Role of Food Digestion and Digestive System in the Nutritional, Functional and Health Properties of Food Bioactives

Abstract

The impact of food components on the human digestive system is an important area of research in the fields of nutrition and food science. Food is composed of a mix of chemical components that will be processed by the digestive system to release, absorb, and metabolize the nutrients. The composition and structure of food play a significant role in its nutritional and functional properties, making it necessary to understand the modifications and mechanisms occurring during food digestion to better comprehend the potential health benefits of food bioactives. Furthermore, the human gastrointestinal tract is continually exposed to a varied range of food compounds in the gut lumen as they are processed following oral intake and then transported across the intestinal barrier. Food compounds may undergo several changes in the digestive system; hence, it is a real challenge for food scientists to understand their health implications within and beyond the gastrointestinal tract. Researchers have thus utilized some in vitro models in an attempt to simulate the gastrointestinal digestion process and study the interaction between foods and the digestive system, but the complexity of this interface require further investigation to advance our understanding of food digestion, bioaccessibility, and bioavailability, along with the influence of gut microbiota. The field of functional foods aims to uncover these complexities on the path towards enhancing our knowledge on the impact of food bioactives on human health and disease.