Carbohydrates

Enzymes play an essential role in the digestion of carbohydrates. The enzymes in your saliva start the process and additional enzymes produced in the pancreas and small intestine finish the job. The process for complex carbohydrates is essentially food item to maltose, which is starch molecules, to glucose which passes through the small intestine into the blood stream.

Complex carbohydrates are called starches. Simple carbohydrates are sugars. Carbohydrates are essential for energy production.

Proteins

Proteins are made of two types of amino acids. There are the essential amino acids obtained from food and the nonessential amino acids the body can produce. The process of breaking down proteins begins when they come in contact with stomach enzymes.

The breakdown process is continued in the small intestine where pancreatic and intestinal enzymes break the protein down to its smallest denominator – amino acid molecules. The molecules then pass from the small intestine into the blood stream to be transported.

Fats

Fats are broken down by bile acids produced by the liver and small intestine enzymes. The large fat molecules are reduced to small molecules which are called cholesterol and fatty acids. Bile acids mix with the small fat molecules and makes it possible for them to enter mucosa cells.

At that point the smaller fat molecules reform back into large molecules for transport.

There are two nutrient transport systems involved for moving fat molecules. The first transport system carries fat molecules that have been stored in the lymphatic system to the chest. The second transport is the same one used by carbohydrates and proteins. The second transport system is the bloodstream which carries the fat to various parts of the body to be stored for energy.

Vitamins

Vitamins are elements in food and supplements that assist the biological processes of the body. They help the body use carbohydrates, proteins and fats efficiently. They also are used by the body to produce blood and nervous system cells.

Water soluble vitamins pass through the small intestine into the blood stream for transport. Fat soluble vitamins are transported in the same way as fat molecules.

Minerals

Minerals are essential for many different reasons such as efficient muscle function and healthy bone development. They are found in food and are absorbed through the small intestine into the bloodstream for transport.

Transporting Energy

The nutrient transport system in the body is quite elaborate. The digestion process is designed to convert ingested nutrients into a form that makes it possible for cells to access them. There are a lot of chemical reactions taking place to achieve this goal such as the enzymes mixing with food leading to the breakdown into the smallest molecular components.

Most nutrient molecules combine with oxygen before entering the cell. At this point the cell is storing energy which is constantly being used even when you are sitting still. The metabolic process converts the nutrient/oxygen molecules into heat.

In theory you could obtain all the necessary nutrients through only food, but it seldom is that simple for athletes or people who expend unusual amounts of energy. For example, athletes will use creatine in far larger quantities than someone less active.

There are many supplements that can be added to a person’s diet to enhance the digestion and nutrient transport system. For example, Controlled Labs Purple Wrath contains a number of elements known to improve nutrient delivery such as Lysine, Arginine, and Threonine.

A product such as Dymatize BCAA Complex 5050 contains amino acids that promote protein synthesis. The BSN Nitrix capsules contain arginine and a host of other elements that assist the uptake and storage of nutrients. Furthermore, a product like Dymatize FLUD, which is specifically designed to to aid in nutrient transport, uses a pharmaceutical-grade blend of waxy maize to act as an “internal vacuum” by pulling the nutrients and water directly to muscles without relying on digestion in the stomach.

In addition, the nutrient transport process also impacts glucose levels in the blood. Overloading with carbohydrates and sugar can cause insulin overreactions leading to sudden fatigue. Healthy supplements can supply nutrients without adding sugar or complex carbohydrates that convert to sugar so you avoid blood sugar spiking.

Body building and health supplements can be instrumental in helping the body process nutrients efficiently. When they are used in conjunction with a balanced diet, the athlete will have more energy, greater endurance and a body able two easily withstand the rigours of intense physical activity.